Isaiah 9

1 For no fatigue [befalleth] him that oppresseth it; in the first time he made light of the land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, and at the last he will deal hard, with the way by the sea, on the other side of the Jordan, [up to] the Galilee of the nations.

For [there will be] no gloom on her who [is] distressed as at the former time. The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, So the latter has honored the way of the sea, Beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

2 The people that walk in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death—a light shineth brightly over them.

The people who are walking in darkness Have seen a great light, Dwellers in a land of death-shade, Light has shone on them.

3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, made great their joy: they rejoice before thee as with the joy in harvest, as men are glad when they divide the spoil.

You have multiplied the nation, You have made its joy great, They have rejoiced before You as the joy in harvest, As [men] rejoice in their apportioning spoil.

4 For the yoke of their burden, and the staff on their shoulder, the rod of their oppressor, hast thou broken, as on the day of Midian.

Because the yoke of its burden, And the staff of its shoulder, the rod of its exactor, You have broken as [in] the day of Midian.

5 For all the weapons of the fighter in the battle's tumult, and the garment rolled in blood, shall be burnt, become food for fire.

For every battle of a warrior [is] with rushing, and raiment rolled in blood, And it has been for burning—fuel of fire.

6 For a child is born unto us, a son hath been given unto us, and the government is placed on his shoulders; and his name is called, Wonderful, counsellor of the mighty God, of the everlasting Father, the prince of peace,

For a Child has been born to us, A Son has been given to us, And the dominion is on His shoulder, And He calls His Name Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.

7 For [promoting] the increase of the government, and for peace without end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to establish it and to support it through justice and righteousness, from henceforth and unto eternity: the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Of the increase of [His] dominion, And of peace, there is no end, On the throne of David, and on His kingdom, To establish it, and to support it, In judgment and in righteousness, From now on, even for all time, The zeal of YHWH of Hosts does this.

8 A word hath the Lord sent against Jacob, and it hath alighted upon Israel.

The Lord has sent a word into Jacob, And it has fallen in Israel.

9 And experience it shall all the people together, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria; because they say, in the pride and haughtiness of heart,

And the people have known—all of it, Ephraim, and the inhabitant of Samaria, In pride and in greatness of heart, saying,

10 “The bricks are fallen down, but with hewn stones will we re-build: the sycamores are cut down, but with cedars will we replace them.”

“Bricks have fallen, and we build hewn work, Sycamores have been cut down, and we renew cedars.”

11 Therefore will the Lord strengthen the adversaries of Rezin above him, and will stir up his enemies;

And YHWH sets the adversaries of Rezin on high above him, And he joins his enemies together,

12 The Syrians in front, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with a full mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand still remaineth stretched out.

Aram from before, and Philistia from behind, And they devour Israel with the whole mouth. With all this His anger has not turned back, And His hand is still stretched out.

13 And the people return not unto him that smiteth them, and the Lord of hosts do they not seek.

And the people has not turned back to Him who is striking it, And they have not sought YHWH of Hosts.

14 And the Lord cutteth off from Israel head and tail, palm-branch and rush, on one day.

And YHWH cuts off head and tail from Israel, Branch and reed—the same day.

15 The ancient and honorable is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies is the tail.

Elderly and accepted of faces—he [is] the head, And prophet teaching falsehood—he [is] the tail.

16 And the guides of this people are those that guide to error; and those that are led of them are misled.

And the eulogists of this people are causing to err, And its eulogized ones are consumed.

17 Therefore will the Lord have no joy in their young men, and on their fatherless and widows will he have no mercy; for every one is a hypocrite and an evil-doer, and every mouth speaketh scandalous words. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand still remaineth stretched out.

Therefore, the Lord does not rejoice over its young men, And He does not pity its orphans and its widows, For everyone [is] profane, and an evildoer, And every mouth is speaking folly. With all this His anger has not turned back, And His hand is still stretched out.

18 For wickedness burneth like the fire; it shall devour the briers and thorns: and it shall kindle [a flame] in the thickets of the forest, and they shall be shrouded by the wreaths of smoke.

For wickedness has burned as a fire, It devours brier and thorn, And it kindles in thickets of the forest, And they lift themselves up, an exaltation of smoke!

19 Through the fury of the Lord of hosts is the land scorched, and the people have become as food for the fire; no man will spare his brother.

In the wrath of YHWH of Hosts The land has been consumed, And the people is as fuel of fire; A man has no pity on his brother,

20 And he snatcheth on the right hand, and is [yet] hungry; and he eateth on the left hand, and are not [yet] satisfied; they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm:

And cuts down on the right, and has been hungry, And he devours on the left, And they have not been satisfied, They each devour the flesh of his own arm.

21 Menasseh [against] Ephraim: and Ephraim [against] Menasseh; and they together against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand still remaineth stretched out.

Manasseh—Ephraim, and Ephraim—Manasseh, Together they [are] against Judah, With all this His anger has not turned back. And His hand is still stretched out!