Isaiah 9

1 Nevertheless the dimness [shall] not [be] such as [was] in her distress, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict [her by] the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in 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 walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shades of death, upon them hath the light shined.

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, [and] not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, [and] as [men] rejoice 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 thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in 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 every battle of the warrior [is] with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but [this] shall be with burning [and] fuel of 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 to us a child is born, to us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, 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 Of the increase of [his] government and peace [there shall be] no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform 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 The LORD sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.

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

9 And all the people shall know, [even] Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness 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 have fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we will change [them into] cedars.

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

11 Therefore the LORD will set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together;

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

12 The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand [is] stretched out still.

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 For the people turn not to him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts.

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

14 Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day.

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

15 The ancient and honorable, he [is] the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he [is] the tail.

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

16 For the leaders of this people cause [them] to err; and [they that are] led by them [are] destroyed.

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

17 Therefore the LORD will have no joy in their young men, neither will have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one [is] a hypocrite and an evil-doer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand [is] stretched out still.

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 as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up [like] the rising 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 wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall 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 shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be 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 Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: [and] they together [shall be] against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand [is] stretched out still.

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!