Isaiah 9

1 But there shall be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time he has made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, 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 who walked in darkness have seen a great light. The light has shined on those who lived in the land of the shadow of death.

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 You have multiplied the nation. You have increased their joy. They rejoice before you according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the plunder.

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 his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken 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 all the armour of the armed man in the noisy battle, and the garments rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the 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 to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, 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 of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. 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 falls on Israel.

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

9 All the people will know, including Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance 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, but we will build with cut stone. The sycamore fig trees have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.”

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

11 Therefore the LORD will set up on high against him the adversaries of Rezin, 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 will 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 Yet the people have not turned to him who struck them, neither have they sought 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, palm branch and reed, in one day.

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

15 The elder and the honourable man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail.

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

16 For those who lead this people lead them astray; and those who 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 not rejoice over their young men, neither will he have compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is profane and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks 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 burns like a fire. It devours the briers and thorns; yes, it kindles in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column 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 LORD of Hosts’ wrath, the land is burnt up; and the people are the fuel for the fire. No one spares 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 One will devour on the right hand, and be hungry; and he will eat on the left hand, and they will not be satisfied. Everyone will eat 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 eating Ephraim and Ephraim eating Manasseh, and they together will 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!