ישעה 9

1 כי לא מועף לאשר מוצק לה כעת הראשון הקל ארצה זבלון וארצה נפתלי והאחרון הכביד--דרך הים עבר הירדן גליל הגוים

However, those in Judah who have been distressed/worried will not [continue to] suffer. Previously, Yahweh humbled [the people in] the land [where the tribes of] Zebulun and Naphtali [live]. But in the future he will honor [the people who live in] that Galilee region, along the road between the Jordan [River] and the [Mediterranean] Sea, where [many] foreigners live.

2 העם ההלכים בחשך ראו אור גדול ישבי בארץ צלמות אור נגה עליהם

[Some day, it will be as though] [MET] the people who walked in darkness will see a great light. A [great] light will shine on those who live in a land where they have great troubles/distress.

3 הרבית הגוי לא (לו) הגדלת השמחה שמחו לפניך כשמחת בקציר כאשר יגילו בחלקם שלל

[Yahweh], you will cause us people in Israel to rejoice; we will become very happy. We will rejoice about what you [have done] like [SIM] people rejoice when they harvest their crops, [or] like soldiers rejoice when they divide up among themselves the things that they have captured in a battle.

4 כי את על סבלו ואת מטה שכמו שבט הנגש בו--החתת כיום מדין

You will cause us to no longer be slaves [MET] [of those who captured us]; you will lift the heavy burdens from our shoulders. [It will be as though] you will break the rods of those who oppressed us, like you did when you destroyed [the army of] the Midian people-group.

5 כי כל סאון סאן ברעש ושמלה מגוללה בדמים והיתה לשרפה מאכלת אש

The boots that the enemy soldiers have worn and their clothing which has stains of blood on them will all be burned up; they will only be fuel for a [big] fire.

6 כי ילד ילד לנו בן נתן לנו ותהי המשרה על שכמו ויקרא שמו פלא יועץ אל גבור אבי עד שר שלום

Another reason that we will rejoice is that a [special] child will be born for us; [a woman will give birth to] a son, who will be our ruler. And his names will be ‘Wonderful Counselor’, ‘Mighty/Powerful God’, ‘[Our] Everlasting Father’, and ‘Prince/Ruler [who enables us to have] Peace’.

7 לם רבה (למרבה) המשרה ולשלום אין קץ על כסא דוד ועל ממלכתו להכין אתה ולסעדה במשפט ובצדקה מעתה ועד עולם קנאת יהוה צבאות תעשה זאת

His rule, and the peace that he [brings/causes], will never end. He will rule [MTY] fairly and justly [DOU], like [his ancestor King] David did. This will happen because the Commander of the armies of angels greatly desires that it happen.

8 דבר שלח אדני ביעקב ונפל בישראל

The Lord has warned the people of Israel, the descendants of Jacob; he has said that [he will punish] them.

9 וידעו העם כלו אפרים ויושב שמרון בגאוה ובגדל לבב לאמר

And all the people in Samaria and [other places in] Israel know that, [but] they are very proud and arrogant [DOU]. They say, “Our city has been destroyed, but we will [take away the broken bricks from the ruins] [and] replace them with carefully cut stones. Our sycamore-fig trees have been cut down [by our enemies], but we will plant cedar trees [in their place].”

10 לבנים נפלו וגזית נבנה שקמים גדעו וארזים נחליף

11 וישגב יהוה את צרי רצין עליו ואת איביו יסכסך

But Yahweh brought the armies of [Assyria], the enemies of King Rezin [of Syria, to fight] against Israel and incited [other] nations [to attack Israel].

12 ארם מקדם ופלשתים מאחור ויאכלו את ישראל בכל פה בכל זאת לא שב אפו ועוד ידו נטויה

[The army of] Syria [came] from the east, and [the army of] Philistia [came] from the west, and they destroyed Israel [like a wild animal tears another animal apart and] [MET] devours it. But even after that happened, Yahweh was still very angry with them. He was ready to strike them with his fist again.

13 והעם לא שב עד המכהו ואת יהוה צבאות לא דרשו

[But even though] Yahweh punished his people [like that], they [still] did not return to him [and worship him]. They [still] did not request the Commander of the armies of angels [to assist them].

14 ויכרת יהוה מישראל ראש וזנב כפה ואגמון--יום אחד

Therefore, in one day Yahweh will get rid of [those who are like] Israel’s head and [those who are like] its tail; the [ones who are like] the top of the palm tree and the [ones who are like] the bottom.

15 זקן ונשוא פנים הוא הראש ונביא מורה שקר הוא הזנב

The leaders [DOU] of Israel are the head, and the prophets who tell lies are the tail.

16 ויהיו מאשרי העם הזה מתעים ומאשריו מבלעים

The leaders of the people have misled them; they have caused the people that they are ruling to be confused.

17 על כן על בחוריו לא ישמח אדני ואת יתמיו ואת אלמנותיו לא ירחם--כי כלו חנף ומרע וכל פה דבר נבלה בכל זאת לא שב אפו ועוד ידו נטויה

For that reason, Yahweh is not pleased with the young men [of Israel], and he does not [even] act mercifully toward the widows and orphans, because they are all ungodly and wicked, and they all say things that are foolish. [But] Yahweh still is angry with them; he is ready to strike them with his fist again.

18 כי בערה כאש רשעה שמיר ושית תאכל ותצת בסבכי היער ויתאבכו גאות עשן

When people do wicked things, it is like [SIM] a brushfire [that spreads rapidly]. It burns up [not only] briers and thorns; it starts a big fire in the forests from which clouds of smoke will rise.

19 בעברת יהוה צבאות נעתם ארץ ויהי העם כמאכלת אש איש אל אחיו לא יחמלו

[It is as though] the [whole] land is burned [black] because the Commander of the armies of angels is extremely angry with the Israeli people. They will become like [SIM] fuel for that great fire, and no one will try to rescue even his [own] brother [from that fire].

20 ויגזר על ימין ורעב ויאכל על שמאול ולא שבעו איש בשר זרעו יאכלו

Israeli people will attack their neighbors on the right [to get food from them], but they will still be hungry. They will [kill those who live in houses] on the left and eat their flesh, but their stomachs will still not be full.

21 מנשה את אפרים ואפרים את מנשה--יחדו המה על יהודה בכל זאת לא שב אפו ועוד ידו נטויה

[People of the tribes of] Manasseh and Ephraim will attack each other, and [then] they will both attack the people of Judah. But even after that happens, Yahweh will still be very angry with them. He will be ready to strike them with his fist again.