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As the former time made light The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, So the latter hath honoured the way of the sea, Beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

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

Thou hast multiplied the nation, Thou hast made great its joy, They have joyed before Thee as the joy in harvest, As [men] rejoice in their apportioning spoil.

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

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

For a Child hath been born to us, A Son hath been given to us, And the princely power is on his shoulder, And He doth call his name Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.

To the increase of the princely power, 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, Henceforth, even unto the age, The zeal of Jehovah of Hosts doth this.

A word hath the Lord sent into Jacob, And it hath fallen in Israel.

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

10 `Bricks have fallen, and hewn work we build, Sycamores have been cut down, and cedars we renew.'

11 And Jehovah setteth the adversaries of Rezin on high above him, And his enemies he joineth together,

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

13 And the people hath not turned back unto Him who is smiting it, And Jehovah of Hosts they have not sought.

14 And Jehovah cutteth off from Israel head and tail, Branch and reed -- the same day,

15 Elder, and accepted of face, he [is] the head, Prophet, teacher of falsehood, he [is] the tail.

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

17 Therefore, over its young men the Lord rejoiceth not, And its orphans, and its widows He pitieth not, For every one [is] profane, and an evil doer, And every mouth is speaking folly. With all this not turned back hath His anger, And still His hand is stretched out.

18 For burned as a fire hath wickedness, Brier and thorn it devoureth, And it kindleth in thickets of the forest, And they lift themselves up, an exaltation of smoke!

19 In the wrath of Jehovah of Hosts Hath the land been consumed, And the people is as fuel of fire; A man on his brother hath no pity,

20 And cutteth down on the right, and hath been hungry, And he devoureth on the left, And they have not been satisfied, Each the flesh of his own arm they devour.

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

[a]Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom(A) for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,(B) but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

The people walking in darkness(C)
    have seen a great light;(D)
on those living in the land of deep darkness(E)
    a light has dawned.(F)
You have enlarged the nation(G)
    and increased their joy;(H)
they rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
    when dividing the plunder.(I)
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,(J)
    you have shattered(K)
the yoke(L) that burdens them,
    the bar across their shoulders,(M)
    the rod of their oppressor.(N)
Every warrior’s boot used in battle
    and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,(O)
    will be fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born,(P)
    to us a son is given,(Q)
    and the government(R) will be on his shoulders.(S)
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor,(T) Mighty God,(U)
    Everlasting(V) Father,(W) Prince of Peace.(X)
Of the greatness of his government(Y) and peace(Z)
    there will be no end.(AA)
He will reign(AB) on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice(AC) and righteousness(AD)
    from that time on and forever.(AE)
The zeal(AF) of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.

The Lord’s Anger Against Israel

The Lord has sent a message(AG) against Jacob;
    it will fall on Israel.
All the people will know it—
    Ephraim(AH) and the inhabitants of Samaria(AI)
who say with pride
    and arrogance(AJ) of heart,
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
    but we will rebuild with dressed stone;(AK)
the fig(AL) trees have been felled,
    but we will replace them with cedars.(AM)
11 But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s(AN) foes against them
    and has spurred their enemies on.
12 Arameans(AO) from the east and Philistines(AP) from the west
    have devoured(AQ) Israel with open mouth.

Yet for all this, his anger(AR) is not turned away,
    his hand is still upraised.(AS)

13 But the people have not returned(AT) to him who struck(AU) them,
    nor have they sought(AV) the Lord Almighty.
14 So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
    both palm branch and reed(AW) in a single day;(AX)
15 the elders(AY) and dignitaries(AZ) are the head,
    the prophets(BA) who teach lies(BB) are the tail.
16 Those who guide(BC) this people mislead them,
    and those who are guided are led astray.(BD)
17 Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,(BE)
    nor will he pity(BF) the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly(BG) and wicked,(BH)
    every mouth speaks folly.(BI)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
    his hand is still upraised.(BJ)

18 Surely wickedness burns like a fire;(BK)
    it consumes briers and thorns,(BL)
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,(BM)
    so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
19 By the wrath(BN) of the Lord Almighty
    the land will be scorched(BO)
and the people will be fuel for the fire;(BP)
    they will not spare one another.(BQ)
20 On the right they will devour,
    but still be hungry;(BR)
on the left they will eat,(BS)
    but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring[b]:
21     Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;(BT)
    together they will turn against Judah.(BU)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
    his hand is still upraised.(BV)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-21 is numbered 9:1-20.
  2. Isaiah 9:20 Or arm