Isaiah 9

1 In the earlier time, the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali were lifted up. But in the later time, the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, the Galilee of the Gentiles, was weighed down.

But the darkness shall not remain where now is distress; Of old he brought the land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali into contempt; In future times shall he bring the land of the sea beyond Jordan, the circle of the gentiles, into honor.

2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. A light has risen for the inhabitants of the region of the shadow of death.

The people that walk in darkness behold a great light; They who dwell in the land of death-like shade, Upon them a light shineth.

3 You have increased the nation, but you have not increased the rejoicing. They will rejoice before you, like those who rejoice at the harvest, like the victorious exulting after capturing the prey, when they divide the spoils.

Thou enlargest the nation; Thou increasest their joy; They rejoice before thee with the joy of harvest, With the joy of those who divide the spoil.

4 For you have prevailed over the yoke of their burden, and over the rod of their shoulder, and over the scepter of their oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

For thou breakest their heavy yoke, And the rod that smote their backs, And the scourge of the taskmaster, As in the day of Midian.

5 For every violent plunder with a tumult, and every garment mixed with blood, will be burned up and will become fuel for the fire.

For every greave of the warrior in battle, And the war-garment rolled in blood, Shall be burned; yea, it shall be food for the fire.

6 For unto us a child is born, and unto us a son is given. And leadership is placed upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called: wonderful Counselor, mighty God, father of the future age, Prince of Peace.

For to us a child is born, To us a son is given, And the government shall be upon his shoulder, And he shall be called Wonderful, counsellor, mighty potentate, Everlasting father, prince of peace;

7 His reign will be increased, and there will be no end to his peace. He will sit upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to confirm and strengthen it, in judgment and justice, from now even unto eternity. The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall accomplish this.

His dominion shall be great, And peace without end shall be upon the throne of David and his kingdom, To fix and establish it Through justice and equity, Henceforth and forever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will do this.

8 The Lord sent a word to Jacob, and it fell upon Israel.

The Lord sendeth a word against Jacob; It cometh down to Israel.

9 And all the people of Ephraim will know it. And the inhabitants of Samaria will say it, in the arrogance and haughtiness of their heart:

His whole people shall feel it, Ephraim, and the inhabitants of Samaria, Who say in pride and arrogance of heart,

10 “The bricks have fallen, but we will build with squared stones. They have cut down the sycamores, but we will replace them with cedars.”

“The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; The sycamores are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars.”

11 And the Lord will raise up the enemies of Rezin over him, and he will turn his adversaries into a tumult:

Jehovah will raise up the enemies of Rezin against them, And will arm their adversaries;

12 the Syrians from the east and the Philistines from the west. And they will devour Israel with their whole mouth. After all this, his fury was not turned away; instead, his hand was still extended.

The Syrians before, the Philistines behind, Who shall devour Israel with wide jaws. For all this his anger is not turned away, But his hand is stretched out still.

13 And the people did not return to the One who struck them, and they did not seek the Lord of hosts.

The people turn not to him that smiteth them; Neither do they seek Jehovah of hosts.

14 And so, the Lord will disperse, away from Israel, the head and the tail, he who bows down and he who refrains, in one day.

Therefore shall Jehovah cut off from Israel the head and the tail, The palm-branch and the rush, in one day.

15 The long-lived and honorable, he is the head; and the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.

[[The aged and the honorable are the head, And the prophet that speaketh falsehood is the tail.]]

16 And those who deceitfully praise this people, and those who are praised, will be thrown down violently.

For the leaders of this people lead them astray, And they that are led by them go to destruction.

17 For this reason, the Lord will not rejoice over their youths. And he will not take pity on their orphans and widows. For each one is a hypocrite, and each one is wicked, and every mouth has spoken foolishness. After all this, his fury was not turned away; instead, his hand was still extended.

Therefore shall the Lord have no joy in their young men, And on their orphans and widows he shall have no compassion; For they are all profane, and evil-doers; Every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, But his hand is stretched out still.

18 For impiety has been kindled like a fire: it will devour brier and thorn, and it will burn in the dense forest, and it will be interwoven with the ascending smoke.

For wickedness burneth like a fire, It consumeth the briers and thorns, And it kindleth the thicket of the forest, So that it goeth up in columns of smoke.

19 The earth has been shaken by the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and the people will become like fuel for the fire. A man will not spare his own brother.

Through the wrath of Jehovah of hosts is the land burned, And the people are food for the fire; No one spareth another.

20 And he will turn toward the right, and he will be hungry. And he will eat toward the left, and he will not be satisfied. Each one will eat the flesh of his own arm: Manasseh Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, and together they will be against Judah.

They consume on the right hand, and yet are hungry; They devour on the left, and are not satisfied; Every one devoureth the flesh of his arm.

21 After all this, his fury was not turned away; instead, his hand was still extended.

Manasseh is against Ephraim, and Ephraim against Manasseh, And both together against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, But his hand is stretched out still.