Isaiah 9

1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those in distress. In the past He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future He will honor the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations:

2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.

3 You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people rejoice before You as they rejoice at harvest time, as men rejoice in dividing the plunder.

4 For as in the day of Midian You have shattered the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor.

5 For every trampling boot of battle and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.

8 The Lord has sent a message against Jacob, and it has fallen upon Israel.

9 All the people will know it—Ephraim and the dwellers of Samaria. With pride and arrogance of heart they will say:

10 “The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with finished stone; the sycamores have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”

11 The LORD has raised up the foes of Rezin against him and joined his enemies together.

12 Aram from the east and Philistia from the west have devoured Israel with open mouths. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.

13 But the people did not return to Him who struck them; they did not seek the LORD of Hosts.

14 So the LORD will cut off Israel’s head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day.

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

16 For those who guide this people mislead them, and those they mislead are swallowed up.

17 Therefore the Lord takes no pleasure in their young men; He has no compassion on their fatherless and widows. For every one of them is godless and wicked, and every mouth speaks folly. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.

18 For wickedness burns like a fire that consumes the thorns and briers and kindles the forest thickets, which roll upward in billows of smoke.

19 By the wrath of the LORD of Hosts the land is scorched, and the people are fuel for the fire. No man even spares his brother.

20 They carve out what is on the right, but they are still hungry; they eat what is on the left, but they are still not satisfied. Each one devours the flesh of his own offspring.

21 Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; together they turn against Judah. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.

1 ¶ Nevertheless the dimness [shall] not [be] such as [was] in her vexation, 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.

2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

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.

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.

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.

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The 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.

8 ¶ The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.

9 And all the people shall know, [even] Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,

10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change [them into] cedars.

11 Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join 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.

13 For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts.

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

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

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

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

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 lifting up 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.

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:

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.

2 The people that walk in darkness behold a great light; and upon them that dwell in the land of darkness it shineth brightly.

3 Thou makest the heathen much; thou makest not much joy. But before thee shall men rejoice, as one rejoiceth in harvest, as one rejoiceth when he divideth the spoil.

4 For thou hast broken the yoke of their burden, and the rod of their shoulder, and the staff of their driver, as in the days of Midian.

5 For all warfare with tumult and bloody raiment shall be burned up, and consumed with fire.

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, whose dominion is upon his shoulder: and his name is Wonderful, Counsellor, Strength, Hero, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,

7 That his dominion might be great, and that there should be no end of peace in the throne of David, and in his kingdom; that he might establish it, and strengthen it with judgment and righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.

8 The LORD sent a word in Jacob, and fell in Israel,

9 That all the people of Ephraim, and the inhabitants of Samaria, which say in pride and loftiness of mind, may be brought to remembrance:

10 Bricks are fallen, but we will build it again with pieces: they have cut down mulberry trees, and we will put cedars in their place.

11 For the LORD will raise up the armies of Rezin against them, and will cut off their enemies in multitude:

12 The Syrians in the front, and the Philistines in the rear, shall devour Israel with their mouths. In all this his anger is not yet abated; his hand is yet stretched out.

13 Neither do the people turn unto him that smiteth them, nor inquire of the LORD of hosts.

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

15 The old men of truth are the head: but the prophets that teach falsely are the tail.

16 For the leaders of this people are deceivers, and they that are led are lost.

17 Therefore the LORD cannot rejoice over their young men, neither have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for they are all hypocrites and wicked, and their mouth speaketh folly. In all this his wrath is not yet abated; his hand is yet stretched out.

18 For the ungodly is kindled like fire, and devoureth thorns and hedges, and burneth as in a thick forest, and giveth great smoke.

19 For in the wrath of the LORD of hosts the land is darkened, and the people are as meat of fire: they spare not one another.

20 If they rob on the right hand, they hunger: if they eat on the left hand, they are not satisfied. Every man eateth the flesh of his own arm:

21 Manasseh against Ephraim, and Ephraim against Manasseh, and they together against Judah. In all this his anger is not abated; his hand is stretched out.