Isaiah 9

9^aNevertheless, there will be no more gloom^w for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,^x but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

²The people walking in darkness^y

have seen a great light;^z

on those living in the land of deep darkness^a

a light has dawned.^b

³You have enlarged the nation^c

and increased their joy;^d

they rejoice before you

as people rejoice at the harvest,

as warriors rejoice

when dividing the plunder.^e

⁴For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,^f

you have shattered^g

the yoke^h that burdens them,

the bar across their shoulders,ⁱ

the rod of their oppressor.^j

⁵Every warrior’s boot used in battle

and every garment rolled in blood

will be destined for burning,^k

will be fuel for the fire.

⁶For to us a child is born,^l

to us a son is given,^m

and the governmentⁿ will be on his shoulders.^o

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor,^p Mighty God,^q

Everlasting^r Father,^s Prince of Peace.^t

⁷Of the greatness of his government^u and peace^v

there will be no end.^w

He will reign^x on David’s throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice^y and righteousness^z

from that time on and forever.^a

The zeal^b of the Lord Almighty

will accomplish this.

The Lord’s Anger Against Israel

⁸The Lord has sent a message^c against Jacob;

it will fall on Israel.

⁹All the people will know it—

Ephraim^d and the inhabitants of Samaria^e—

who say with pride

and arrogance^f of heart,

¹⁰“The bricks have fallen down,

but we will rebuild with dressed stone;^g

the fig^h trees have been felled,

but we will replace them with cedars.ⁱ”

¹¹But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s^j foes against them

and has spurred their enemies on.

¹²Arameans^k from the east and Philistines^l from the west

have devoured^m Israel with open mouth.

Yet for all this, his angerⁿ is not turned away,

his hand is still upraised.^o

¹³But the people have not returned^p to him who struck^q them,

nor have they sought^r the Lord Almighty.

¹⁴So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,

both palm branch and reed^s in a single day;^t

¹⁵the elders^u and dignitaries^v are the head,

the prophets^w who teach lies^x are the tail.

¹⁶Those who guide^y this people mislead them,

and those who are guided are led astray.^z

¹⁷Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,^a

nor will he pity^b the fatherless and widows,

for everyone is ungodly^c and wicked,^d

every mouth speaks folly.^e

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,

his hand is still upraised.^f

¹⁸Surely wickedness burns like a fire;^g

it consumes briers and thorns,^h

it sets the forest thickets ablaze,ⁱ

so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.

¹⁹By the wrath^j of the Lord Almighty

the land will be scorched^k

and the people will be fuel for the fire;^l

they will not spare one another.^m

²⁰On the right they will devour,

but still be hungry;ⁿ

on the left they will eat,^o

but not be satisfied.

Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring^b:

²¹Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;^p

together they will turn against Judah.^q

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,

his hand is still upraised.^r