Isaiah 9

For to Us a Child Is Born

1 t But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.t

2 t The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shined.
3  You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4  For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5  For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6  For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upont his shoulder,
and his name shall be calledt
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7  Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Judgment on Arrogance and Oppression

8  The Lord has sent a word against Jacob,
and it will fall on Israel;
9  and all the people will know,
Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,
who say in pride and in arrogance of heart:
10  "The bricks have fallen,
but we will build with dressed stones;
the sycamores have been cut down,
but we will put cedars in their place."
11  But the Lord raises the adversaries of Rezin against him,
and stirs up his enemies.
12  The Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west
devour Israel with open mouth.
For all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still.

13  The people did not turn to him who struck them,
nor inquire of the Lord of hosts.
14  So the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail,
palm branch and reed in one day—
15  the elder and honored man is the head,
and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail;
16  for those who guide this people have been leading them astray,
and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.
17  Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men,
and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows;
for everyone is godless and an evildoer,
and every mouth speaks folly.t
For all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still.

18  For wickedness burns like a fire;
it consumes briers and thorns;
it kindles the thickets of the forest,
and they roll upward in a column of smoke.
19  Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts
the land is scorched,
and the people are like fuel for the fire;
no one spares another.
20  They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry,
and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied;
each devours the flesh of his own arm,
21  Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh;
together they are against Judah.
For all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah 9

Darkness Turns to Light as an Ideal King Arrives

1 ss The gloom will be dispelled for those who were anxious.t
In earlier times het humiliated
the land of Zebulun,
and the land of Naphtali;s
but now he brings honort
to the way of the sea,
the region beyond the Jordan,
and Galilee of the nations.s

2 The people walking in darkness
see a bright light;s
light shines
on those who live in a land of deep darkness.t

3 Yous have enlarged the nation;
you give them great joy.s
They rejoice in your presence
as harvesters rejoice;
as warriors celebratet when they divide up the plunder.

4 For their oppressive yoke
and the club that strikes their shoulders,
the cudgel the oppressor uses on them,t
you have shattered, as in the day of Midian’s defeat.s

5 Indeed every boot that marches and shakes the eartht
and every garment dragged through blood
is used as fuel for the fire.

6 For a child has beent born to us,
a son has been given to us.
He shoulders responsibility
and is called:t
Extraordinary Strategist,t
Mighty God,t
Everlasting Father,t
Prince of Peace.t

7 His dominion will be vasts
and he will bring immeasurable prosperity.t
He will rule on David’s throne
and over David’s kingdom,t
establishing itt and strengthening it
by promoting justice and fairness,t
from this time forward and forevermore.
The Lord’s intense devotion to his peoplet will accomplish this.

God’s Judgment Intensifies

8 s The sovereign mastert decreed judgmentt on Jacob,
and it fell on Israel.t

9 All the people were awaret of it,
the people of Ephraim and those living in Samaria.t
Yet with pride and an arrogant attitude, they said,t

10 “The bricks have fallen,
but we will rebuild with chiseled stone;
the sycamore fig trees have been cut down,
but we will replace them with cedars.”s

11 Then the Lord provokedt their adversaries to attack them,s
he stirred upt their enemies –

12 Syria from the east,
and the Philistines from the west,
they gobbled up Israelite territory.t
Despite all this, his anger does not subside,
and his hand is ready to strike again.t

13 The people did not return to the one who struck them,
they did not seek reconciliationt with the Lord who commands armies.

14 So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail,
both the shoots and stalks in one day.

15 The leaders and the highly respected peoplet are the head,
the prophets who teach lies are the tail.

16 The leaders of this nation were misleading people,
and the people being led were destroyed.t

17 So the sovereign master was not pleasedt with their young men,
he took no pityt on their orphans and widows;
for the whole nation was godlesst and did wicked things,t
every mouth was speaking disgraceful words.t
Despite all this, his anger does not subside,
and his hand is ready to strike again.ts

18 Fort evil burned like a fire,s
it consumed thorns and briers;
it burned up the thickets of the forest,
and they went up in smoke.t

19 Because of the anger of the Lord who commands armies, the land was scorched,t
and the people became fuel for the fire.s
People had no compassion on one another.t

20 They devouredt on the right, but were still hungry,
they ate on the left, but were not satisfied.
People even atet the flesh of their own arm!t

21 Manasseh fought againstt Ephraim,
and Ephraim against Manasseh;
together they fought against Judah.
Despite all this, his anger does not subside,
and his hand is ready to strike again.ts