Isaiah 9

Chapter 9

Hope in the Messiah

1 tNevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.
2 t The people who walk in darkness
will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,t
a light will shine.3 You will enlarge the nation of Israel,
and its people will rejoice.
They will rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest
and like warriors dividing the plunder.4 For you will break the yoke of their slavery
and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.
You will break the oppressor’s rod,
just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.5 The boots of the warrior
and the uniforms bloodstained by war
will all be burned.
They will be fuel for the fire.6 For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor,t Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.7 His government and its peace
will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen!

The LORD’s Anger against Israel

8 The Lord has spoken out against Jacob;
his judgment has fallen upon Israel.9 And the people of Israelt and Samaria,
who spoke with such pride and arrogance,
will soon know it.10 They said, “We will replace the broken bricks of our ruins with finished stone,
and replant the felled sycamore-fig trees with cedars.”11 But the LORD will bring Rezin’s enemies against Israel
and stir up all their foes.12 The Syrianst from the east and the Philistines from the west
will bare their fangs and devour Israel.
But even then the LORD’s anger will not be satisfied.
His fist is still poised to strike.13 For after all this punishment, the people will still not repent.
They will not seek the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.14 Therefore, in a single day the LORD will destroy both the head and the tail,
the noble palm branch and the lowly reed.15 The leaders of Israel are the head,
and the lying prophets are the tail.16 For the leaders of the people have misled them.
They have led them down the path of destruction.17 That is why the Lord takes no pleasure in the young men
and shows no mercy even to the widows and orphans.
For they are all wicked hypocrites,
and they all speak foolishness.
But even then the LORD’s anger will not be satisfied.
His fist is still poised to strike.18 This wickedness is like a brushfire.
It burns not only briers and thorns
but also sets the forests ablaze.
Its burning sends up clouds of smoke.19 The land will be blackened
by the fury of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
The people will be fuel for the fire,
and no one will spare even his own brother.20 They will attack their neighbor on the right
but will still be hungry.
They will devour their neighbor on the left
but will not be satisfied.
In the end they will even eat their own children.t21 Manasseh will feed on Ephraim,
Ephraim will feed on Manasseh,
and both will devour Judah.
But even then the LORD’s anger will not be satisfied.
His fist is still poised to strike.

ISAIAH 9

1  t But those who have suffered will no longer be in pain.t The territories of Zebulun and Naphtali in Galilee were once hated. But this land of the Gentiles across the Jordan River and along the Mediterranean Sea will be greatly respected.

War Is Over

2  t Those who walked in the dark
have seen a bright light.
And it shines upon everyone
who lives in the land
of darkest shadows.

3 Our [Lord], you have made
your nation stronger.t
Because of you, its people
are glad and celebrate
like workers at harvest time
or like soldiers dividing up
what they have taken.

4 You have broken the power
of those who abused
and enslaved your people.
You have rescued them
just as you saved your people
from Midian.t

5 The boots of marching warriors
and the blood-stained uniforms
have been fed to flames
and eaten by fire.

A Child Has Been Born

6 A child has been born for us.
We have been given a son
who will be our ruler.
His names will be
Wonderful Advisor
and Mighty God,
Eternal Father
and Prince of Peace.

7  t His power will never end;
peace will last forever.
He will rule David's kingdom
and make it grow strong.
He will always rule
with honesty and justice.
The [Lord] All-Powerful
will make certain
that all of this is done.

God Will Punish Israel

9 and all of them knew it, including everyone in the capital city of Samaria. But they were proud and stubborn and said,

10 “Houses of brick and sycamore
have fallen to the ground,
but we will build houses
with stones and cedar.”
11 The [Lord] made their enemiest attack them. 12 He sent the Arameans from the east and the Philistines from the west, and they swallowed up Israel. But even this did not stop him from being angry, so he kept on punishing them.t

13 The people of Israel still did not turn back to the [Lord] All-Powerful and worship him.
14 In one day he cut off their head and tail, their leaves and branches. 15 Their rulers and leaders were the head, and the lying prophets were the tail. 16 They had led the nation down the wrong path, and the people were confused.

17 The Lord was angry with his people and kept punishing them, because they had turned against him.t They were evil and spoke foolishly. That's why he did not have pity on their young people or on their widows and orphans.
18 Evil had spread like a raging forest fire sending thornbushes up in smoke. 19 The [Lord] All-Powerful was angry and used the people as fuel for a fire that scorched the land. They turned against each other 20 like wild animals attacking and eating everyone around them, even their own relatives.t But still they were not satisfied. 21 The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh turned against each other, then joined forces to attack Judah. But the [Lord] was still angry and ready to punish the nation even more.