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Good news for God's people

9 But the darkness will not continue for ever. Those who had no hope will no longer be afraid. In past times, God let trouble happen to the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. [ a ] But in future years, he will cause the people of that region to be great. Those are the places near the sea, and those beyond the Jordan River, and Galilee region where people from other nations live.

2 The people who walk in the dark now see a bright light! Light is shining on those people who live in a land of complete darkness.

3 You, Lord , will make your nation stronger. You will cause your people to be very happy. They will be happy because you are with them. They will be like people who are happy at the time of harvest. They will be happy like soldiers who have won a battle, and who share their enemy's valuable things among themselves.

4 They are happy because you have removed the power of their cruel enemies. They no longer have to carry a heavy load, as slaves. You have rescued them from their enemies, in the same way that you won against Midian's army. [ b ]

5 Fire will destroy every shoe that the soldiers wore to march into the battle. Their clothes which have the blood of war on them will also go into the fire.

6 Yes, your people are happy! A child has been born for us. We now have a son with the authority to rule. His names will be:

Wonderful Advisor,

Mighty God,

Father for Ever,

Ruler who brings Peace.

7 His authority to rule will be very great. The peace that he brings will never have an end. He will rule as king over David's kingdom. He will make it strong and safe, because he will do what is right and fair. He will rule like that now and for ever. The Lord Almighty will make those things happen, because he loves his people.

The Lord punishes Israel

8 The Lord God has spoken a message to warn Jacob's descendants, the kingdom of Israel. 9 All the people who live in Ephraim and in the city of Samaria know about it. But they are proud and they boast, 10 ‘We built houses with bricks and they fell down. But we will build them again with strong stones. People have cut down our fig trees, but we will plant great cedar trees instead.’

11 But the Lord caused Rezin's enemies, and other nations to attack Israel. 12 Syria's army came from the east. The Philistines' army came from the west. They destroyed Israel's land, like a hungry animal.

But the Lord is still angry. His hand is ready to hit them again. [ c ]

13 The people did not turn back to the Lord Almighty, who had punished them. They did not ask for his help. 14 So, in one day, the Lord will destroy Israel, both its head and its tail. He will cut down both palm branch and reed. 15 The head is their leaders and important people. The tail is the prophets who teach lies.

16 The leaders of this nation lead them away from what is true. They confuse the people that they are leading. 17 So the Lord God is not pleased with their young men. He will not help their widows or their children who have no family. Nobody respects God and they all do evil things. They only speak about foolish things.

But the Lord is still angry. His hand is ready to hit them again.

18 The evil things that the people do destroy everything. They are like a fire that destroys thorn bushes. They burn up all the bushes in the forest. Clouds of smoke rise up from a great fire. 19 The Lord Almighty is very angry. He punishes the land of Israel, like a fire that burns everything. The people are like wood that makes the fire burn well. None of them try to help each other. 20 People eat whatever food they can get, on their right side or their left side. But they are still hungry. They even eat their own family!

21 Manasseh's tribe and Ephraim's tribe fight against each other. Then they join together to attack Judah.

But the Lord is still angry. His hand is ready to hit them again.

Footnotes

  1. 9:1 Zebulun and Naphtali were two of Israel's tribes.
  2. 9:4 See Judges 7—8 .
  3. 9:12 Isaiah says this four times. The other places are Isaiah 9:17 ; Isaiah 9:21 ; Isaiah 10:3

A New Day Is Coming

9 But there will be an end to the gloom those people suffered. In the past, people thought the land of Zebulun and Naphtali was not important. But later, that land will be honored—the land along the sea, the land east of the Jordan River, and Galilee where people from other nations live. 2 Those people lived in darkness, but they will see a great light. They lived in a place as dark as death, but a great light will shine on them.

3 God, you will make the nation grow, and you will make the people happy. They will rejoice in your presence as they do at harvest time. It will be like the joy when people take their share of things they have won in war. 4 That will happen because you will lift the heavy yoke off their shoulders and take away their heavy burden. You will take away the rod that the enemy used to punish your people, as you did when you defeated Midian. [ a ]

5 Every boot that marched in battle and every uniform stained with blood will be destroyed and thrown into the fire. 6 This will happen when the special child is born. God will give us a son who will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be “Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.” 7 His power will continue to grow, and there will be peace without end. This will establish him as the king sitting on David’s throne and ruling his kingdom. He will rule with goodness and justice forever and ever. The strong love [ b ] that the Lord All-Powerful has for his people will make this happen!

God Will Punish Israel

8 The Lord gave a command against Jacob and someone in Israel fell. [ c ] 9 So all the people in Ephraim, including the ruler in Samaria, learned their lesson.

Those people are very proud and boastful now. They say, 10 “Yes, those bricks fell, but we will rebuild with strong stone. Yes, those little trees were chopped down, but we will plant new trees. And they will be large, strong trees.”

11 The Lord found people to go up and fight against Rezin. He stirred up Rezin’s enemies. 12 As for Israel, the Arameans are in front of him and the Philistines are behind him. And they are both eating away at him. But the Lord is not finished yet. He is still angry, and his arm is raised to continue punishing Israel.

13 The people did not stop sinning. They did not come to the Lord All-Powerful for help. 14 So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail. He took away the branch and the stalk in one day. 15 (The head means the elders and important leaders. The tail means the prophets who told lies.)

16 Their guides are leading them the wrong way, so those who follow them will be destroyed. 17 All of them are evil. So the Lord is not happy with the young men, and he will not show mercy to their widows and orphans. That is because they are evil hypocrites. They tell lies.

The Lord has punished them, but he is not finished yet. He is still angry, and his arm is raised to continue punishing his people.

18 That evil was like a small fire that started among the weeds and thorns and then spread to the larger bushes in the forest. Finally, it became a giant fire, and everything went up in smoke.

19 The Lord All-Powerful was angry, so the land was burned. The people were fuel for the fire. No one showed any compassion to anyone else. 20 People looked to the right and grabbed whatever they could, but they were still hungry. They grabbed whatever was on their left, but still they were not satisfied. So they turned on themselves and began to eat the bodies of their own children. 21 Manasseh fought against Ephraim, and Ephraim fought against Manasseh. Then both of them turned on Judah.

But the Lord is not finished punishing his people. He is still angry, and his arm is raised to continue punishing them.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 9:4 as you … Midian See Judges 7:15-25.
  2. Isaiah 9:7 strong love The Hebrew word means strong feelings like love, hate, anger, zeal, or jealousy.
  3. Isaiah 9:8 Or “The Lord sent a command to Jacob and it happened to Israel.”

9 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.

Birth and Reign of the Prince of Peace

9 [ a ] But there will be no more ( A ) gloom for her who was in anguish. In earlier times He ( B ) treated the ( C ) land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He will make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee of the [ b ] Gentiles.

2 [ c ] ( D ) The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.
3 ( E ) You will multiply the nation,
You ( F ) will [ d ] increase [ e ] their joy;
They will rejoice in Your presence
As with the joy [ f ] of harvest,
As people ( G ) rejoice when they divide the spoils.
4 For ( H ) You will break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,
The rod of their ( I ) oppressor, as [ g ] at the battle of ( J ) Midian.
5 For every boot of the marching warrior in the roar of battle ,
And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
6 For a ( K ) Child will be born to us, a ( L ) Son will be given to us;
And the ( M ) government will [ h ] rest ( N ) on His shoulders;
And His name will be called ( O ) Wonderful Counselor, ( P ) Mighty God,
Eternal ( Q ) Father, Prince of ( R ) Peace.
7 There will be ( S ) no end to the increase of His government or of peace
On the ( T ) throne of David and over [ i ] his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with ( U ) justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
( V ) The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this.

God’s Anger with Israel’s Arrogance

8 The Lord sends a [ j ] message against Jacob,
And it falls on Israel.
9 And all the people know it ,
That is , ( W ) Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,
Asserting in pride and in ( X ) arrogance of heart:
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
But we will ( Y ) rebuild with smooth stones;
The sycamores have been cut down,
But we will replace them with cedars.”
11 Therefore the Lord raises superior adversaries against them from ( Z ) Rezin
And provokes their enemies,
12 The Arameans from the east and the ( AA ) Philistines from the west;
And they ( AB ) devour Israel with [ k ] gaping jaws.
( AC ) In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away,
And His hand is still stretched out.

13 Yet the people ( AD ) do not turn back to Him who struck them,
Nor do they ( AE ) seek the Lord of armies.
14 So the Lord cuts off ( AF ) head and tail from Israel,
Both palm branch and bulrush ( AG ) in a single day.
15 The head is ( AH ) the elder and esteemed man,
And the prophet who teaches ( AI ) falsehood is the tail.
16 ( AJ ) For those who guide this people are leading them astray;
And those who are guided by them are [ l ] confused.
17 Therefore the Lord does ( AK ) not rejoice over their young men,
( AL ) Nor does He have compassion on their [ m ] orphans or their widows;
For every one of them is ( AM ) godless and an ( AN ) evildoer,
And every ( AO ) mouth is speaking foolishness.
( AP ) In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away,
And His hand is still stretched out.

18 ( AQ ) For wickedness burns like a fire;
It consumes briars and thorns;
It also sets the thickets of the forest aflame
And they roll upward in a column of smoke.
19 By the ( AR ) wrath of the Lord of armies the ( AS ) land is burned,
And the ( AT ) people are like fuel for the fire;
No ( AU ) one spares his brother.
20 [ n ] They devour what is on the right hand but are still ( AV ) hungry,
And [ o ] they eat what is on the left hand, but they are not satisfied;
Each of them eats the ( AW ) flesh of his own arm.
21 Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh,
( AX ) And together they are against Judah.
( AY ) In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away
And His hand is still stretched out.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 9:1 Ch 8:23 in Heb
  2. Isaiah 9:1 Or nations
  3. Isaiah 9:2 Ch 9:1 in Heb
  4. Isaiah 9:3 Another reading is not increase
  5. Isaiah 9:3 Lit the
  6. Isaiah 9:3 Lit in
  7. Isaiah 9:4 Lit in the day of Midian
  8. Isaiah 9:6 Lit be
  9. Isaiah 9:7 I.e., David’s
  10. Isaiah 9:8 Lit word
  11. Isaiah 9:12 Lit the whole mouth
  12. Isaiah 9:16 Or swallowed up
  13. Isaiah 9:17 Or fatherless
  14. Isaiah 9:20 Lit And he slices
  15. Isaiah 9:20 Lit he eats

9 [ a ] Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom ( A ) for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, ( B ) but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

2 The people walking in darkness ( C )
have seen a great light; ( D )
on those living in the land of deep darkness ( E )
a light has dawned. ( F )
3 You have enlarged the nation ( G )
and increased their joy; ( H )
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder. ( I )
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, ( J )
you have shattered ( K )
the yoke ( L ) that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders, ( M )
the rod of their oppressor. ( N )
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning, ( O )
will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born, ( P )
to us a son is given, ( Q )
and the government ( R ) will be on his shoulders. ( S )
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, ( T ) Mighty God, ( U )
Everlasting ( V ) Father, ( W ) Prince of Peace. ( X )
7 Of the greatness of his government ( Y ) and peace ( Z )
there will be no end. ( AA )
He will reign ( AB ) on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice ( AC ) and righteousness ( AD )
from that time on and forever. ( AE )
The zeal ( AF ) of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.

The Lord ’s Anger Against Israel

8 The Lord has sent a message ( AG ) against Jacob;
it will fall on Israel.
9 All the people will know it—
Ephraim ( AH ) and the inhabitants of Samaria ( AI ) —
who say with pride
and arrogance ( AJ ) of heart,
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
but we will rebuild with dressed stone; ( AK )
the fig ( AL ) trees have been felled,
but we will replace them with cedars. ( AM ) ”
11 But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s ( AN ) foes against them
and has spurred their enemies on.
12 Arameans ( AO ) from the east and Philistines ( AP ) from the west
have devoured ( AQ ) Israel with open mouth.

Yet for all this, his anger ( AR ) is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised. ( AS )

13 But the people have not returned ( AT ) to him who struck ( AU ) them,
nor have they sought ( AV ) the Lord Almighty.
14 So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
both palm branch and reed ( AW ) in a single day; ( AX )
15 the elders ( AY ) and dignitaries ( AZ ) are the head,
the prophets ( BA ) who teach lies ( BB ) are the tail.
16 Those who guide ( BC ) this people mislead them,
and those who are guided are led astray. ( BD )
17 Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men, ( BE )
nor will he pity ( BF ) the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly ( BG ) and wicked, ( BH )
every mouth speaks folly. ( BI )

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised. ( BJ )

18 Surely wickedness burns like a fire; ( BK )
it consumes briers and thorns, ( BL )
it sets the forest thickets ablaze, ( BM )
so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
19 By the wrath ( BN ) of the Lord Almighty
the land will be scorched ( BO )
and the people will be fuel for the fire; ( BP )
they will not spare one another. ( BQ )
20 On the right they will devour,
but still be hungry; ( BR )
on the left they will eat, ( BS )
but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring [ b ] :
21 Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh; ( BT )
together they will turn against Judah. ( BU )

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised. ( BV )

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-21 is numbered 9:1-20.
  2. Isaiah 9:20 Or arm
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