IsaiahChapter 9

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¹But there will be no more gloom for those who were in trouble. In the past he brought shame on the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future he will bring honor to the Way of the Sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations: ²The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light.
On those living in the land of the shadow of death,
a light has dawned. ³You have made the nation bigger.
You have made their joy greater.
The people are glad before you,
like people are glad at harvest time,
like men are glad when they divide what they won in battle. ⁴For you have broken the yoke that weighed them down.
You broke the bar across their shoulders
and the rod of the one who crushed them.
You did it as in the day you beat Midian. ⁵For every boot that stomped in battle
and every coat rolled in blood
will be burned up as fuel for the fire. ⁶For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given.
The government will be on his shoulders.
He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷His government and his peace will keep growing,
and they will never end.
He will rule on David's throne
and over David's kingdom.
He will set it up and hold it up
with justice and what is right,
from then on and forever.
The LORD of Hosts will do this
with his great zeal. ⁸The Lord has sent a message against Jacob.
It has fallen on Israel. ⁹All the people will know it,
Ephraim and the people living in Samaria.
With proud and boastful hearts they will say, ¹⁰"The bricks have fallen down,
but we will build again with cut stone.
The fig trees have been cut down,
but we will put cedars in their place."a ¹¹So the LORD has raised up Rezin's foes against him.
He has stirred up his enemies together. ¹²Aram from the east and Philistia from the west
have eaten up Israel with open mouths.
Even after all this, his anger has not turned away.
His hand is still raised to strike. ¹³But the people did not turn back to the one who struck them.
They did not seek the LORD of Hosts. ¹⁴So the LORD will cut off Israel's head and tail.
He will cut off both palm branch and reed in one day. ¹⁵The head is the elder and the honored man.
The tail is the prophet who teaches lies. ¹⁶For those who guide this people lead them the wrong way.
And those they lead are swallowed up. ¹⁷So the Lord takes no joy in their young men.
He has no pity on their orphans and widows.
For every one of them is godless and wicked.
Every mouth speaks foolish things.
Even after all this, his anger has not turned away.
His hand is still raised to strike. ¹⁸For wickedness burns like a fire.
It burns up the thorns and briers.
It sets the thick forest on fire.
The forest goes up in clouds of smoke. ¹⁹The LORD of Hosts is angry,
so the land is burned.
The people are fuel for the fire.
No one even spares his own brother. ²⁰They cut off food on the right,
but they are still hungry.
They eat food on the left,
but they are still not full.
Each one eats the flesh of his own children. ²¹Manasseh eats up Ephraim,
and Ephraim eats up Manasseh.
Together they turn against Judah.
Even after all this, his anger has not turned away.
His hand is still raised to strike.