Isaiah 9

1But gloom will not be the lot of her who was in anguish. In the earlier time he treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but in the later time he will bring honor to the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

2The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light; on those who live in the land of the shadow of death a light has shone.

3You have made the nation many and made its joy great. They are glad in your presence the way people are glad at harvest time, the way they celebrate when they share out the plunder.

4For the yoke that weighed them down, the staff across their shoulders, the rod of the one who drove them—you have smashed them, as on the day of Midian.

5For every warrior’s boot that tramped in the din of battle, and every cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, food for the fire.

6For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us, and authority will rest on his shoulder. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7There will be no end to the growth of his authority and to peace, on David’s throne and over his kingdom, to set it firmly in place and uphold it by justice and by righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will bring this about.

8The Lord has sent a message against Jacob, and it has come down on Israel.

9All the people will come to know it—Ephraim and those living in Samaria—who say with pride and a heart full of arrogance,

10“Bricks have collapsed, but we will build again with cut stone; sycamore-figs have been chopped down, but cedars will take their place.”

11So Yahweh has lifted up Rezin’s foes against him and spurred on his enemies—

12Arameans on the east and Philistines on the west—and they have eaten up Israel with mouths wide open. For all this his anger has not turned away; his hand is still stretched out.

13Still the people have not come back to the one who struck them; they have not sought out Yahweh of Armies.

14So Yahweh cut off both head and tail from Israel, palm frond and bulrush, all in one day.

15The head is the elder and the man held in honor; the tail is the prophet whose teaching is lies.

16The ones who lead this people mislead them, and the ones they lead are being swallowed up.

17So the Lord will not be glad over their young men or show compassion to their orphans and widows, for all of them are godless evildoers, and every mouth speaks foolishness. For all this his anger has not turned away; his hand is still stretched out.

18For wickedness blazes like fire that devours briers and thorns; it sets the forest thickets alight, and they whirl upward in a towering cloud of smoke.

19The land is burned up by the fury of Yahweh of Armies, and the people have become like food for the flames; no one has pity on his brother.

20They tear at what is on the right yet stay hungry; they eat what is on the left yet are not filled; each of them eats the flesh of his own arm—

21Manasseh feeds on Ephraim, Ephraim on Manasseh, and together they turn on Judah. For all this his anger has not turned away; his hand is still stretched out.