Isaiah 9:8-21

8The Lord God has spoken a message to warn Jacob's descendants, the kingdom of Israel.

9All 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.’

11But the Lord caused Rezin's enemies, and other nations to attack Israel.

12Syria'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.

13The people did not turn back to the Lord Almighty, who had punished them. They did not ask for his help.

14So, in one day, the Lord will destroy Israel, both its head and its tail. He will cut down both palm branch and reed.

15The head is their leaders and important people. The tail is the prophets who teach lies.

16The leaders of this nation lead them away from what is true. They confuse the people that they are leading.

17So 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.

18The 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.

19The 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.

20People 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!

21Manasseh'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.