Isaiah 9

Birth and Reign of the Prince of Peace

11But there will be no more 2gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He 3treated the 4land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the 5Gentiles.267The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.38You shall multiply the nation, You 9shall 10increase 11their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness 12of harvest, As 1314men rejoice when they divide the spoil.4For 15You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their 16oppressor, as 17at the battle of 18Midian.5For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.6For a 19child will be born to us, a 20son will be given to us; And the 21government will 22rest 23on His shoulders; And His name will be called 24Wonderful Counselor, 25Mighty God, Eternal 26Father, Prince of 27Peace.7There will be 28no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the 29throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with 30justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. 31The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.

God’s Anger with Israel’s Arrogance

8The Lord sends a 32message against Jacob, And it falls on Israel.9And all the people know it, That is, 33Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, Asserting in pride and in 34arrogance of heart:10“The bricks have fallen down, But we will 35rebuild with smooth stones; The sycamores have been cut down, But we will replace them with cedars.”11Therefore the Lord raises against them adversaries from 36Rezin And spurs their enemies on,12The Arameans on the east and the 37Philistines on the west; And they 38devour Israel with 39gaping jaws. 40In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out.

13Yet the people 41do not turn back to Him who struck them, Nor do they 42seek the Lord of hosts.14So the Lord cuts off 43head and tail from Israel, Both palm branch and bulrush 44in a single day.15The head is 45the elder and honorable man, And the prophet who teaches 46falsehood is the tail.1647For those who guide this people are leading them astray; And those who are guided by them are 48brought to confusion.17Therefore the Lord does 49not take pleasure in their young men, 50Nor does He have pity on their 51orphans or their widows; For every one of them is 52godless and an 53evildoer, And every 54mouth is speaking foolishness. 55In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out.

1856For wickedness burns like a fire; It consumes briars and thorns; It even sets the thickets of the forest aflame And they roll upward in a column of smoke.19By the 57fury of the Lord of hosts the 58land is burned up, And the 59people are like fuel for the fire; No 60man spares his brother.2061They slice off what is on the right hand but still are 62hungry, And 63they eat what is on the left hand but they are not satisfied; Each of them eats the 64flesh of his own arm.21Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, 65And together they are against Judah. 66In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out.