International Standard Version
Isaiah 9
1 a But there will be no gloom for her who was b in distress. Formerly, he brought contempt to the region of Zebulun and the region of Naphtali, but in the future c he will have made glorious the way of the sea, the territory beyond the Jordan—Galilee of the nations. d
2 e The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; for those living in a land of deep darkness, a light has shined upon them.
3 You have increased the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice in your presence as they rejoice at the harvest, as they are glad when they’re dividing the spoils of war. f
4 Now as to the yoke that has been g his burden, and the bar laid h on his shoulder— the rod of his oppressor— you have broken it i as on the day of Midiam. j
5 For every boot of the tramping soldier in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be used for burning as fuel for a fire.
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name is k called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the growth of his government and peace there will be no end. He will rule l over his kingdom, sitting on the throne of David, to establish it and to uphold it m with justice and righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies will accomplish this.
8 “The LORD n has sent a plague o against Jacob, and it will fall on Israel;
9 and all of the people were evil p — Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria— saying proudly with arrogant hearts:
10 ‘The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed q stones; the sycamore r trees have been cut down, but we will replace them with cedars.’ s
11 But the LORD has raised adversaries t from Rezin u against him, and he stirs up his enemies—
12 Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west— and they devour Israel with open mouths! “Yet v for all this, his anger has not turned away, and his hand is still stretched out, ready to strike.” w
13 “But the people have not returned to rely x on y him who struck them, nor have they sought the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.
14 So the LORD has cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed in z a single day—
15 the elder and the dignitary is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail.
16 For those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.
17 Therefore the Lord does not have pity on aa their young men, and has no compassion on their orphans bb and widows, because each of them was godless and an evildoer, and every mouth spoke folly. “Yet cc for all this, his anger has not turned away, and his hand is still stretched out, ready to strike. dd
18 “For wickedness has burned like a blaze that consumes briers and thorns; it sets thickets of the forest on fire, and skyward ee they swirl in a column of smoke.
19 From ff the wrath of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies the land has been scorched, and the people have become like fuel for the fire; no one will spare his neighbor.
20 They cut meat on the right, but they’re still hungry, and they devour also gg on the left, but they’re not satisfied; each devours the flesh of his own children. hh
21 Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh; together they are against Judah. “Yet ii for all this, his anger has not turned away, and his hand is still stretched out, ready to strike.” jj