Isaiah 9-10

Common English Bible

^2 [c] The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.
    On those living in a pitch-dark land, light has dawned.
³ You have made the nation great;
    you have increased its joy.
They rejoiced before you as with joy at the harvest,
    as those who divide plunder rejoice.
⁴ As on the day of Midian, you’ve shattered the yoke that burdened them,
    the staff on their shoulders,
    and the rod of their oppressor.
⁵ Because every boot of the thundering warriors,
    and every garment rolled in blood
    will be burned, fuel for the fire.
⁶ A child is born to us, a son is given to us,
    and authority will be on his shoulders.
    He will be named
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ There will be vast authority and endless peace
    for David’s throne and for his kingdom,
    establishing and sustaining it
    with justice and righteousness
    now and forever.

⁸ The Lord sent a word against Jacob;
    it fell upon Israel;
⁹     the people all knew it—
    Ephraim and the one who rules in Samaria.
But with a proud and arrogant heart they said,
¹⁰     “Bricks have fallen,
        but let’s rebuild with stones.
    Sycamores were cut down,
        but let’s replace them with cedars.”
¹¹ So the Lord raised up their foes against them,^[d]
    and stirred up their enemies—
¹²     Aram from the east and the Philistines from the west—
    and they devoured Israel with an open mouth.
Even then God’s anger didn’t turn away;
    God’s hand was still extended.

10 Doom to those who pronounce wicked decrees,
    and keep writing harmful laws
²     to deprive the needy of their rights
    and to rob the poor among my people of justice;
    to make widows their loot;
    to steal from orphans!
³ What will you do on the day of punishment
    when disaster comes from far away?
To whom will you flee for help;
    where will you stash your wealth?
⁴ How will you avoid crouching among the prisoners
    and falling among the slain?
Even so, God’s anger hasn’t turned away;
    God’s hand is still extended.

⁵ Doom to Assyria, rod of my anger,
    in whose hand is the staff of my fury!
⁶ Against a godless nation I send him;
    against an infuriating people
    I direct him to seize spoil, to steal plunder,
    and to trample them like mud in the streets.
⁷ But he has other plans;
    he schemes in secret;
    destruction is on his mind,
    extermination of nation after nation.
⁸ He says: Aren’t my commanders all kings?
⁹     Isn’t Calno like Carchemish?
    Isn’t Hamath like Arpad?
    Isn’t Samaria like Damascus?
¹⁰ Just as I took control of idolatrous kingdoms
    with more images than Jerusalem and Samaria,
¹¹     just as I did to Samaria and her false gods,
    won’t I also do this to Jerusalem and her idols?

¹³ He said, “By my own strength I have achieved it,
    and by my wisdom, since I’m so clever.
    I disregarded national boundaries; I raided their treasures;
    I knocked down their rulers like a bull.
¹⁴     My hand found the wealth of the peoples
    as if it were in a nest.
Just as one gathers abandoned eggs,
    I have gathered the entire earth;
    no creature fluttered a wing or opened a mouth to chirp.”

²⁶ Therefore, the Lord of heavenly forces will crack a whip against Assyria,
    as when he struck Midian at the rock of Oreb.
    He will raise a rod over the sea,
        as he did in Egypt.
²⁷ On that day, God will remove the burden from your shoulder
    and destroy the yoke on your neck.^[i]

He has gone up from Samaria,
²⁸     come against Aiath,
    passed to Migron.
At Michmash he stored his equipment.
²⁹ They crossed at the pass: “We’ll camp at Geba!”
    Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul has fled.
³⁰ Cry aloud, Daughter Gallim!
    Listen, Laishah! Answer her, Anathoth!
³¹ Madmenah has flown.
    Gebim’s inhabitants sought refuge.
³² This very day he will stand at Nob
    and shake his fist^[j] at Daughter Zion’s mountain,
    the hill of Jerusalem!
³³ Look! The Lord God of heavenly forces
    is chopping off the branches with terrible power.
    The loftiest ones are about to be cut down
        and the exalted laid low.
³⁴ He will strike down the forest thickets with an ax,
    and mighty Lebanon will fall.