For to Us a Child Is Born

[a] But there will be no (A)gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he (B)brought into contempt the land of (C)Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he (D)has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.[b]

[c] (E)The people (F)who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of (G)deep darkness,
    on them has light shone.
(H)You have multiplied the nation;
    you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
    as with (I)joy at the harvest,
    as they (J)are glad (K)when they divide the spoil.
(L)For the yoke of his burden,
    (M)and the staff for his shoulder,
    the rod of his oppressor,
    you have broken as (N)on the day of Midian.
(O)For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
    and every garment rolled in blood
    will be burned as fuel for the fire.
(P)For to us a child is born,
    to us (Q)a son is given;
(R)and the government shall be (S)upon[d] his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called[e]
Wonderful (T)Counselor, (U)Mighty God,
    (V)Everlasting (W)Father, Prince of (X)Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
    (Y)there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
(Z)with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
(AA)The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Judgment on Arrogance and Oppression

The Lord has sent a word against Jacob,
    and it will fall on Israel;
and all the people will know,
    (AB)Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,
    who say in pride and in arrogance of heart:
10 “The bricks have fallen,
    but we will build with dressed stones;
the sycamores have been cut down,
    but we will put cedars in their place.”
11 But the Lord raises the adversaries of Rezin against him,
    and stirs up his enemies.
12 (AC)The Syrians on the east and (AD)the Philistines on the west
    devour Israel with open mouth.
(AE)For all this his anger has not turned away,
    and his hand is stretched out still.

13 The people (AF)did not turn to him who struck them,
    nor inquire of the Lord of hosts.
14 So the Lord cut off from Israel (AG)head and tail,
    palm branch and reed in one day—
15 (AH)the elder and honored man is the head,
    and (AI)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 (AJ)rejoice over their young men,
    and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows;
for everyone is (AK)godless and an evildoer,
    and every mouth speaks (AL)folly.[f]
(AM)For all this his anger has not turned away,
    and his hand is stretched out still.

18 For wickedness burns like (AN)a fire;
    it consumes briers and thorns;
it kindles the thickets of the forest,
    and they roll upward in a column of smoke.
19 Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts
    the land is scorched,
and (AO)the people are like fuel for the fire;
    (AP)no one spares another.
20 (AQ)They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry,
    and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied;
(AR)each devours the flesh of his own arm,
21 Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh;
    together they are (AS)against Judah.
(AT)For all this his anger has not turned away,
    and his hand is stretched out still.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 9:1 Ch 8:23 in Hebrew
  2. Isaiah 9:1 Or of the Gentiles
  3. Isaiah 9:2 Ch 9:1 in Hebrew
  4. Isaiah 9:6 Or is upon
  5. Isaiah 9:6 Or is called
  6. Isaiah 9:17 Or speaks disgraceful things

(23) Nevertheless there will be no gloom in her in anguish. In Et HaRishon (the former time) He brought into contempt Artzah Zevulun and Artzah Naphtali, but acharon (afterward, in the future) did bring to honor Derech HaYam (Way to the Sea, land between Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean), beyond Yarden, in the Galil HaGoyim.

(1) The people that walked in choshech have seen an Ohr gadol; they that dwell in the eretz tzalmavet, upon them hath the Ohr dawned.

(2) Thou shalt multiply the Goy (Nation), and increase its simchah; they joy before Thee according to the simchat baKatzir, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

(3) For Thou hast broken the ol (yoke) of his burden, and the mateh (staff) of his shoulder, the shevet hanogesh (rod of the task master) of him, as in the yom of Midyan [See Judges 7:25).

(4) For every boot of the tramping warrior in the battle’s tumult, and simlah (garments) megolalah (rolled) in damim (blood) shall be for burning and ma’acholet eish (food for fire).

(5) For unto us a yeled is born, unto us ben is given; and the misrah (dominion) shall be upon his shoulder; and Shmo shall be called Peleh (Wonderful), Yoetz (Counsellor), El Gibbor (Mighty G-d), Avi Ad (Possessor of Eternity), Sar Shalom (Prince of Peace).

(6) Of the increase of his misrah and shalom there shall be no ketz (end), upon the Kisse Dovid, and upon his kingdom, to strengthen it, and to support it with mishpat and with tzedakah from henceforth even ad olam (forever). The Kinat Hashem Tzva’os will fulfill this.

(7) Adonoi sent davar against Ya’akov, and it hath fallen upon Yisroel.

(8) And all HaAm shall know it, even Ephrayim and the inhabitant of Shomron, that say in the ga’avah (pride) and haughtiness levav (of heart),

10 (9) The levenim (bricks) are fallen down, but we will rebuild with cut stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars.

11 (10) Therefore Hashem shall strengthen the adversaries of Retzin against him, and spur on his enemies;

12 (11) The Syrians from the east, and the Pelishtim from the west; and they shall devour Yisroel with open mouth. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His yad is upraised still.

13 (12) For HaAm turneth not unto Him that struck them, neither do they seek Hashem Tzva’os.

14 (13) Therefore Hashem will root out of Yisroel head and tail, palm branch and reed, in yom echad.

15 (14) The zaken and prominent man is the head; and the navi that is the moreh sheker (teacher of lies, false teacher) is the tail.

16 (15) For the me’ashrei HaAm HaZeh (leaders of this people) cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.

17 (16) Therefore Adonoi shall have no joy in their bocherim, neither shall have mercy on their yetomim and almanot; for every one is a chanef (g-dless, hypocritical) and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh nevalah (folly). For all this His anger is not turned away, but His yad is upraised still.

18 (17) For wickedness burneth like eish; it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall smoke upward like the lifting up of ashan (smoke).

19 (18) Through the Evrat Hashem Tzva’os (Wrath of Hashem of Hosts) is the land darkened, and HaAm shall be ma’acholet eish (food for fire); no ish shall spare his brother.

20 (19) And they grab on the yamin (right hand), and are still hungry; and shall eat on the smol (left hand), and they shall not be satisfied; they shall eat every ish the basar of his own zero’a;