Isaiah 9
Expanded Bible
A New Day Is Coming
9 ·But suddenly [or Nevertheless] there will be no more gloom for ·the land that suffered [or those who suffered/were distressed]. In the ·past [former time] God made the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali [C two northern tribes that bore the brunt of the Assyrian invasion] ·hang their heads in shame [humbled; humiliated], but ·in the future [later; afterwards] he ·will bring honor to [will glorify; L has honored/glorified; C the prophet sees the future as already fulfilled] the ·road along the Mediterranean Sea [L Way of the Sea], the land beyond the Jordan River [C probably Gilead in Transjordan], Galilee of the ·nations [Gentiles; C called this because it was overrun by foreigners]. [C Assyria created provinces from these three regions; though devastated in the invasion, they would be the first to see God’s salvation; Matt. 4:13–15.]
2 The people who ·lived [or are living/walking] in darkness,
·have seen [or will see] a great light.
On those who ·lived [are living/dwelling] in ·a dark land [or the shadow of death],
a light ·has shined [or will shine].
3 God, you have caused the nation to ·grow [expand; enlarge]
and ·made the people happy [increased their joy].
And they have ·shown their happiness to [L rejoiced before] you,
like the joy during harvest time,
like the joy of people
·taking what they have won in war [L dividing the spoil/plunder].
4 Like the time you defeated Midian [Judg. 7–8],
you have ·taken away [broken; shattered] their ·heavy load [L yoke of burden]
and the heavy ·pole [bar; staff] from their ·backs [or shoulders]
and the rod ·the enemy used to punish them [of the oppressor].
5 Every boot ·that marched in battle [L marching with shaking]
and every ·uniform [garment] ·stained with [L rolled in] blood
·has been thrown into [or will be used as fuel for] the fire.
6 A child ·has been [or will be; C the prophet views the future as though it had already happened] born to us;
·God has given a son [L a son has been given] to us.
·He will be responsible for leading the people [L The government/rule/dominion will be on his shoulder].
His name will be ·Wonderful Counselor [or Wonderful! Counselor!; or Extraordinary Advisor], ·Powerful [Mighty] God,
·Father Who Lives Forever [Eternal Father], Prince of Peace.
7 There will be no end to the ·growth [abundance; increase] of his ·rule [dominion; government],
nor to the peace he will bring.
He will rule as king on David’s throne
and over David’s kingdom [2 Sam. 7:11–16].
He will ·make it strong [establish and sustain it]
by ruling with justice and ·goodness [righteousness]
from now on and forever.
·The Lord All-Powerful will do this
because of his strong love for his people [L The zeal/jealousy of the Lord Almighty/of Heaven’s Armies/T of hosts will accomplish this].
God Will Punish Israel
8 The Lord sent a message against ·the people of Jacob [L Jacob];
it ·says that God will judge [L will fall on] Israel.
9 Then everyone in Israel, even ·the leaders [L Ephraim and those living] in Samaria,
will know that God has sent it.
Those people are proud and ·brag [L arrogant of heart] by saying,
10 “These bricks have fallen,
but we will build again with ·cut [hewn; dressed] stones.
These ·small trees [L fig trees; or sycamores] have been chopped down,
but we will put great cedars there.”
11 But the Lord has brought the enemies of Rezin against them;
he has ·stirred up [raised up; provoked] their enemies against them.
12 The Arameans [C Syrians] came from the east
and the Philistines from the west,
and they ·ate up [devoured] Israel with ·their armies [or one bite; L the whole mouth].
But the Lord was still angry;
his hand was still ·raised to punish the people [L outstretched].
13 But the people did not return to the one who had struck them;
they did not follow the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
14 So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail,
taking away both the branch and stalk in one day.
15 The elders and ·important [respected; honored] men were the head,
and the prophets who speak lies were the tail.
16 Those who led the people led them ·in the wrong direction [astray],
and those who followed them were ·destroyed [swallowed up; or confused].
17 So the Lord ·is not happy with [or took no pity on] the young people,
nor will he show ·mercy [compassion; pity] to the ·orphans [fatherless] and widows.
All the people are ·separated from God [ungodly; defiled] and are very evil;
they all speak ·lies [or foolishness; folly].
But the Lord is still angry;
his hand is still ·raised to strike down the people [outstretched].
18 ·Evil [Wickedness] is like a small fire.
First, it burns ·weeds [briers] and thorns.
Next, it burns ·the larger bushes [thickets] in the forest,
and they all go up in a column of smoke.
19 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] is angry,
so the land will be burned.
The people are like fuel for the fire;
no one will ·try to save [spare] his brother or sister.
20 People will ·grab something [or slice (meat); or devour] on the right,
but they will still be hungry.
They will ·eat something [devour] on the left,
but they will not be ·filled [satisfied].
Then they will each turn and eat their own ·children [or arm].
21 The people of Manasseh will fight against the people of Ephraim,
and Ephraim will fight against Manasseh [C the two most prominent northern tribes; descendants of the two sons of Joseph, so brother fighting brother].
Then both of them will turn against Judah [the most prominent southern tribe].
But the Lord is still angry;
his hand is still ·raised to strike down the people [outstretched].
Isaiah 9
New American Standard Bible
Birth and Reign of the Prince of Peace
9 [a]But there will be no more (A)gloom for her who was in anguish. In earlier times He (B)treated the (C)land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He will make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee of the [b]Gentiles.
2 [c](D)The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.
3 (E)You will multiply the nation,
You (F)will [d]increase [e]their joy;
They will rejoice in Your presence
As with the joy [f]of harvest,
As people (G)rejoice when they divide the spoils.
4 For (H)You will break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,
The rod of their (I)oppressor, as [g]at the battle of (J)Midian.
5 For every boot of the marching warrior in the roar of battle,
And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
6 For a (K)Child will be born to us, a (L)Son will be given to us;
And the (M)government will [h]rest (N)on His shoulders;
And His name will be called (O)Wonderful Counselor, (P)Mighty God,
Eternal (Q)Father, Prince of (R)Peace.
7 There will be (S)no end to the increase of His government or of peace
On the (T)throne of David and over [i]his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with (U)justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
(V)The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this.
God’s Anger with Israel’s Arrogance
8 The Lord sends a [j]message against Jacob,
And it falls on Israel.
9 And all the people know it,
That is, (W)Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,
Asserting in pride and in (X)arrogance of heart:
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
But we will (Y)rebuild with smooth stones;
The sycamores have been cut down,
But we will replace them with cedars.”
11 Therefore the Lord raises superior adversaries against them from (Z)Rezin
And provokes their enemies,
12 The Arameans from the east and the (AA)Philistines from the west;
And they (AB)devour Israel with [k]gaping jaws.
(AC)In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away,
And His hand is still stretched out.
13 Yet the people (AD)do not turn back to Him who struck them,
Nor do they (AE)seek the Lord of armies.
14 So the Lord cuts off (AF)head and tail from Israel,
Both palm branch and bulrush (AG)in a single day.
15 The head is (AH)the elder and esteemed man,
And the prophet who teaches (AI)falsehood is the tail.
16 (AJ)For those who guide this people are leading them astray;
And those who are guided by them are [l]confused.
17 Therefore the Lord does (AK)not rejoice over their young men,
(AL)Nor does He have compassion on their [m]orphans or their widows;
For every one of them is (AM)godless and an (AN)evildoer,
And every (AO)mouth is speaking foolishness.
(AP)In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away,
And His hand is still stretched out.
18 (AQ)For wickedness burns like a fire;
It consumes briars and thorns;
It also sets the thickets of the forest aflame
And they roll upward in a column of smoke.
19 By the (AR)wrath of the Lord of armies the (AS)land is burned,
And the (AT)people are like fuel for the fire;
No (AU)one spares his brother.
20 [n]They devour what is on the right hand but are still (AV)hungry,
And [o]they eat what is on the left hand, but they are not satisfied;
Each of them eats the (AW)flesh of his own arm.
21 Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh,
(AX)And together they are against Judah.
(AY)In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away
And His hand is still stretched out.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 9:1 Ch 8:23 in Heb
- Isaiah 9:1 Or nations
- Isaiah 9:2 Ch 9:1 in Heb
- Isaiah 9:3 Another reading is not increase
- Isaiah 9:3 Lit the
- Isaiah 9:3 Lit in
- Isaiah 9:4 Lit in the day of Midian
- Isaiah 9:6 Lit be
- Isaiah 9:7 I.e., David’s
- Isaiah 9:8 Lit word
- Isaiah 9:12 Lit the whole mouth
- Isaiah 9:16 Or swallowed up
- Isaiah 9:17 Or fatherless
- Isaiah 9:20 Lit And he slices
- Isaiah 9:20 Lit he eats
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New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
