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Isaiah 8:16-9:21
English Standard Version
Isaiah 8:16-9:21
English Standard Version
16 Bind up (A)the testimony; (B)seal the teaching[a] among my disciples. 17 I will (C)wait for the Lord, who is (D)hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 (E)Behold, I and (F)the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the (G)mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of (H)the dead on behalf of the living? 20 (I)To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no (J)dawn. 21 They will pass through the land,[b] greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against[c] their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 (K)And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into (L)thick darkness.
For to Us a Child Is Born
9 [d] But there will be no (M)gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he (N)brought into contempt the land of (O)Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he (P)has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.[e]
2 [f] (Q)The people (R)who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of (S)deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
3 (T)You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with (U)joy at the harvest,
as they (V)are glad (W)when they divide the spoil.
4 (X)For the yoke of his burden,
(Y)and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as (Z)on the day of Midian.
5 (AA)For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 (AB)For to us a child is born,
to us (AC)a son is given;
(AD)and the government shall be (AE)upon[g] his shoulder,
and his name shall be called[h]
Wonderful (AF)Counselor, (AG)Mighty God,
(AH)Everlasting (AI)Father, Prince of (AJ)Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
(AK)there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
(AL)with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
(AM)The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Judgment on Arrogance and Oppression
8 The Lord has sent a word against Jacob,
and it will fall on Israel;
9 and all the people will know,
(AN)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 (AO)The Syrians on the east and (AP)the Philistines on the west
devour Israel with open mouth.
(AQ)For all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still.
13 The people (AR)did not turn to him who struck them,
nor inquire of the Lord of hosts.
14 So the Lord cut off from Israel (AS)head and tail,
palm branch and reed in one day—
15 (AT)the elder and honored man is the head,
and (AU)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 (AV)rejoice over their young men,
and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows;
for everyone is (AW)godless and an evildoer,
and every mouth speaks (AX)folly.[i]
(AY)For all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still.
18 For wickedness burns like (AZ)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 (BA)the people are like fuel for the fire;
(BB)no one spares another.
20 (BC)They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry,
and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied;
(BD)each devours the flesh of his own arm,
21 Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh;
together they are (BE)against Judah.
(BF)For all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 8:16 Or law; also verse 20
- Isaiah 8:21 Hebrew it
- Isaiah 8:21 Or speak contemptuously by
- Isaiah 9:1 Ch 8:23 in Hebrew
- Isaiah 9:1 Or of the Gentiles
- Isaiah 9:2 Ch 9:1 in Hebrew
- Isaiah 9:6 Or is upon
- Isaiah 9:6 Or is called
- Isaiah 9:17 Or speaks disgraceful things
Isaiah 8:16-9:21
New International Version
Isaiah 8:16-9:21
New International Version
16 Bind up this testimony of warning(A)
and seal(B) up God’s instruction among my disciples.
17 I will wait(C) for the Lord,
who is hiding(D) his face from the descendants of Jacob.
I will put my trust in him.(E)
18 Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me.(F) We are signs(G) and symbols(H) in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.(I)
The Darkness Turns to Light
19 When someone tells you to consult(J) mediums and spiritists,(K) who whisper and mutter,(L) should not a people inquire(M) of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20 Consult God’s instruction(N) and the testimony of warning.(O) If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light(P) of dawn. 21 Distressed and hungry,(Q) they will roam through the land;(R) when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse(S) their king and their God. 22 Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom,(T) and they will be thrust into utter darkness.(U)
9 [a]Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom(V) for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,(W) but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—
2 The people walking in darkness(X)
have seen a great light;(Y)
on those living in the land of deep darkness(Z)
a light has dawned.(AA)
3 You have enlarged the nation(AB)
and increased their joy;(AC)
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.(AD)
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,(AE)
you have shattered(AF)
the yoke(AG) that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,(AH)
the rod of their oppressor.(AI)
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,(AJ)
will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,(AK)
to us a son is given,(AL)
and the government(AM) will be on his shoulders.(AN)
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor,(AO) Mighty God,(AP)
Everlasting(AQ) Father,(AR) Prince of Peace.(AS)
7 Of the greatness of his government(AT) and peace(AU)
there will be no end.(AV)
He will reign(AW) on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice(AX) and righteousness(AY)
from that time on and forever.(AZ)
The zeal(BA) of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
The Lord’s Anger Against Israel
8 The Lord has sent a message(BB) against Jacob;
it will fall on Israel.
9 All the people will know it—
Ephraim(BC) and the inhabitants of Samaria(BD)—
who say with pride
and arrogance(BE) of heart,
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
but we will rebuild with dressed stone;(BF)
the fig(BG) trees have been felled,
but we will replace them with cedars.(BH)”
11 But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s(BI) foes against them
and has spurred their enemies on.
12 Arameans(BJ) from the east and Philistines(BK) from the west
have devoured(BL) Israel with open mouth.
13 But the people have not returned(BO) to him who struck(BP) them,
nor have they sought(BQ) the Lord Almighty.
14 So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
both palm branch and reed(BR) in a single day;(BS)
15 the elders(BT) and dignitaries(BU) are the head,
the prophets(BV) who teach lies(BW) are the tail.
16 Those who guide(BX) this people mislead them,
and those who are guided are led astray.(BY)
17 Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,(BZ)
nor will he pity(CA) the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly(CB) and wicked,(CC)
every mouth speaks folly.(CD)
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.(CE)
18 Surely wickedness burns like a fire;(CF)
it consumes briers and thorns,(CG)
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,(CH)
so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
19 By the wrath(CI) of the Lord Almighty
the land will be scorched(CJ)
and the people will be fuel for the fire;(CK)
they will not spare one another.(CL)
20 On the right they will devour,
but still be hungry;(CM)
on the left they will eat,(CN)
but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring[b]:
21 Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;(CO)
together they will turn against Judah.(CP)
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.(CQ)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-21 is numbered 9:1-20.
- Isaiah 9:20 Or arm
Isaiah 8:16-9:21
King James Version
Isaiah 8:16-9:21
King James Version
16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
17 And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
18 Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.
19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
21 And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
22 And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.
9 Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
8 The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.
9 And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,
10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.
11 Therefore the Lord shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together;
12 The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
13 For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of hosts.
14 Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day.
15 The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.
16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.
17 Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
18 For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.
19 Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother.
20 And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm:
21 Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.