Isaiah 8:19-9:7

English Standard Version

¹⁹And when they say to you, “Inquire of the ^(A)mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of ^(B)the dead on behalf of the living? ²⁰^(C)To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no ^(D)dawn. ²¹They will pass through the land,^[a] greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against^[b] their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. ²²^(E)And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into ^(F)thick darkness.

For to Us a Child Is Born

9 ^[c] But there will be no ^(G)gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he ^(H)brought into contempt the land of ^(I)Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he ^(J)has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.^[d]

²^[e] ^(K)The people ^(L)who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of ^(M)deep darkness,
    on them has light shone.
³^(N)You have multiplied the nation;
    you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
    as with ^(O)joy at the harvest,
    as they ^(P)are glad ^(Q)when they divide the spoil.
⁴^(R)For the yoke of his burden,
    ^(S)and the staff for his shoulder,
    the rod of his oppressor,
    you have broken as ^(T)on the day of Midian.
⁵^(U)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^(V)For to us a child is born,
    to us ^(W)a son is given;
^(X)and the government shall be ^(Y)upon^[f] his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called^[g]
Wonderful ^(Z)Counselor, ^(AA)Mighty God,
    ^(AB)Everlasting ^(AC)Father, Prince of ^(AD)Peace.
⁷Of the increase of his government and of peace
    ^(AE)there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
^(AF)with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
^(AG)The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.