God’s Anger with Israel’s Arrogance

The Lord sends a [a]message against Jacob,
And it falls on Israel.
And all the people know it,
That is, (A)Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,
Asserting in pride and in (B)arrogance of heart:
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
But we will (C)rebuild with smooth stones;
The sycamores have been cut down,
But we will replace them with cedars.”
11 Therefore the Lord raises against them adversaries from (D)Rezin
And spurs their enemies on,
12 The Arameans on the east and the (E)Philistines on the west;
And they (F)devour Israel with [b]gaping jaws.
(G)In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away
And His hand is still stretched out.

13 Yet the people (H)do not turn back to Him who struck them,
Nor do they (I)seek the Lord of hosts.
14 So the Lord cuts off (J)head and tail from Israel,
Both palm branch and bulrush (K)in a single day.
15 The head is (L)the elder and honorable man,
And the prophet who teaches (M)falsehood is the tail.
16 (N)For those who guide this people are leading them astray;
And those who are guided by them are [c]brought to confusion.
17 Therefore the Lord does (O)not take pleasure in their young men,
(P)Nor does He have pity on their [d]orphans or their widows;
For every one of them is (Q)godless and an (R)evildoer,
And every (S)mouth is speaking foolishness.
(T)In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away
And His hand is still stretched out.

18 (U)For wickedness burns like a fire;
It consumes briars and thorns;
It even sets the thickets of the forest aflame
And they roll upward in a column of smoke.
19 By the (V)fury of the Lord of hosts the (W)land is burned up,
And the (X)people are like fuel for the fire;
No (Y)man spares his brother.
20 [e]They slice off what is on the right hand but still are (Z)hungry,
And [f]they eat what is on the left hand but they are not satisfied;
Each of them eats the (AA)flesh of his own arm.
21 Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh,
(AB)And together they are against Judah.
(AC)In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away
And His hand is still stretched out.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 9:8 Lit word
  2. Isaiah 9:12 Lit the whole mouth
  3. Isaiah 9:16 Or swallowed up
  4. Isaiah 9:17 Or fatherless
  5. Isaiah 9:20 Lit he slices
  6. Isaiah 9:20 Lit he eats

A word hath the Lord sent into Jacob, And it hath fallen in Israel.

And the people have known -- all of it, Ephraim, and the inhabitant of Samaria, In pride and in greatness of heart, saying,

10 `Bricks have fallen, and hewn work we build, Sycamores have been cut down, and cedars we renew.'

11 And Jehovah setteth the adversaries of Rezin on high above him, And his enemies he joineth together,

12 Aram from before, and Philistia from behind, And they devour Israel with the whole mouth. With all this not turned back hath His anger, And still His hand is stretched out.

13 And the people hath not turned back unto Him who is smiting it, And Jehovah of Hosts they have not sought.

14 And Jehovah cutteth off from Israel head and tail, Branch and reed -- the same day,

15 Elder, and accepted of face, he [is] the head, Prophet, teacher of falsehood, he [is] the tail.

16 And the eulogists of this people are causing to err, And its eulogised ones are consumed.

17 Therefore, over its young men the Lord rejoiceth not, And its orphans, and its widows He pitieth not, For every one [is] profane, and an evil doer, And every mouth is speaking folly. With all this not turned back hath His anger, And still His hand is stretched out.

18 For burned as a fire hath wickedness, Brier and thorn it devoureth, And it kindleth in thickets of the forest, And they lift themselves up, an exaltation of smoke!

19 In the wrath of Jehovah of Hosts Hath the land been consumed, And the people is as fuel of fire; A man on his brother hath no pity,

20 And cutteth down on the right, and hath been hungry, And he devoureth on the left, And they have not been satisfied, Each the flesh of his own arm they devour.

21 Manasseh -- Ephraim, and Ephraim -- Manasseh, Together they [are] against Judah, With all this not turned back hath His anger. And still His hand is stretched out!

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