Font Size
Isaiah 9
New Catholic Bible
Isaiah 9
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 9
The Prince of Peace[a]
1 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the shadow of death
a light has dawned.
2 You have enlarged the nation
and given them great joy;
they rejoice before you
as those who rejoice at the harvest,
as they exult when dividing spoils.
3 For the yoke that burdened them,
the bar across their shoulders,
and the rod of their oppressor
you have broken as on the day of Midian.[b]
4 For every boot of a warrior that tramped in battle
and every garment soaked in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
5 For a child has been born to us,
a son has been given to us.
Upon his shoulders dominion rests,
and this is the name he has been given:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
6 His dominion will grow continually,
and there will be endless peace
bestowed on David’s throne
and over his kingdom.
He will establish and sustain it
with justice and integrity
from this time onward and forevermore;
the zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
7 The Lord has sent forth his word against Jacob,
and it has fallen on Israel.
8 [c]All the people were aware of this,
Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,
but they said in their arrogance and pride of heart,
9 “The bricks have fallen down,
but we will rebuild with dressed stones.
The sycamores have been cut down,
but we will replace them with cedars.”
10 In response the Lord raised up foes against them
and spurred on their enemies,
11 the Arameans on the east and the Philistines on the west,
and they devoured Israel with gaping jaws.
Yet after all this his anger has not abated
and his hand is still outstretched.
12 But the people did not turn to him who struck them,
nor did they seek the Lord of hosts.
13 Therefore, the Lord cut off from Israel
head and tail, palm branch and reed,
in a single day.
14 [The elders and the nobles are the head;
the prophets who teach lies are the tail.]
15 For those who were leaders of the people led them astray,
and those who were led by them were swallowed up.
16 For this reason
the Lord did not show pity to their young people
or have compassion on their orphans and widows,
since all of them were godless evildoers
and every word they spoke was impious.
Yet after all this, his anger has not abated
and his hand is still outstretched.
17 For wickedness continued to burn like a fire,
consuming briers and thorns,
and setting ablaze the thickets of the forest
which rose upward in a column of smoke.
18 The land was set ablaze
by the wrath of the Lord of hosts,
and the people became like fuel for the fire;
no one spared his brother.
19 They gorged on the right but were still hungry;
they devoured on the left but were not satisfied;
many ate the flesh of their own offspring.
20 Manasseh devoured Ephraim,
and Ephraim devoured Manasseh;
together they turned against Judah.
21 Yet after all this, his anger has not abated
and his hand is still outstretched.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 9:1 After the threats and predictions of sorrow, the prophet bursts into a song of hope and deliverance. He consoles the Galileans who have been deported by the king of Assyria in 732 B.C. (2 Ki 15:29). Another vision is given to the seer, and hope springs up in the hearts of believers: The Lord will set free the oppressed and will establish his people in peace. All power will be given to the mysterious child who is to be born of royal blood, the Immanuel who has already been foretold (Isa 7:14). This is an ideal passage for the Christmas liturgy and in fact, is prominent there.
- Isaiah 9:3 See the description of Gideon’s victory over the Midianites in Jdg 7:16-25.
- Isaiah 9:8 In all likelihood, this song goes back to about 739 B.C.; at that time Israel, now subject to the Assyrians, was assailed by its neighbors (2 Ki 15:19).
Isaiah 9
New International Version
Isaiah 9
New International Version
9 [a]Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom(A) for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,(B) 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(C)
have seen a great light;(D)
on those living in the land of deep darkness(E)
a light has dawned.(F)
3 You have enlarged the nation(G)
and increased their joy;(H)
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.(I)
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,(J)
you have shattered(K)
the yoke(L) that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,(M)
the rod of their oppressor.(N)
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,(O)
will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,(P)
to us a son is given,(Q)
and the government(R) will be on his shoulders.(S)
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor,(T) Mighty God,(U)
Everlasting(V) Father,(W) Prince of Peace.(X)
7 Of the greatness of his government(Y) and peace(Z)
there will be no end.(AA)
He will reign(AB) on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice(AC) and righteousness(AD)
from that time on and forever.(AE)
The zeal(AF) of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
The Lord’s Anger Against Israel
8 The Lord has sent a message(AG) against Jacob;
it will fall on Israel.
9 All the people will know it—
Ephraim(AH) and the inhabitants of Samaria(AI)—
who say with pride
and arrogance(AJ) of heart,
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
but we will rebuild with dressed stone;(AK)
the fig(AL) trees have been felled,
but we will replace them with cedars.(AM)”
11 But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s(AN) foes against them
and has spurred their enemies on.
12 Arameans(AO) from the east and Philistines(AP) from the west
have devoured(AQ) Israel with open mouth.
13 But the people have not returned(AT) to him who struck(AU) them,
nor have they sought(AV) the Lord Almighty.
14 So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
both palm branch and reed(AW) in a single day;(AX)
15 the elders(AY) and dignitaries(AZ) are the head,
the prophets(BA) who teach lies(BB) are the tail.
16 Those who guide(BC) this people mislead them,
and those who are guided are led astray.(BD)
17 Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,(BE)
nor will he pity(BF) the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly(BG) and wicked,(BH)
every mouth speaks folly.(BI)
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.(BJ)
18 Surely wickedness burns like a fire;(BK)
it consumes briers and thorns,(BL)
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,(BM)
so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
19 By the wrath(BN) of the Lord Almighty
the land will be scorched(BO)
and the people will be fuel for the fire;(BP)
they will not spare one another.(BQ)
20 On the right they will devour,
but still be hungry;(BR)
on the left they will eat,(BS)
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;(BT)
together they will turn against Judah.(BU)
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.(BV)
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 9
1599 Geneva Bible
Isaiah 9
1599 Geneva Bible
9 1 The vocation of the Gentiles. 6 A prophecy of Christ. 14 The destruction of the ten tribes for their pride and contempt of God.
1 Yet [a]the darkness shall not be according to the affliction, [b]that it had when at the first he touched lightly the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, nor afterward when he was more grievous by the way of the sea beyond Jordan in Galilee of [c]the Gentiles.
2 The people that [d]walked in darkness, have seen a great [e]light: they that dwelled in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the [f]light shined.
3 Thou hast [g]multiplied the nation, and not increased their joy: they have rejoiced before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide a spoil.
4 For the [h]yoke of their burden, and the staff of their shoulder, and the rod of their oppressor hast thou broken, as in the day of Midian.
5 Surely every battle of the warrior is with noise, and with tumbling of garments in blood: but this shall be [i]with burning, and devouring of fire.
6 For unto us a child is born, and unto us a Son is given: and the government is upon his shoulder, and he shall call his name, Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting [j]Father, The prince of peace.
7 The increase of his government and peace shall have none end: he shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to stablish it with judgment, and with justice, from henceforth, even forever: [k]the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
8 ¶ The Lord hath sent a word into Jacob, and it lighted upon [l]Israel.
9 And all the people shall know, even Ephraim, and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and presumption of their heart,
10 The [m]bricks are fallen, but we will build it with hewn stones: the wild fig trees are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.
11 Nevertheless, the Lord will raise up the adversaries of [n]Rezin against him, and join his enemies together.
12 Aram before and the Philistines behind, and they shall devour Israel with open mouth: yet for all this his wrath 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 will the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush in one day.
15 The ancient and the honorable man, he is the head: and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.
16 For the leaders of the people cause them to err: and they that are led by them are devoured.
17 Therefore shall the Lord have no pleasure in their young men, neither will he have compassion of their fatherless and of their widows: for everyone is an hypocrite and wicked, and every mouth speaketh folly: yet for all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
18 For wickedness [o]burneth as a fire: it devoureth the briers and the thorns, and will kindle in the thick places of the forest: and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.
19 By the wrath of the Lord of hosts shall the land be darkened, and the people shall be as the meat of the fire: no man shall [p]spare his brother.
20 And he shall snatch at the right hand, and be hungry: and he shall eat on the left hand, and shall not be satisfied: everyone shall eat the [q]flesh of his own arm.
21 Manasseh Ephraim: and Ephraim Manasseh, and they both shall be against Judah: yet for all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 9:1 He comforteth the Church again after these great threatenings, promising to restore them to great glory in Messiah.
- Isaiah 9:1 Wherewith Israel was punished, first by Tiglath-pilesar, which was a light scourge in respect of that which they suffered afterward by Shalmaneser, who carried the Israelites away captives.
- Isaiah 9:1 Whereas the Jews and Gentiles dwelt together by reason of those twenty cites, which Solomon gave to Hiram.
- Isaiah 9:2 Which were captivity in Babylon: and the Prophet speaketh of that thing which should come to pass threescore years after, as though it were now done.
- Isaiah 9:2 Meaning, the comfort of their deliverance.
- Isaiah 9:2 This captivity and deliverance were figures of our captivity by sin, and of our deliverance by Christ through the preaching of the Gospel, Matt. 4:15, 16.
- Isaiah 9:3 Their number was greater when they went into captivity, than when they returned, but their joy was greater at their return, Hag. 2:9.
- Isaiah 9:4 Thou gavest them perfect joy by delivering them, and by destroying the tyrants, that had kept them in cruel bondage, as thou didst deliver them by Gideon from the Midianites, Judg. 7:21.
- Isaiah 9:5 He speaketh of the deliverance of his Church, which he hath delivered miraculously from his enemies, but especially by the coming of Christ, of whom he prophesieth in the next verse.
- Isaiah 9:6 The author of eternity, and by whom the Church and every member thereof shall be preserved forever, and have immortal life.
- Isaiah 9:7 His singular love and care for his elect.
- Isaiah 9:8 This is another prophecy against them of Samaria, which were mockers and contemners of God’s promises and menaces.
- Isaiah 9:10 We were but weak, when the enemy overcame us, but we will make ourselves so strong, that we will neither care for our enemies, nor fear God’s threatenings.
- Isaiah 9:11 Rezin king of Syria, who was in league with Israel, was slain by the Assyrians, after whose death Aram, that is, the Syrians were against Israel, which on the other side were assailed by the Philistines.
- Isaiah 9:18 Wickedness as a bellows kindleth the fire of God’s wrath, which consumeth all his obstinate enemies.
- Isaiah 9:19 Though there were no foreign enemy, yet they shall destroy one another.
- Isaiah 9:20 Their greediness shall be insatiable, so that one brother shall eat up another, as though he should eat his own flesh.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.