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].
以赛亚书 9
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
黑暗中之光
9 但那受过困苦的，必不再见幽暗。以前 神使西布伦和拿弗他利地被轻视，日后却要使它们在沿海之路、约旦河外和外族人的加利利，得着荣耀。（本节在《马索拉文本》为8:23）
2 行在黑暗中的人民，
看见了大光；
住在死荫之地的人，
有光照耀他们。（本节在《马索拉文本》为9:1）
3 你使这国之民增多，
又加添他们的欢乐；
他们在你面前欢乐，
好象收割时的欢乐一样；
又像人在均分战利品时的快乐一般。
4 因为他们所负的轭和肩头上的杖，以及欺压他们的人的棍，你都折断了，像在米甸的日子一样。
5 因为战士在战争喧嚷中所穿的靴，和辊在血中的袍，都必烧毁，成了烧火的燃料。
6 因为有一个婴孩为我们而生，有一个儿子赐给我们；
政权必担在他的肩头上；
他的名必称为“奇妙的策士、全能的 神、永恒的父、和平的君”。
7 他的政权与平安必无穷无尽地增加，
他在大卫的宝座上治理他的国，
以公平和公义使国坚立稳固，
从现在直到永远。
万军之耶和华的热心必成全这事。
耶和华向不悔改的子民发怒
8 主发出一个信息攻击雅各家，
信息落在以色列家。
9 所有的人民，就是以法莲和撒玛利亚的居民，
都要知道这事；
他们凭着骄傲和自大的心说：
10 “砖墙倒塌了，
我们就用凿好的石头来建筑；
桑树砍倒了，
我们就用香柏树替换。”
11 因此，耶和华必兴起利汛的敌人来攻击以色列，
并且要激动以色列的仇敌。
12 东有亚兰人，西有非利士人；
他们张开口来要吞灭以色列。
虽然这样，耶和华的怒气还没有转消，
他的手仍然伸出。
13 这人民还没有回转、归向那击打他们的万军之耶和华，
也没有寻求他。
14 因此，耶和华在一日之间，必从以色列中剪除头和尾、棕枝与芦苇。
15 长老和尊贵人就是头；
用谎言教导人的先知就是尾。
16 因为那些领导这人民的，使他们走错了路；
那些被领导的，都必一片混乱。
17 因此，主不喜欢他们的年轻人，
也不怜恤他们的孤儿寡妇；
因为他们各人都是不敬虔的，是邪恶的，
各人的口都说愚昧的话。
虽然这样，耶和华的怒气还没有转消，
他的手仍然伸出。
18 邪恶像火一般焚烧，
吞灭荆棘蒺藜，
连树林中的密丛也烧起火来，
它们旋转上腾，成了烟柱。
19 因着万军之耶和华的烈怒，地被烧毁，
人民成了烧火的燃料一般，
没有人顾惜自己的兄弟。
20 有人在右边切肉，仍然饥饿；
在左边吞吃，仍然不饱足；
各人竟吃自己手臂的肉。
21 玛拿西吞吃以法莲，以法莲吞吃玛拿西，又一起攻击犹大。
虽然这样，耶和华的怒气还没有转消，
他的手仍然伸出。
Isaiah 9
Revised Standard Version
The Righteous Reign of the Coming King
9 [a] But there will be no gloom for her that was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zeb′ulun and the land of Naph′tali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 [b] The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shined.
3 Thou hast multiplied the nation,
thou hast increased its joy;
they rejoice before thee
as with joy at the harvest,
as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4 For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
thou hast broken as on the day of Mid′ian.
5 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 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government will be upon his shoulder,
and his name will be called
“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom,
to establish it, and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and for evermore.
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 light upon Israel;
9 and all the people will know,
E′phraim and the inhabitants of Samar′ia,
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 So the Lord raises adversaries[c] against them,
and stirs up their enemies.
12 The Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west
devour Israel with open mouth.
For all this his anger is not turned away
and his hand is stretched out still.
13 The people did not turn to him who smote them,
nor seek the Lord of hosts.
14 So the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail,
palm branch and reed in one day—
15 the elder and honored man is the head,
and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail;
16 for those who lead this people lead them astray,
and those who are led by them are swallowed up.
17 Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men,
and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows;
for every one is godless and an evildoer,
and every mouth speaks folly.
For all this his anger is not turned away
and his hand is stretched out still.
18 For wickedness burns like 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 burned,
and the people are like fuel for the fire;
no man spares his brother.
20 They snatch on the right, but are still hungry,
and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied;
each devours his neighbor’s[d] flesh,
21 Manas′seh E′phraim, and E′phraim Manas′seh,
and together they are against Judah.
For all this his anger is not turned away
and his hand is stretched out still.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 9:1 Ch 8.23 in Heb
- Isaiah 9:2 Ch 9.1 in Heb
- Isaiah 9:11 Cn: Heb the adversaries of Rezin
- Isaiah 9:20 Tg Compare Gk: Heb the flesh of his arm
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.