[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—

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)
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)
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)
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.
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)
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

The Lord has sent a message(AG) against Jacob;
    it will fall on Israel.
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.

Yet for all this, his anger(AR) is not turned away,
    his hand is still upraised.(AS)

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

  1. Isaiah 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-21 is numbered 9:1-20.
  2. Isaiah 9:20 Or arm

Hope in the Messiah

[a]Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.

[b]The people who walk in darkness
    will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,[c]
    a light will shine.
You will enlarge the nation of Israel,
    and its people will rejoice.
They will rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest
    and like warriors dividing the plunder.
For you will break the yoke of their slavery
    and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.
You will break the oppressor’s rod,
    just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.
The boots of the warrior
    and the uniforms bloodstained by war
will all be burned.
    They will be fuel for the fire.

For a child is born to us,
    a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
    And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor,[d] Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His government and its peace
    will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
    for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
    will make this happen!

The Lord’s Anger against Israel

The Lord has spoken out against Jacob;
    his judgment has fallen upon Israel.
And the people of Israel[e] and Samaria,
    who spoke with such pride and arrogance,
    will soon know it.
10 They said, “We will replace the broken bricks of our ruins with finished stone,
    and replant the felled sycamore-fig trees with cedars.”

11 But the Lord will bring Rezin’s enemies against Israel
    and stir up all their foes.
12 The Syrians[f] from the east and the Philistines from the west
    will bare their fangs and devour Israel.
But even then the Lord’s anger will not be satisfied.
    His fist is still poised to strike.

13 For after all this punishment, the people will still not repent.
    They will not seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
14 Therefore, in a single day the Lord will destroy both the head and the tail,
    the noble palm branch and the lowly reed.
15 The leaders of Israel are the head,
    and the lying prophets are the tail.
16 For the leaders of the people have misled them.
    They have led them down the path of destruction.
17 That is why the Lord takes no pleasure in the young men
    and shows no mercy even to the widows and orphans.
For they are all wicked hypocrites,
    and they all speak foolishness.
But even then the Lord’s anger will not be satisfied.
    His fist is still poised to strike.

18 This wickedness is like a brushfire.
    It burns not only briers and thorns
but also sets the forests ablaze.
    Its burning sends up clouds of smoke.
19 The land will be blackened
    by the fury of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
The people will be fuel for the fire,
    and no one will spare even his own brother.
20 They will attack their neighbor on the right
    but will still be hungry.
They will devour their neighbor on the left
    but will not be satisfied.
In the end they will even eat their own children.[g]
21 Manasseh will feed on Ephraim,
    Ephraim will feed on Manasseh,
    and both will devour Judah.
But even then the Lord’s anger will not be satisfied.
    His fist is still poised to strike.

Footnotes

  1. 9:1 Verse 9:1 is numbered 8:23 in Hebrew text.
  2. 9:2a Verses 9:2-21 are numbered 9:1-20 in Hebrew text.
  3. 9:2b Greek version reads a land where death casts its shadow. Compare Matt 4:16.
  4. 9:6 Or Wonderful, Counselor.
  5. 9:9 Hebrew of Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel.
  6. 9:12 Hebrew Arameans.
  7. 9:20 Or eat their own arms.

黑暗中之光

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)

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)

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。

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。

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。

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”。

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

主发出一个信息攻击雅各家,

信息落在以色列家。

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。