Historical
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].
10 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] those who make ·unfair [evil; unjust] ·laws [decrees],
and those who ·write [or issue] ·laws that make life hard for people [oppressive regulations/edicts].
2 They ·are not fair [withold justice] to the poor [Ex. 23:6, 11; Deut. 15:4–11],
and they ·rob [deprive] my people of their rights.
They ·allow people to steal from widows [L make widows their plunder/prey; Ex. 22:22]
and ·to take from orphans what really belongs to them [L plunder/loot the fatherless; Deut. 10:18].
3 ·How will you explain the things you have done [L What will you do on the day of accounting/visitation]?
What will you do when your destruction comes from far away?
·Where [or To whom] will you run for help?
Where will you ·hide your riches [or leave your wealth/glory] then?
4 You will have to ·bow down [kneel; cower] among the captives
or fall down among the ·dead bodies [L slain ones].
But the Lord is still angry;
his hand is still ·raised to strike down the people [outstretched].
God Will Punish Assyria
5 God says, “·How terrible it will be for the king of Assyria [L Woe to Assyria].
·I use him like a rod to show my anger […the rod of my anger];
in ·anger [my wrath/fury] I use Assyria like a club.
6 I send ·it [or him; C the king of Assyria] to fight against a godless nation [C Judah; see v. 10].
I ·command [order; dispatch] ·Assyria [L it; or him] to fight against the people ·with whom I am angry [L of my wrath].
to ·take their wealth from them [L plunder the plunder and loot the loot],
to trample them down like dirt in the streets.
7 But Assyria’s king doesn’t ·understand that I am using him [intend to do this];
·he [L his heart] doesn’t ·know he is a tool for me [think/reason this way].
He only wants to destroy other people
and to ·defeat [L cut off] many nations.
8 The king of Assyria says to himself,
‘All of my ·commanders [princes] are like kings
9 The city Calno is like the city Carchemish.
The city Hamath is like the city Arpad.
The city Samaria is like the city Damascus [C all city-states conquered by Assyria].
10 ·I defeated [L My hand has found/seized] those kingdoms that worship idols,
and those ·idols [carved images] were ·more [greater] than the idols of Jerusalem and Samaria.
11 As I ·defeated [L have done to] Samaria and her idols,
·I will also defeat [L shall I also do to…?] Jerusalem and her idols.’”
12 When the Lord finishes doing what he planned to Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will punish the king of Assyria for ·his proud heart and evil deeds [L the fruit of his great/exalted heart and glory of his haughty/high eyes]. 13 The king of Assyria says this:
“By ·my own power [L the strength of my hand] I have done these things;
by my wisdom ·and careful planning [L because I have understanding] I have ·defeated many [L removed the boundaries/borders of] nations.
I have ·taken their wealth [plundered their treasures],
and, like a ·mighty one [or bull], I have ·taken their people [or defeated their kings; L removed the sitting ones; C referring to those inhabiting the land or to kings on thrones].
14 ·I have taken [L My hand has found] the riches of all these people,
like a person reaching into a bird’s nest.
I have ·taken [gathered] these nations,
like a person ·taking [L gathering abandoned] eggs.
Not one ·raised a hand [L flapped a wing]
or opened its mouth to ·stop me [L chirp].”
15 ·An ax is not better than [L Does an ax exalt itself above…?] the person who swings it.
·A saw is not better than […or a saw over…?] the one who uses it.
A ·stick [rod; or scepter] cannot control the person who picks it up.
A club cannot pick up ·the person [L one who is not wood; or as if it were not made of wood]!
16 So the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
will send ·a terrible disease [L leanness; emaciation] upon Assyria’s ·soldiers [strong/stout/fat ones].
·The strength of Assyria will be burned up [L Under his glory a fire will be lit]
like a fire burning.
17 The Light of Israel [C God], will be like a fire;
the Holy One [1:4] will be like a flame.
He will be like a fire
that ·suddenly [L in one day] burns and ·consumes [devours] the weeds and thorns.
18 The fire burns away the ·great [glorious] trees and rich farmlands,
destroying everything.
It will be like a sick person who wastes away.
19 The trees left standing will be so few
that even a child could count them.
20 At that time the ·people left in [remnant of] Israel
and the survivors of the ·family [L house] of Jacob.
will not continue to depend
on the person who ·defeated [struck] them [9:13].
They will learn truly to depend on the Lord,
the Holy One of Israel [1:4].
21 ·Those who are left alive in Jacob’s family [L A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob; 7:3]
will ·again follow [return to] the powerful God.
22 Israel, though your people are many,
like the grains of sand by the sea [48:19; Gen. 15:5; 22:17; Hos. 1:10].
only a ·few [L remnant] of them will ·be left alive to return to the Lord [L return; 7:3].
·God has announced that he will destroy the land [Destruction has been decreed]
·completely and fairly [L overflowing/overwhelming with righteousness/justice].
23 The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will ·certainly [or fully] destroy this land,
as he has ·announced [decreed].
24 This is what the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says:
“My people living in ·Jerusalem [L Zion; 1:27],
don’t be afraid of the Assyrians,
who beat you with a ·rod [staff; scepter]
and raise a ·stick [staff; rod; club] against you, as Egypt did.
25 After a short time my anger against you will stop,
and then I will turn my anger to destroying them.”
26 Then the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will beat the Assyrians with a whip
as he defeated Midian at the rock of Oreb [Judg. 7:25].
He will raise his ·stick [staff; rod] over the waters
as he did in Egypt [Ex. 14:15–16].
27 ·Then [L In that day] ·the troubles that Assyria puts on you [L their burden on your shoulders]
will be removed,
and the ·load they make you carry [L yoke from your neck]
will be ·taken away[a] [L destroyed because of the fat/oil; C because of Israel’s new strength, or because of the Lord’s blessings, or because of an Anointed One].
Assyria Invades Israel
28 ·The army of Assyria [L They] will enter near Aiath.
Its soldiers will walk through Migron.
They will store their ·food [supplies; equipment] in Micmash.
29 The army will go over the pass.
The soldiers will ·sleep [camp; lodge] at Geba.
·The people of Ramah will be afraid [L Ramah trembles],
·and the people at Gibeah of Saul will run away [L Gibeah of Saul flees; 1 Sam. 11:4].
30 Cry out, ·Bath [or Daughter of] Gallim!
Laishah, listen!
·Poor [or Answer her] Anathoth!
31 ·The people of Madmenah are running away [L Madmenah flees];
the people of Gebim ·are hiding [seek cover].
32 This day the army will stop at Nob [1 Sam 21–22].
They will shake their fist at ·Mount Zion [L the mount of Daughter Zion],
at the hill of Jerusalem.
33 Watch! The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
with his ·great [terrifying] power will chop them down like a great tree.
Those who are ·great [lofty] will be cut down;
those who are ·important [or tallest] will ·fall to the ground [be brought low].
34 He will cut them down
as a forest is cut down with an ax.
And ·the great trees of Lebanon [L Lebanon]
will fall ·by the power of [or before] the Mighty One.
The King of Peace Is Coming
11 A ·new branch [sprout; shoot; C the Messiah] will grow
from the stump of Jesse [C king David’s father; the Messiah will restore David’s royal line];
a branch will ·come [sprout; or bear fruit]
from his roots.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him [1 Sam. 16:13; Matt. 3:16].
The Spirit will give him wisdom and understanding, ·guidance [counsel] and power.
The Spirit ·will teach him to know [L of knowledge] and ·respect [the fear of] the Lord.
3 ·This king will be glad to [L He will gladly/with delight] ·obey [revere; fear] the Lord.
He will not judge by ·the way things look [appearances; L the vision of his eyes]
or decide by ·what he hears [L the hearing of his ears].
4 But he will judge the poor ·honestly [with justice/righteousness];
he will be ·fair [upright; just; fair] in his decisions for the ·poor [oppressed; meek] people of the ·land [or earth].
·At his command evil people will be punished [L He will strike the earth with the rod/scepter of his mouth],
and by ·his words the wicked will be put to death [L the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked].
5 ·Goodness [Righteousness; Justice] will be like a belt around his waist,
and ·fairness [faithfulness; integrity] like a belt around his ·hips [waist; T loins].
6 The wolf will ·live in peace [L live; dwell] with the lamb,
and the leopard will ·lie down to rest [L lie down] with the young goat [C peace within the animal kingdom symbolizes the restoration of creation; 65:25].
Calves, lions, and ·young bulls [or fattened calves; L fatling] will ·eat [or be] together,
and a little child will lead them.
7 Cows and bears will ·eat [graze] together in peace.
Their young will lie down to rest together.
Lions will eat ·hay [straw] as oxen do.
8 A ·baby [nursing infant] will ·be able to play [L play] near a cobra’s hole,
and a child will ·be able to put [L put] his hand into the nest of a ·poisonous snake [adder; viper].
9 They will not hurt or destroy each other
on all my holy mountain,
because the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord,
as the ·sea is full of water [L waters cover the sea].
10 At that time the ·new king from the family [L root; v. 1] of Jesse will stand as a ·banner [standard; signal flag] for all ·peoples [nations]. The ·nations [Gentiles] will ·come together around [rally to; or seek guidance from] him, and ·the place where he lives [T his resting place] will be filled with glory. 11 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord will ·again [L again a second time; C the first time was the Exodus from Egypt] ·reach out and take [L reclaim/acquire with his hand the remnant of] his people who ·are left alive [remain] in Assyria, North Egypt, ·South Egypt [L Pathros], Cush, Elam, ·Babylonia [L Shinar], Hamath, and all the ·islands [or coastlands] of the sea.
12 God will raise a ·banner as a sign [standard; signal flag] for all nations,
and he will gather the ·people of Israel who were forced from their country [L exiles/banished ones of Israel].
He will gather the scattered people of Judah
from ·all parts [L the four corners/edges] of the earth.
13 At that time ·Israel [L Ephraim; C the most influential tribe of the northern kingdom of Israel] will not be jealous anymore,
and ·Judah will have no more enemies [or Judah’s hostility will end].
·Israel [L Ephraim] will not be jealous of Judah,
and Judah will not ·hate [harrass; be hostile towards] Israel.
14 But Israel and Judah will ·attack [L swoop down on the hills/or shoulders of] the Philistines on the west.
Together they will ·take the riches from [plunder; loot] the ·people [L sons] of the east.
They will ·conquer [L send their hand against] Edom and Moab,
and the ·people [L sons; children] of Ammon will be ·under their control [subject/obedient to them].
15 The Lord will ·dry up [or utterly destroy]
the ·Red Sea of Egypt [L tongue/gulf of the Egyptian sea].
He will wave his ·arm [or hand] over the ·Euphrates River [L River]
·and dry it up with a scorching wind [L with a scorching wind/breath].
He will ·divide [strike; break] it into seven small rivers
so that people can walk across them with their sandals on.
16 So ·God’s people who are left alive [L the remnant of his people who remain]
will have a ·way to leave [highway from] Assyria,
just like the time the Israelites
came out of Egypt [C a new and greater Exodus].
A Song of Praise to God
12 ·At that time [L In that day] you will say:
“I praise you, Lord!
You were angry with me,
but ·you are not angry with me now [L your anger has turned away]!
You have comforted me.
2 [L Look; T Behold] God is ·the one who saves me [L my salvation];
I will trust him and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord ·gives me [L is my] strength and ·makes me sing [L my song; or my defense/protection].
He has ·saved me [L become salvation/deliverance/victory for me].”
3 You will joyfully draw water
from the ·wells [springs] of salvation.
4 ·At that time [L In that day] you will say,
“Praise the Lord and ·worship him [L call on his name].
·Tell everyone [L Make known among the nations/peoples] what he has done
and ·how great he is [L announce that his name is exalted/lifted up].
5 Sing praise to the Lord, because he has done ·great [glorious; majestic] things.
Let all the world know what he has done.
6 Shout and sing for joy, you people of ·Jerusalem [L Zion; 1:27],
because the Holy One of Israel [1:4] ·does great things before your eyes [L is great among you].”
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