Isaiah 9

1Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee ^aof the nations.

2The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

3Thou hast multiplied the nation, and ^bnot increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

4^cFor thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

5^dFor every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; ^ebut this shall be with burning and ^ffuel of fire.

6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

7Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

8The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.

9And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,

10The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.

11Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and ^gjoin his enemies together;

12The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with ^hopen mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

13For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts.

14Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day.

15The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

16For ⁱthe leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are ^jled of them are ^kdestroyed.

17Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh ^lfolly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

18For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.

19Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the ^mfuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother.

20And he shall ⁿsnatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm:

21Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.