Isaiah 9
9
1But there won’t be any more sadness for those who were suffering. In the past the Lord brought shame on the land of Zebulun. He also brought shame on the land of Naphtali. But in days to come he will honor Galilee, where people from other nations live. He will honor the land along the Mediterranean Sea. And he will honor the territory east of the Jordan River.
2The people who are now living in darkness
will see a great light.
They are now living in a very dark land.
But a light will shine on them.
3 Lord, you will make our nation larger.
You will increase their joy.
They will show you how glad they are.
They will be as glad as people are at harvest time.
They will be as glad as warriors are
when they share the things they’ve taken after a battle.
4You set Israel free from Midian long ago.
In the same way, you will break
the heavy yoke that weighs Israel down.
You will break the wooden beams that are on their shoulders.
You will break the rods of those who strike them down.
5Every fighting man’s boot that he wore in battle will be burned up.
So will every piece of clothing covered with blood.
All of them will be thrown into the fire.
6A child will be born to us.
A son will be given to us.
He will rule over us.
And he will be called
Wonderful Adviser and Mighty God.
He will also be called Father Who Lives Forever
and Prince Who Brings Peace.
7There will be no limit to how great his authority is.
The peace he brings will never end.
He will rule on David’s throne
and over his kingdom.
He will make the kingdom strong and secure.
His rule will be based on what is fair and right.
It will last forever.
The Lord’s great love will make sure that happens.
He rules over all.
The Lord Is Angry With Israel
8The Lord has sent a message against Jacob’s people.
He will punish Israel.
9All the people will know about it.
Ephraim’s people and those who live in Samaria will know about it.
Their hearts are very proud.
They say,
10“The brick buildings have fallen down.
But we will rebuild them with blocks of stone.
The fig trees have been chopped down.
But we’ll plant cedar trees in place of them.”
11In spite of that, the Lord has made Rezin’s enemies stronger.
He has stirred up Assyria to fight against Israel.
12Arameans from the east
have opened their mouths and swallowed up Israel.
So have Philistines from the west.
Even then, the Lord is still angry.
His hand is still raised against them.
13But his people have not returned
to the God who struck them down.
They haven’t turned for help
to the Lord who rules over all.
14So he will cut off from Israel heads and tails alike.
In a single day he will cut off palm branches and tall grass alike.
The palm branches are the people who rule over others.
The tall grass is the people who bow down to them.
15The elders and important leaders are the heads.
The prophets who teach lies are the tails.
16Those who guide the people of Israel are leading them down the wrong path.
So those who follow them aren’t on the right road.
17The Lord will not be pleased with the young men.
He won’t take pity on widows and on children whose fathers have died.
All of them are ungodly and evil.
They say foolish things with their mouths.
Even then, the Lord is still angry.
His hand is still raised against them.
18What is evil burns like a fire.
It burns up bushes and thorns.
It sets the forest on fire.
It sends up a huge column of smoke.
19The Lord rules over all.
When he gets angry, he will burn up the land.
The people will burn in the fire.
They will not spare one another.
20People will eat up everything they can find on their right.
But they’ll still be hungry.
They will eat everything they can find on their left.
But they won’t be satisfied.
So they will eat the dead bodies of their children.
21That’s what Manasseh’s people will do to Ephraim.
And that’s what Ephraim’s people will do to Manasseh.
Together they will turn against Judah.
Even then, the Lord is still angry.
His hand is still raised against them.
Currently Selected:
Isaiah 9: NIrV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Isaiah 9
9
New Light: The Birth of a King
1#Isaiah 9:1–21 in the English Bible is 8:23–9:20 in the Hebrew Bible But there will be no gloom for those who were in distress.#Literally “Indeed there is no gloom for the one to whom there was anxiety for her”
In former times he#That is, Yahweh treated the land of Zebulun and Naphtali with contempt, but in the future he will honor the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
light has shined on those who lived in a land of darkness.
3You have made the nation numerous;
you have not#The written text (Kethib) is “not,” but the reading tradition (Qere) is “for it” made the joy great.
They rejoice in your presence as with joy at the harvest,
as they rejoice when they divide plunder.
4For you have shattered the yoke of its burden
and the stick of its shoulder,
the rod of its oppressor, on#Hebrew “like”; the Hebrew letters for “like” and “on” look alike the day of Midian.
5For every boot that marches and shakes the earth#Literally “marching with shaking,” which might mean “marching is with shaking”
and garment rolled in blood
will#Literally “and it will” be for burning—fire fuel.
6For a child has been born for us;
a son has been given to us.
And the dominion will be on his shoulder,
and his name is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7His dominion will grow continually,
and to peace there will be no end#Literally “There is no end to the increase of the dominion and to peace”
on#Or “for” the throne of David and over#Or “for” his kingdom,
to establish it#That is, the kingdom and sustain it
with justice and righteousness
now and forever.
The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will do this.
Yahweh’s Anger against Arrogance
8The Lord has sent out a word against Jacob,
and it fell on Israel.
9And all of the people knew it,
Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria
in pride and arrogance of heart, saying,
10“The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stone.
The sycamore-fig trees were felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”
11So Yahweh strengthened the adversaries of Rezin#Or “his adversaries” if a copyist added “of Rezin” in error against him,
and he provoked his enemies—
12Aram from the east
and Philistines#Hebrew “Philistine” from the west—
and they devoured Israel with the whole mouth.
He has not turned away his anger in all of this,
and his hand is still stretched out.
13And the people did not turn to the one who struck it,#That is, the people
and they did not seek Yahweh of hosts.
14So Yahweh cut off head and tail from Israel,
palm branch and reed in one day.
15Elders#Hebrew “Elder” and the respectable#Literally “one lifted up of face” are the head,
and prophets#Hebrew “prophet” who teach lies#Hebrew “lie” are the tail.
16And the leaders of this people were misleading them,
and those who were led were confused.
17Therefore the Lord did not rejoice over its young men,
and he did not have compassion on its orphans and widows,
for everyone was godless and an evildoer,
and every mouth was speaking folly.
In all of this his anger did not turn away,
and still his hand is stretched out.
18For wickedness burned like fire;
it consumed brier and thorn.
And it kindled the thickets of the forest,
and they swirled upward in a column of smoke.
19The land was burned through the wrath of Yahweh of hosts,
and the people became like fire fuel.
People had no compassion toward each other.#Literally “A man does not have compassion toward his brother”
20They devoured on the right but still were hungry
and devoured on the left but they were not satisfied.
Each one devoured the flesh of his arm,
21Manasseh devoured Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh;
together they were against Judah.
In all of this his anger has not turned away,
and still his hand is stretched out.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
2010 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software