Isaiah 9
9
Chapter 9
Good news for God's people
1But the darkness will not continue for ever. Those who had no hope will no longer be afraid. In past times, God let trouble happen to the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. #9:1 Zebulun and Naphtali were two of Israel's tribes. But in future years, he will cause the people of that region to be great. Those are the places near the sea, and those beyond the Jordan River, and Galilee region where people from other nations live.
2The people who walk in the dark now see a bright light! Light is shining on those people who live in a land of complete darkness.
3You, Lord, will make your nation stronger. You will cause your people to be very happy. They will be happy because you are with them. They will be like people who are happy at the time of harvest. They will be happy like soldiers who have won a battle, and who share their enemy's valuable things among themselves.
4They are happy because you have removed the power of their cruel enemies. They no longer have to carry a heavy load, as slaves. You have rescued them from their enemies, in the same way that you won against Midian's army. #9:4 See Judges 7—8.
5Fire will destroy every shoe that the soldiers wore to march into the battle. Their clothes which have the blood of war on them will also go into the fire.
6Yes, your people are happy! A child has been born for us. We now have a son with the authority to rule. His names will be:
Wonderful Advisor,
Mighty God,
Father for Ever,
Ruler who brings Peace.
7His authority to rule will be very great. The peace that he brings will never have an end. He will rule as king over David's kingdom. He will make it strong and safe, because he will do what is right and fair. He will rule like that now and for ever. The Lord Almighty will make those things happen, because he loves his people.
The Lord punishes Israel
8The Lord God has spoken a message to warn Jacob's descendants, the kingdom of Israel. 9All the people who live in Ephraim and in the city of Samaria know about it. But they are proud and they boast, 10‘We built houses with bricks and they fell down. But we will build them again with strong stones. People have cut down our fig trees, but we will plant great cedar trees instead.’
11But the Lord caused Rezin's enemies, and other nations to attack Israel. 12Syria's army came from the east. The Philistines' army came from the west. They destroyed Israel's land, like a hungry animal.
But the Lord is still angry. His hand is ready to hit them again. #9:12 Isaiah says this four times. The other places are Isaiah 9:17; Isaiah 9:21; Isaiah 10:3
13The people did not turn back to the Lord Almighty, who had punished them. They did not ask for his help. 14So, in one day, the Lord will destroy Israel, both its head and its tail. He will cut down both palm branch and reed. 15The head is their leaders and important people. The tail is the prophets who teach lies.
16The leaders of this nation lead them away from what is true. They confuse the people that they are leading. 17So the Lord God is not pleased with their young men. He will not help their widows or their children who have no family. Nobody respects God and they all do evil things. They only speak about foolish things.
But the Lord is still angry. His hand is ready to hit them again.
18The evil things that the people do destroy everything. They are like a fire that destroys thorn bushes. They burn up all the bushes in the forest. Clouds of smoke rise up from a great fire. 19The Lord Almighty is very angry. He punishes the land of Israel, like a fire that burns everything. The people are like wood that makes the fire burn well. None of them try to help each other. 20People eat whatever food they can get, on their right side or their left side. But they are still hungry. They even eat their own family!
21Manasseh's tribe and Ephraim's tribe fight against each other. Then they join together to attack Judah.
But the Lord is still angry. His hand is ready to hit them again.
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MissionAssist 2018
Isaiah 9
9
Hope in the Messiah
1 # 9:1 Verse 9:1 is numbered 8:23 in Hebrew text. 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.
2 # 9:2a Verses 9:2-21 are numbered 9:1-20 in Hebrew text. The people who walk in darkness
will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,#9:2b Greek version reads a land where death casts its shadow. Compare Matt 4:16.
a light will shine.
3You 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.
4For 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.
5The boots of the warrior
and the uniforms bloodstained by war
will all be burned.
They will be fuel for the fire.
6For 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,#9:6 Or Wonderful, Counselor. Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7His 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
8The Lord has spoken out against Jacob;
his judgment has fallen upon Israel.
9And the people of Israel#9:9 Hebrew of Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel. and Samaria,
who spoke with such pride and arrogance,
will soon know it.
10They said, “We will replace the broken bricks of our ruins with finished stone,
and replant the felled sycamore-fig trees with cedars.”
11But the Lord will bring Rezin’s enemies against Israel
and stir up all their foes.
12The Syrians#9:12 Hebrew Arameans. 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.
13For after all this punishment, the people will still not repent.
They will not seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
14Therefore, in a single day the Lord will destroy both the head and the tail,
the noble palm branch and the lowly reed.
15The leaders of Israel are the head,
and the lying prophets are the tail.
16For the leaders of the people have misled them.
They have led them down the path of destruction.
17That 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.
18This 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.
19The 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.
20They 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.#9:20 Or eat their own arms.
21Manasseh 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.
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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