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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Isaiah 9: EASY
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Yeshayah (Isaiah) 9
9
1But there is no gloom upon her who is distressed, as when at first He humbled the land of Zeḇulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward more heavily oppressed her, by the way of the sea, beyond the Yardĕn, in Galil of the nations.
2The people who were walking in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death a light has shone.
3You shall increase the nation; You shall make its joy great. They shall rejoice before You, as in the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4For You shall break the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Miḏyan.
5For every boot of one trampling in tumult, and coat rolled in blood, shall be used for burning and fuel of fire.
6For a Child is born unto us, a Son is given unto us, and the rule is on His shoulder. And His Name is called Wonder, Counsellor, Strong Ěl, Father of Continuity, Prince of Peace.
7Of the increase of His rule and peace there is no end, upon the throne of Dawiḏ and over His reign,#See Isa. 16:5; Psa. 2; Psa. 45:6; Mic. 5:2; Luke 1:32, 33 to establish it and sustain it with right-ruling and with righteousness from now on, even forever. The ardour of יהוה of hosts does this.
8יהוה sent a word against Ya‛aqoḇ, and it has fallen on Yisra’ĕl.
9And the people shall know, all of them, Ephrayim and the inhabitant of Shomeron, who say in pride and greatness of heart:
10“The bricks have fallen down, but we rebuild with hewn stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we replace them with cedars.”
11And יהוה set up the adversaries of Retsin against him, and stirred up his enemies,
12the Arameans before and the Philistines behind. And they devour Yisra’ĕl with an open mouth. With all this His displeasure has not turned back, and His hand is still stretched out.
13And the people have not turned back to Him who strikes them, nor have they sought יהוה of hosts.
14And יהוה cuts off head and tail from Yisra’ĕl, palm branch and reed in one day.
15Elder and highly respected, he is the head; the prophet who teaches falsehood, he is the tail.
16For the leaders of this people lead them astray,#See Isa. 3:12 and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.
17Therefore יהוה does not rejoice over their young men, and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is defiled and evil, and every mouth speaks foolishness. With all this His displeasure has not turned back, and His hand is still stretched out.
18For wrongness burns as the fire; it consumes thornbushes and weeds, and sets the bushes of the forest ablaze, and they roll up like rising smoke.
19The land shall be burned up by the wrath of יהוה of hosts, and the people be as fuel for the fire. A man shall not spare his brother,
20and cut down on the right hand, but shall be hungry; and he devours on the left hand, but shall not be satisfied; each one devouring the flesh of his own arm:
21Menashsheh Ephrayim, and Ephrayim Menashsheh; together they are against Yehuḏah. With all this His displeasure has not turned back, and His hand is still stretched out.
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