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.
Currently Selected:
Isaiah 9: EASY
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
MissionAssist 2018
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