Isaiah 9
9
A New Day Is Coming
1But there will be an end to the gloom those people suffered. In the past, people thought the land of Zebulun and Naphtali was not important. But later, that land will be honored—the land along the sea, the land east of the Jordan River, and Galilee where people from other nations live. 2Those people lived in darkness, but they will see a great light. They lived in a place as dark as death, but a great light will shine on them.
3God, you will make the nation grow, and you will make the people happy. They will rejoice in your presence as they do at harvest time. It will be like the joy when people take their share of things they have won in war. 4That will happen because you will lift the heavy yoke off their shoulders and take away their heavy burden. You will take away the rod that the enemy used to punish your people, as you did when you defeated Midian.#9:4 as you … Midian See Judges 7:15-25.
5Every boot that marched in battle and every uniform stained with blood will be destroyed and thrown into the fire. 6This will happen when the special child is born. God will give us a son who will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be “Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.” 7His power will continue to grow, and there will be peace without end. This will establish him as the king sitting on David’s throne and ruling his kingdom. He will rule with goodness and justice forever and ever. The strong love#9:7 strong love The Hebrew word means strong feelings like love, hate, anger, zeal, or jealousy. that the Lord All-Powerful has for his people will make this happen!
God Will Punish Israel
8The Lord gave a command against Jacob and someone in Israel fell.#9:8 Or “The Lord sent a command to Jacob and it happened to Israel.” 9So all the people in Ephraim, including the ruler in Samaria, learned their lesson.
Those people are very proud and boastful now. They say, 10“Yes, those bricks fell, but we will rebuild with strong stone. Yes, those little trees were chopped down, but we will plant new trees. And they will be large, strong trees.”
11The Lord found people to go up and fight against Rezin. He stirred up Rezin’s enemies. 12As for Israel, the Arameans are in front of him and the Philistines are behind him. And they are both eating away at him. But the Lord is not finished yet. He is still angry, and his arm is raised to continue punishing Israel.
13The people did not stop sinning. They did not come to the Lord All-Powerful for help. 14So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail. He took away the branch and the stalk in one day. 15(The head means the elders and important leaders. The tail means the prophets who told lies.)
16Their guides are leading them the wrong way, so those who follow them will be destroyed. 17All of them are evil. So the Lord is not happy with the young men, and he will not show mercy to their widows and orphans. That is because they are evil hypocrites. They tell lies.
The Lord has punished them, but he is not finished yet. He is still angry, and his arm is raised to continue punishing his people.
18That evil was like a small fire that started among the weeds and thorns and then spread to the larger bushes in the forest. Finally, it became a giant fire, and everything went up in smoke.
19The Lord All-Powerful was angry, so the land was burned. The people were fuel for the fire. No one showed any compassion to anyone else. 20People looked to the right and grabbed whatever they could, but they were still hungry. They grabbed whatever was on their left, but still they were not satisfied. So they turned on themselves and began to eat the bodies of their own children. 21Manasseh fought against Ephraim, and Ephraim fought against Manasseh. Then both of them turned on Judah.
But the Lord is not finished punishing his people. He is still angry, and his arm is raised to continue punishing them.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Isaiah 9
9
Unto Us a Child Is Born
(Matthew 4:12–17; Mark 1:14–15; Luke 4:14–15)
1Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those in distress. In the past He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future He will honor the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations:
2The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death,
a light has dawned.#9:2 Cited in Matthew 4:15–16
3You have enlarged the nation
and increased its joy.
The people rejoice before You
as they rejoice at harvest time,
as men rejoice in dividing the plunder.
4For as in the day of Midian
You have shattered the yoke of their burden,
the bar across their shoulders,
and the rod of their oppressor.
5For every trampling boot of battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given,
and the government will be upon His shoulders.
And He will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7Of the increase of His government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on the throne of David
and over his kingdom,
to establish and sustain it
with justice and righteousness
from that time and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this.
Judgment against Israel’s Pride
8The Lord has sent a message against Jacob,
and it has fallen upon Israel.
9All the people will know it—
Ephraim #9:9 That is, the northern kingdom of Israel and the dwellers of Samaria.
With pride and arrogance of heart
they will say:
10“The bricks have fallen,
but we will rebuild with finished stone;
the sycamores have been felled,
but we will replace them with cedars.”
11The Lord has raised up the foes of Rezin against him
and joined his enemies together.
12Aram #9:12 That is, Syria from the east and Philistia from the west
have devoured Israel with open mouths.
Despite all this, His anger is not turned away;
His hand is still upraised.
Judgment against Israel’s Hypocrisy
13But the people did not return to Him who struck them;
they did not seek the Lord of Hosts.
14So the Lord will cut off Israel’s head and tail,
both palm branch and reed in a single day.
15The head is the elder and honorable man,
and the tail is the prophet who teaches lies.
16For those who guide this people mislead them,
and those they mislead are swallowed up.
17Therefore the Lord takes no pleasure in their young men;
He has no compassion on their fatherless and widows.
For every one of them is godless and wicked,
and every mouth speaks folly.
Despite all this, His anger is not turned away;
His hand is still upraised.
Judgment against Israel’s Unrepentance
18For wickedness burns like a fire
that consumes the thorns and briers
and kindles the forest thickets
which roll upward in billows of smoke.
19By the wrath of the Lord of Hosts
the land is scorched,
and the people are fuel for the fire.
No man even spares his brother.
20They carve out what is on the right,
but they are still hungry;
they eat what is on the left,
but they are still not satisfied.
Each one devours the flesh of his own offspring.#9:20 Literally of his own arm
21Manasseh devours Ephraim,
and Ephraim Manasseh;
together they turn against Judah.
Despite all this, His anger is not turned away;
His hand is still upraised.
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The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. This text of God's Word has been dedicated to the public domain.