Isaiah 9
9
1The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
Upon those who lived in a land of gloom
a light has shone.#Mt 4:15–16.
2You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing;
They rejoice before you as people rejoice at harvest,
as they exult when dividing the spoils.
3For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
The rod of their taskmaster,
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.#Day of Midian: when God used the judge Gideon to deliver these northern territories from Midianite oppression (Jgs 6–7). #Is 10:26; Jgs 7:22–25.
4For every boot that tramped in battle,
every cloak rolled in blood,
will be burned as fuel for fire.#Ps 46:10.
5For a child#A child: perhaps to be identified with the Emmanuel of 7:14 and 8:8; cf. 11:1–2, 9. This verse may reflect a coronation rather than a birth. Upon his shoulder: the reference may be to a particular act in the ritual in which a symbol of the king’s authority was placed on his shoulder (cf. 2 Kgs 11:12; Is 22:22). is born to us, a son is given to us;
upon his shoulder dominion rests.
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,#Is 10:21.
Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.
6His dominion is vast
and forever peaceful,
Upon David’s throne, and over his kingdom,
which he confirms and sustains
By judgment and justice,
both now and forever.#Jer 23:5; Lk 1:32–33.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this!
Judgment on the Northern Kingdom#9:7–20 + 5:25–30] These verses describe a series of judgments God sent against the Northern Kingdom of Israel because of its sins. Despite the judgments, however, Israel continued to rebel, and God’s anger remained unabated, as the recurring refrain emphasizes (9:11, 16, 20). The refrain ties Is 9:7–20 together as a unit, but 9:20 is far too abrupt to be the original conclusion to the oracle. With its series of past judgments and repeated refrain, the oracle resembles Am 4:6–12; by analogy with that model one expects a conclusion in which the prophet turns from the narration of past judgments to the announcement of a future judgment. Is 5:25–30 fits the pattern found in 9:7–20 and provides a suitable and possibly original conclusion for the whole oracle.
7The Lord has sent a word against Jacob,
and it falls upon Israel;
8And all the people know it—
Ephraim and those who dwell in Samaria—
those who say in arrogance and pride of heart,
9“Bricks have fallen,
but we will rebuild with cut stone;
Sycamores have been felled,
but we will replace them with cedars.”#Mal 1:4.
10So the Lord raises up their foes against them
and stirs up their enemies to action—
11Aram#Aram: the Syrian kingdom, with its capital at Damascus. from the east and the Philistines from the west—
they devour Israel with open mouth.
For all this, his wrath is not turned back,
and his hand is still outstretched!
12The people do not turn back to the one who struck them,
nor do they seek the Lord of hosts.
13So the Lord cuts off from Israel head and tail,
palm branch and reed in one day.#Is 19:15; Dt 28:13, 44.
14(The elder and the noble are the head,
the prophet who teaches falsehood is the tail.)#Is 28:7.
15Those who lead this people lead them astray,
and those who are led are swallowed up.#Is 3:12.
16That is why the Lord does not spare their young men,
and their orphans and widows he does not pity;
For they are totally impious and wicked,
and every mouth speaks folly.
For all this, his wrath is not turned back,
his hand is still outstretched!
17For wickedness burns like fire,
devouring brier and thorn;
It kindles the forest thickets,
which go up in columns of smoke.#Is 5:24; 33:11–12.
18At the wrath of the Lord of hosts the land quakes,
and the people are like fuel for fire;
no one spares his brother.#Is 3:5.
19They hack on the right, but remain hungry;
they devour on the left, but are not filled.
Each devours the flesh of the neighbor;
20Manasseh devours Ephraim,#Manasseh…Ephraim: two of the leading tribes of the Northern Kingdom. The reference is to the civil wars that marked the final decades of the Northern Kingdom (2 Kgs 15:10, 14–16, 25; cf. Hos 7:3–7). and Ephraim Manasseh,
together they turn on Judah.
For all this, his wrath is not turned back,
his hand is still outstretched!
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Isaiah 9: NABRE
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Isaiah 9
9
1 #
Mt 4.15. But those who have suffered will no longer be in pain.#9.1 will … pain: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. The territories of Zebulun and Naphtali in Galilee were once hated. But this land of the Gentiles across the Jordan River and along the Mediterranean Sea will be greatly respected.
War Is Over
2 #
Mt 4.16; Lk 1.79. Those who walked in the dark
have seen a bright light.
And it shines upon everyone
who lives in the land
of darkest shadows.
3Our Lord, you have made
your nation stronger.#9.3 stronger: Or “happy” or “larger.”
Because of you, its people
are glad and celebrate
like workers at harvest time
or like soldiers dividing up
what they have taken.
4You have broken the power
of those who abused
and enslaved your people.
You have rescued them
just as you saved your people
from Midian.#9.4 rescued … from Midian: The time when Gideon defeated the people of Midian in Jezreel Valley (see Judges 6–8).
5The boots of marching warriors
and the blood-stained uniforms
have been fed to flames
and eaten by fire.
A Child Has Been Born
6A child has been born for us.
We have been given a son
who will be our ruler.
His names will be
Wonderful Advisor
and Mighty God,
Eternal Father
and Prince of Peace.
7 #
Lk 1.32,33. His power will never end;
peace will last forever.
He will rule David's kingdom
and make it grow strong.
He will always rule
with honesty and justice.
The Lord All-Powerful
will make certain
that all of this is done.
God Will Punish Israel
8The Lord had warned the people of Israel, 9and all of them knew it, including everyone in the capital city of Samaria. But they were proud and stubborn and said,
10“Houses of brick and sycamore
have fallen to the ground,
but we will build houses
with stones and cedar.”
11The Lord made their enemies#9.11 their enemies: Hebrew “the enemies of Rezin.” attack them. 12He sent the Arameans from the east and the Philistines from the west, and they swallowed up Israel. But even this did not stop him from being angry, so he kept on punishing them.#9.12 so … them: Or “but he hasn't given up on them yet.” 13The people of Israel still did not turn back to the Lord All-Powerful and worship him.
14In one day he cut off their head and tail, their leaves and branches. 15Their rulers and leaders were the head, and the lying prophets were the tail. 16They had led the nation down the wrong path, and the people were confused. 17The Lord was angry with his people and kept punishing them, because they had turned against him.#9.17 and kept … against him: Or “but even though they had turned against him, he still had not given up on them.” They were evil and spoke foolishly. That's why he did not have pity on their young people or on their widows and orphans.
18Evil had spread like a raging forest fire sending thornbushes up in smoke. 19The Lord All-Powerful was angry and used the people as fuel for a fire that scorched the land. They turned against each other 20like wild animals attacking and eating everyone around them, even their own relatives.#9.20 their own relatives: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. But still they were not satisfied. 21The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh turned against each other, then joined forces to attack Judah. But the Lord was still angry and ready to punish the nation even more.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
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