1 N evertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles.

But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

2 T he people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.

The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.

3 Y ou have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

4 F or You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian.

For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.

5 F or every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle, And garments rolled in blood, Will be used for burning and fuel of fire.

For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.

6 F or unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

7 O f the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. The Punishment of Samaria

There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. God’s Anger with Israel’s Arrogance

8 T he Lord sent a word against Jacob, And it has fallen on Israel.

The Lord sends a message against Jacob, And it falls on Israel.

9 A ll the people will know— Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria— Who say in pride and arrogance of heart:

And all the people know it, That is, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, Asserting in pride and in arrogance of heart:

10 “ The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with hewn stones; The sycamores are cut down, But we will replace them with cedars.”

“The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with smooth stones; The sycamores have been cut down, But we will replace them with cedars.”

11 T herefore the Lord shall set up The adversaries of Rezin against him, And spur his enemies on,

Therefore the Lord raises against them adversaries from Rezin And spurs their enemies on,

12 T he Syrians before and the Philistines behind; And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.

The Arameans on the east and the Philistines on the west; And they devour Israel with gaping jaws. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out.

13 F or the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts.

Yet the people do not turn back to Him who struck them, Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts.

14 T herefore the Lord will cut off head and tail from Israel, Palm branch and bulrush in one day.

So the Lord cuts off head and tail from Israel, Both palm branch and bulrush in a single day.

15 T he elder and honorable, he is the head; The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.

The head is the elder and honorable man, And the prophet who teaches falsehood is the tail.

16 F or the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed.

For those who guide this people are leading them astray; And those who are guided by them are brought to confusion.

17 T herefore the Lord will have no joy in their young men, Nor have mercy on their fatherless and widows; For everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer, And every mouth speaks folly. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.

Therefore the Lord does not take pleasure in their young men, Nor does He have pity on their orphans or their widows; For every one of them is godless and an evildoer, And every mouth is speaking foolishness. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out.

18 F or wickedness burns as the fire; It shall devour the briers and thorns, And kindle in the thickets of the forest; They shall mount up like rising smoke.

For wickedness burns like a fire; It consumes briars and thorns; It even sets the thickets of the forest aflame And they roll upward in a column of smoke.

19 T hrough the wrath of the Lord of hosts The land is burned up, And the people shall be as fuel for the fire; No man shall spare his brother.

By the fury of the Lord of hosts the land is burned up, And the people are like fuel for the fire; No man spares his brother.

20 A nd he shall snatch on the right hand And be hungry; He shall devour on the left hand And not be satisfied; Every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm.

They slice off what is on the right hand but still are hungry, And they eat what is on the left hand but they are not satisfied; Each of them eats the flesh of his own arm.

21 M anasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.

Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, And together they are against Judah. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out.