1 A s the former time made light The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, So the latter hath honoured the way of the sea, Beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

Nevertheless the darkness shall not be as when the distress was in the, at the time he at first lightly, and afterwards heavily, visited the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,—the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations:

2 T he people who are walking in darkness Have seen a great light, Dwellers in a land of death-shade, Light hath shone upon them.

the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them light hath shone.

3 T hou hast multiplied the nation, Thou hast made great its joy, They have joyed before Thee as the joy in harvest, As rejoice in their apportioning spoil.

Thou hast multiplied the nation, hast increased its joy: they joy before thee like to the joy in harvest; as rejoice when they divide the spoil.

4 B ecause the yoke of its burden, And the staff of its shoulder, the rod of its exactor, Thou hast broken as the day of Midian.

For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

5 F or every battle of a warrior with rushing, and raiment rolled in blood, And it hath been for burning -- fuel of fire.

For every boot of him that is shod for the tumult, and the garment rolled in blood, shall be for burning, fuel for fire.

6 F or a Child hath been born to us, A Son hath been given to us, And the princely power is on his shoulder, And He doth call his name Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name is called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.

7 T o the increase of the princely power, And of peace, there is no end, On the throne of David, and on his kingdom, To establish it, and to support it, In judgment and in righteousness, Henceforth, even unto the age, The zeal of Jehovah of Hosts doth this.

Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with judgment and with righteousness, from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this.

8 A word hath the Lord sent into Jacob, And it hath fallen in Israel.

The Lord sent a word unto Jacob, and it lighteth upon Israel.

9 A nd the people have known -- all of it, Ephraim, and the inhabitant of Samaria, In pride and in greatness of heart, saying,

And all the people shall know, Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in pride and stoutness of heart,

10 ` Bricks have fallen, and hewn work we build, Sycamores have been cut down, and cedars we renew.'

The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; the sycamore trees are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars.

11 A nd Jehovah setteth the adversaries of Rezin on high above him, And his enemies he joineth together,

And Jehovah will set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and arm his enemies,

12 A ram from before, and Philistia from behind, And they devour Israel with the whole mouth. With all this not turned back hath His anger, And still His hand is stretched out.

the Syrians on the east, and the Philistines on the west; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

13 A nd the people hath not turned back unto Him who is smiting it, And Jehovah of Hosts they have not sought.

But the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, and they do not seek Jehovah of hosts.

14 A nd Jehovah cutteth off from Israel head and tail, Branch and reed -- the same day,

And Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm-branch and rush, in one day:

15 E lder, and accepted of face, he the head, Prophet, teacher of falsehood, he the tail.

the ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

16 A nd the eulogists of this people are causing to err, And its eulogised ones are consumed.

For the guides of this people mislead; and they that are guided by them are swallowed up.

17 T herefore, over its young men the Lord rejoiceth not, And its orphans, and its widows He pitieth not, For every one profane, and an evil doer, And every mouth is speaking folly. With all this not turned back hath His anger, And still His hand is stretched out.

Therefore the Lord will not rejoice in their young men, neither will he have mercy on their fatherless and on their widows; for every one is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

18 F or burned as a fire hath wickedness, Brier and thorn it devoureth, And it kindleth in thickets of the forest, And they lift themselves up, an exaltation of smoke!

For wickedness burneth as a fire: it devoureth briars and thorns, and kindleth in the thickets of the forest, and they go rolling up like a pillar of smoke.

19 I n the wrath of Jehovah of Hosts Hath the land been consumed, And the people is as fuel of fire; A man on his brother hath no pity,

Through the wrath of Jehovah of hosts is the land burned up, and the people is as fuel for fire: a man spareth not his brother;

20 A nd cutteth down on the right, and hath been hungry, And he devoureth on the left, And they have not been satisfied, Each the flesh of his own arm they devour.

and he snatcheth on the right hand, and is hungry, and eateth on the left hand; and they are not satisfied. They eat every man the flesh of his own arm:

21 M anasseh -- Ephraim, and Ephraim -- Manasseh, Together they against Judah, With all this not turned back hath His anger. And still His hand is stretched out!

Manasseh, Ephraim, and Ephraim, Manasseh; they together are against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.