Isaiah 9

Revised Geneva Translation

9 Yet, the gloom shall not be as the affliction was at first, when He lightly touched the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, nor afterward when he was more grievous by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles.

² The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light. Those who dwelled in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the Light shined.

³ You have multiplied the nation, not increased joy. Men rejoice when they divide a spoil.

⁴ For You have broken the yoke of their burden, and the staff of their shoulder, and the rod of their oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

⁵ Surely every battle of the warrior is with noise, and with tumbling of garments in blood. But this shall be with burning and devouring of fire.

⁶ For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given. And the government is upon His shoulder. And His Name shall be called: Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

⁷ The increase of His dominion and peace shall have no end. He shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment, and with justice, from henceforth, forever. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will perform this.

⁸ The LORD has sent a Word into Jacob, and it lighted upon Israel.

⁹ And all the people shall know—Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria— who say in the pride and presumption of their heart,

¹⁰ “The bricks have fallen, but we will build it with hewn stones. The wild fig trees are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.”

¹¹ Nevertheless, the LORD will raise up the adversaries of Rezin against him and join his enemies together,

¹² Aram in front and the Philistines behind. And they shall devour Israel with open mouth. Yet for all this, His wrath is not turned away. But His hand is stretched out still.

¹³ For the people do not turn to Him Who strikes them, nor do they seek the LORD of Hosts.

¹⁴ Therefore, the LORD will cut off head and tail from Israel, branch and rush, in one day.

¹⁵ To the ancient and the honorable man, He is the head. And to the prophet who teaches lies, He is the tail.

¹⁶ For the leaders of the people cause them to err. And those who are led by them are devoured.

¹⁷ Therefore, the LORD shall have no pleasure in their young men. Nor will He have compassion on their fatherless and on their widows. For everyone is a hypocrite and wicked. And every mouth speaks folly. For all this, His wrath is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.

¹⁸ For wickedness burns as a fire. It devours the briers and the thorns, and will kindle in the thick places of the forest. And they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.

¹⁹ By the wrath of the LORD of Hosts shall the land be darkened. And the people shall be as the meat of the fire. No man shall spare his brother.

²⁰ And he shall cut on the right hand and be hungry. And he shall eat on the left hand and shall not be satisfied. Everyone shall eat the flesh of his own arm.

²¹ Manasseh-Ephraim and Ephraim-Manasseh, they both shall be against Judah. For all this, His wrath is not turned away. But His Hand is stretched out still.