For to Us a Child Is Born
But there will be no agloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he bbrought into contempt the land of cZebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he dhas made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 aThe people bwho walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of cdeep darkness,
on them has light shone.
3 aYou have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with bjoy at the harvest,
as they care glad dwhen they divide the spoil.
4 aFor the yoke of his burden,
band the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as con the day of Midian.
5 aFor every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 aFor to us a child is born,
to us ba son is given;
cand the government shall be dupon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful eCounselor, fMighty God,
gEverlasting hFather, Prince of iPeace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
athere will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
bwith justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
cThe zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Judgment on Arrogance and Oppression
8 The Lord has sent a word against Jacob,
and it will fall on Israel;
9 and all the people will know,
aEphraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,
who say in pride and in arrogance of heart:
10 “The bricks have fallen,
but we will build with dressed stones;
the sycamores have been cut down,
but we will put cedars in their place.”
11 But the Lord raises the adversaries of Rezin against him,
and stirs up his enemies.
12 aThe Syrians on the east and bthe Philistines on the west
devour Israel with open mouth.
cFor all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still.
13 The people adid not turn to him who struck them,
nor inquire of the Lord of hosts.
14 So the Lord cut off from Israel ahead and tail,
palm branch and reed in one day—
15 athe elder and honored man is the head,
and bthe prophet who teaches lies is the tail;
16 for those who guide this people have been leading them astray,
and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.
17 Therefore the Lord does not arejoice over their young men,
and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows;
for everyone is bgodless and an evildoer,
and every mouth speaks cfolly.
dFor all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still.
18 For wickedness burns like aa fire;
it consumes briers and thorns;
it kindles the thickets of the forest,
and they roll upward in a column of smoke.
19 Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts
the land is scorched,
and athe people are like fuel for the fire;
bno one spares another.
20 aThey slice meat on the right, but are still hungry,
and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied;
beach devours the flesh of his own arm,
21 Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh;
together they are aagainst Judah.
bFor all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still.