1
Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at
the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond
Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.
2
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that
dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
3
Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy
before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they
divide the spoil.
4
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
For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments
rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.
6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government
shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon
the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it
with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of
the LORD of hosts will perform this.
A son is born who will control the government.
He'll go by the following names: Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace. [1]
They shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm
8
The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.
9
And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria,
that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,
10The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the
sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.
11
Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and
join his enemies together;
12
The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour
Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his
hand is stretched out still.
The bricks have fallen down, but we'll rebuild with hewn stones. [2]
13For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they
seek the LORD of hosts.
14
Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and
rush, in one day.
15
The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth
lies, he is the tail.
16
For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of
them are destroyed.
The people didn't turn back to God after he smote them.
17Therefore the LORD shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall
have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and
an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not
turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
18
For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns,
and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like
the lifting up of smoke.
So God won't have mercy on the young men, fatherless, or widows.
Because everyone is an evil hypocrite who says foolish things.
19Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel
of the fire: no man shall spare his brother.
God will burn the people in a fire.
20And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and
they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own
arm:
21
Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be
against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is
stretched out still.
And all of the people will eat on their right hands, but still be hungry.
So they'll eat on their left hands, but still not be satisfied.
Everyone will eat the flesh of their own arm. [3]
9:1-7
9:8-21
