Isaiah 9
Isaiah prophesies that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. A child is born whose name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace, and of His government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David. The LORD's anger against Israel is not yet turned away because the people do not repent.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | But the gloom will not stay where there was distress. In the former time He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but in the latter time He will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, 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. | The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who lived in a land of deep darkness — a light has shone on them. |
| 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. | You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy. They rejoice before You as with joy at the harvest, as men are glad when they divide the plunder. |
| 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. | For the yoke of His burden, the staff on His shoulder, and the rod of His oppressor — You have broken these, as on 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. | Every boot of the warrior in battle noise and every garment rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for fire. |
| 6 | For 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. | For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given. The government shall be on His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, 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. | Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end — on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. |
| 8 | The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel. | The Lord has sent a word against Jacob, and it will fall on Israel. |
| 9 | And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart, | All the people shall know — Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria — who say in pride and arrogance of heart, |
| 10 | The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars. | "The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with dressed stone. The sycamores have been cut down, but we will replace them with cedars." |
| 11 | Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together; | The LORD raises the adversaries of Rezin against them and stirs up their enemies — |
| 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. | Syria on the east and Philistia on the west, and they devour Israel with open mouth. For all this His anger has not turned away; His hand is still stretched out. |
| 13 | For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts. | Yet the people do not turn to him who struck them, nor seek the LORD of hosts. |
| 14 | Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. | Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed, in one day — |
| 15 | The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. | the elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail. |
| 16 | For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. | The leaders of this people lead them astray, and those they lead are swallowed up. |
| 17 | Therefore 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. | Therefore the Lord will not rejoice over their young men, nor have mercy on their fatherless and widows, for everyone is godless and wicked, and every mouth speaks foolishness. For all this His anger has not turned away; His hand is still stretched out. |
| 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. | For wickedness burns like a fire; it devours briers and thorns. It kindles in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke. |
| 19 | Through 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. | Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts the land is scorched, and the people are like fuel for the fire. No one spares his brother. |
| 20 | And 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: | They slice on the right and are still hungry; they devour on the left and are not satisfied. Each devours 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. | Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh; together they are against Judah. For all this His anger has not turned away; His hand is still stretched out. |