Isaiah

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.

1Still, the gloom will not stay on the land that was in trouble. In the past God brought low the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But later he will bring honor to the road by the sea, the land beyond the Jordan River, Galilee where many nations live.

2The 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.

2The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Light has shone on those who live in a land as dark as the shadow of death.

3Thou 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.

3You have made the nation larger, and you have made its joy greater. The people are glad before you like workers at harvest time, like soldiers dividing what they won.

NoteThe KJV reads "not increased the joy," following one old copy of the Hebrew. Other copies read "increased its joy," which fits the rest of the verse, and that reading is used here.

4For 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.

4You have smashed the heavy yoke they carried and the bar across their shoulders. You have broken the club of the one who beat them, just as you did on the day of Midian.

5For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.

5Every soldier's boot that stomped in battle and every coat soaked in blood will be burned up as fuel for the 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.

6A child is born for us. A son is given to us. The right to rule will rest on his shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7Of 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.

7His rule and his peace will keep growing and will never end. He will sit on David's throne and rule his kingdom. He will hold it steady and keep it fair and right, from now on and forever. The LORD who commands heaven's armies cares deeply about this, and he will make it happen.

8The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.

8The Lord sent a message against the family of Jacob, and it has landed on Israel.

9And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,

9All the people will know it, both Ephraim and those who live in Samaria. With proud and stubborn hearts they say:

10The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.

10"The brick walls have fallen down, but we will rebuild with cut stone. The sycamore trees are chopped down, but we will put cedar trees in their place."

11Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together;

11So the LORD has stirred up the enemies of Rezin against them, and he has brought their foes together to attack.

12The 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.

12The Syrians came from the east and the Philistines from the west, and they ate Israel up with wide-open mouths. Even after all this, God's anger has not turned away. His hand is still raised to strike.

13For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts.

13But the people did not turn back to the One who struck them. They did not look for the LORD who commands heaven's armies.

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

14So in one day the LORD will cut off Israel's head and tail, both the tall palm branch and the low reed.

15The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

15The head is the older man whom people honor. The tail is the prophet who teaches lies.

16For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.

16The ones who guide these people lead them the wrong way, and the ones who follow are swallowed up.

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.

17So the Lord takes no pleasure in their young men. He shows no pity to their orphans and widows. Every one of them is godless and does evil, and every mouth speaks foolish things. Even after all this, God's anger has not turned away. His hand is still raised to strike.

Note"Hypocrite" in the KJV here means godless, not someone pretending to be good.

18For 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.

18Evil burns like a fire. It eats up the thorns and briers, then sets the thick woods blazing, and the smoke rolls upward in clouds.

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.

19The anger of the LORD who commands heaven's armies has scorched the land. The people become fuel for the fire. No one spares even his own brother.

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:

20They tear off food on the right side but are still hungry. They eat on the left side but are never full. Each one eats the flesh of his own children.

NoteThe KJV says "the flesh of his own arm." The phrase means a person's own close family.

21Manasseh, 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.

21Manasseh eats Ephraim, and Ephraim eats Manasseh, and together they turn against Judah. Even after all this, God's anger has not turned away. His hand is still raised to strike.