Isaiah 9

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.

1But the sad, dark time will not last. Long ago God brought low the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. Later he will bring honor to the road by the sea, to the land across the Jordan River, and to Galilee, where many other peoples 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 the dark have seen a great light. A light has shined on those who lived in a land as dark as 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 grow. You have made its joy grow too. The people are glad in front of you. They are glad like farmers when the crops come in. They are glad like soldiers sharing what they won.

NoteThe old King James wording says God did "not" increase the joy. Old copies of the Hebrew are split here. Most translations today, including the Berean, read "increased its joy," which fits the glad harvest picture that follows.

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 broke the heavy yoke off their backs. A yoke is a wooden bar laid on animals to make them pull. You broke the bar on their shoulders and the stick of the one who hurt them. You did it just like the day you beat Midian long ago.

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 will be burned. Every coat rolled in blood will be burned too. They will be nothing but wood for the fire.

NoteThe old wording talks about the noisy fight of a warrior. The Hebrew word means the soldier's boot. Either way, the point is that war gear gets thrown on 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. He will carry the job of ruling on his shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, which means he gives the best advice. He will also be called Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and 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 King David's throne and rule David's kingdom. He will hold it up and keep it fair, from now on and forever. The LORD of Armies, the God who commands the armies of heaven, wants this. 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. The message came down 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. The people of Ephraim and the people living in Samaria will know it. They are proud, and their hearts are stubborn. 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"Our brick walls fell down, but we will build again with cut stone. Our sycamore trees were chopped down, but we will plant strong cedar trees instead."

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

11So the LORD stirred up the enemies of King Rezin to come and fight. He brought those enemies together.

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 one side. The Philistines came from the other side. They ate up Israel with open mouths. Even after all this, God is still angry. His hand is still lifted up to punish.

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

13But the people did not come back to the God who struck them. They did not look for the LORD of Armies.

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

14So in one single day the LORD will cut off Israel's head and its tail. He will cut off 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 means the old and respected leader. The tail means the prophet who teaches lies. A prophet is someone who says he is telling people God's words.

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. The ones who follow them 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 joy in their young men. He shows no pity to their widows or to their children who have no father. Every one of them has turned away from God and does wrong. Every mouth says foolish things. Even after all this, God is still angry. His hand is still lifted up to punish.

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.

18Doing wrong burns like a fire. It eats up the thorns and the sharp bushes. It sets the thick woods on fire. The smoke rolls up in big 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 LORD of Armies is angry, and the land is burned. The people are like wood for the fire. No one even spares 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 grab food on the right side, but they are still hungry. They eat food on the left side, but they are still not full. Each one even eats the flesh of his own children.

NoteThe old wording says "the flesh of his own arm." In Hebrew that means a person's own close family, his own children.

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 up Ephraim, and Ephraim eats up Manasseh. Then the two of them turn against Judah. Even after all this, God is still angry. His hand is still lifted up to punish.