1. Nevertheless, the gloom of the distressed land will not be like that of the former times when He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future He will bring honor to the Way of the Sea, to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations.
2. The people walking in darknesshave seen a great light; a light has dawnedon those living in the land of darkness.
3. You have enlarged the nationand increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before Youas they rejoice at harvest timeand as they rejoice when dividing spoils.
4. For You have shattered their oppressive yoke and the rod on their shoulders,the staff of their oppressor,just as You did on the day of Midian.
5. For the trampling boot of battleand the bloodied garments of warwill be burned as fuel for the fire.
6. For a child will be born for us,a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be namedWonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7. The dominion will be vast,and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of Davidand over his kingdom,to establish and sustain itwith justice and righteousness from now on and forever.The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this.
8. The Lord sent a message against Jacob;it came against Israel.
9. All the people —Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria — will know it.They will say with pride and arrogance:
10. “The bricks have fallen,but we will rebuild with cut stones;the sycamores have been cut down,but we will replace them with cedars.”
11. The Lord has raised up Rezin’s adversaries against himand stirred up his enemies.
12. Aram from the east and Philistia from the westhave consumed Israel with open mouths.In all this, His anger is not removed,and His hand is still raised to strike.
13. The people did not turn to Him who struck them;they did not seek the Lord of Hosts.
14. So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail, palm branch and reed in a single day.
15. The head is the elder, the honored one; the tail is the prophet, the lying teacher.
16. The leaders of the people mislead them,and those they mislead are swallowed up.
17. Therefore the Lord does not rejoiceover Israel’s young menand has no compassionon its fatherless and widows,for everyone is a godless evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly.In all this, His anger is not removed,and His hand is still raised to strike.
18. For wickedness burns like a fire that consumes thorns and briersand kindles the forest thicketsso that they go up in a column of smoke.
19. The land is scorchedby the wrath of the Lord of Hosts,and the people are like fuel for the fire. No one has compassion on his brother.
20. They carve meat on the right,but they are still hungry; they have eaten on the left,but they are still not satisfied.Each one eats the flesh of his own arm.
21. Manasseh is with Ephraim,and Ephraim with Manasseh;together, both are against Judah. In all this, His anger is not removed,and His hand is still raised to strike.