Isaiah Chapter 9
A Messiah Has Been Born to Us
1 But there won’t be any more darkness for those who have been in distress. In earlier times, God didn’t give much prominence to the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, but at a future time he’ll make it glorious along the road from the Jordan along the Sea of Galilee, Galilee of the Gentiles.
2 Those who walk in deep darkness
will see a bright light;
it will shine on people
that live in a dark land.
3 You’ll enlarge the nation
and increase their happiness;
they’ll be happy in your presence
like people at harvest time
or when they divide up spoil.
4 You’ll take off their yoke of slavery,
remove the burden from their shoulders,
and break the oppressor’s rod
like when you destroyed Midian in battle.
Is 9:1-4
5 Infantry boots from the chaos of battle
and uniforms soaked in blood will be burned.
6 A child has been born to us, a son has been given;
the government will rest on him.
He’ll be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His peaceful rule will never end
on David’s throne and over his kingdom.
He’ll make it secure and maintain it with justice
and goodness permanently.
The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will make it happen.
Is 9:5-7
God’s Anger at Israel
8 The LORD is issuing a message against Jacob,
a message of condemnation that falls on Israel.
9 Everyone in Ephraim will find out,
those who live in Samaria
who say with such arrogance,
10 “The fallen bricks in our ruins
we’ll replace with dressed stones;
sycamores that have been cut down
we’ll replant with cedars.”
11 But the LORD will bring adversaries from Rezin
and spur them on.
12 Syrians from the east plus Philistines from the west
will devour Israel with wide-open jaws.
Even then, his anger won’t be spent;
his fist will still be raised.
Is 9:8-12
13 Yet the people still won’t come back
to the One that disciplined them
or look to the LORD of Hosts.
14 So he’ll cut off head and tail from Israel,
palm branch and reed the same day.
15 The head is the elders and honored men;
the tail is the false prophets.
16 The people’s guides are misguiding them;
they’re guiding them toward destruction.
17 That’s why the LORD doesn’t delight in their young men
or feel compassion for their orphans and widows:
every one of them is godless;
they all speak foolishness.
Even then, his anger won’t be spent;
his fist will still be raised.
Is 9:13-17
18 Sin burns here like a brush fire,
consuming briars and thorns,
setting ablaze the undergrowth in the woods,
and sending up clouds of smoke from igniting trees
19 The fury of the LORD of Hosts will burn through the land;
its people will be the fuel for the fire;
nobody will spare his own brother.
20 They’ll grab what’s on the right hand,
but still be hungry;
they eat what’s on the left,
but not be satisfied;
they’ll eat the flesh off their own arm!
21 Ephraim and Manasseh will devour each other
and together feed on Judah.
Even then, his anger won’t be spent;
his fist will still be raised.
Is 9:18-21