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 darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of darkness, a light has dawned.
3. You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. [The people] have rejoiced before You as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils.
4. For You have shattered their burdensome 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 battle and the bloodied garments of war will 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 named Wonderful 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 David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with 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 him and stirred up his enemies.
12. Aram from the east and Philistia from the west have 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 rejoice over Israel's young men and has no compassion on 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 briers and kindles the forest thickets so that they go up in a column of smoke.
19. The land is scorched by 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].