1. Yet there shall not be gloom for which anguish is to her; as in the former time when He degraded the land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, so afterwards He will glorify the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2. The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light. The ones who dwell in the land of the shadow of death, light has shone on them.
3. You have not multiplied the nation; You have not increased the joy. They rejoice before You as in the joy of harvest, as men shout when they divide the plunder.
4. For You have broken his burdensome yoke and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his taskmaster, as in the day of Midian.
5. For every boot of the trampler is with shaking, and a coat rolled in blood shall be burning fuel for the fire.
6. For a Child is born; to us a Son is given; and the government is on His shoulder; and His name is called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7. There is no end to the increase of His government and of peace on the throne of David, and on His kingdom, to order it, and to sustain it with justice and with righteousness, from now and forever. The zeal of Jehovah of Hosts will do this.
8. The Lord sent a Word into Jacob, and it has fallen into Israel.
9. And all the people shall know, Ephraim and the ones living in Samaria, who say in pride and greatness of heart,
10. Bricks have fallen, but we will build with cut stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we will use cedars instead.
11. And Jehovah will set up Rezin's foes against him, and weave together his enemies;
12. Syrians in front, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with all the mouth. In all this His anger does not turn away, but His hand is still stretched out.
13. For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, and they do not seek Jehovah of Hosts.
14. And Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day.
15. The elder and the exalted of face; he is the head. And the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.
16. For this people's leaders led them astray, and its guided ones are swallowed up.
17. For this the Lord shall not rejoice over their young men, nor have pity on their orphans and widows; for everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer; and every mouth speaks foolishness. In all this His anger does not turn away, but His hand is still stretched out.
18. For wickedness burns like a fire; it shall devour the briers and thorns and shall kindle the thickets of the forest; and they shall roll upward, like the going up of smoke.
19. The land is scorched by the wrath of Jehovah of Hosts, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire; no man shall spare his brother.
20. And he shall cut off on the right hand, yet be hungry. And he shall eat on the left, but not be satisfied. Each man shall eat the flesh of his own arm;
21. Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; together they are against Judah. In all this His anger does not turn away, but His hand is still stretched out.