9:1 ¹  The gloom will be dispelled for those who were anxious. ² 

In earlier times he ³  humiliated

the land of Zebulun,

and the land of Naphtali; ⁴ 

but now he brings honor ⁵ 

to the way of the sea,

the region beyond the Jordan,

and Galilee of the nations. ⁶ 

9:2 The people walking in darkness

see a bright light; ⁷ 

light shines

on those who live in a land of deep darkness. ⁸ 

9:3 You ⁹  have enlarged the nation;

you give them great joy. ¹⁰ 

They rejoice in your presence

as harvesters rejoice;

as warriors celebrate ¹¹  when they divide up the plunder.

9:4 For their oppressive yoke

and the club that strikes their shoulders,

the cudgel the oppressor uses on them, ¹² 

you have shattered, as in the day of Midian’s defeat. ¹³ 

9:5 Indeed every boot that marches and shakes the earth ¹⁴ 

and every garment dragged through blood

is used as fuel for the fire.

9:6 For a child has been ¹⁵  born to us,

a son has been given to us.

He shoulders responsibility

and is called: ¹⁶ 

Extraordinary Strategist, ¹⁷ 

Mighty God, ¹⁸ 

Everlasting Father, ¹⁹ 

Prince of Peace. ²⁰ 

9:7 His dominion will be vast ²¹ 

and he will bring immeasurable prosperity. ²² 

He will rule on David’s throne

and over David’s kingdom, ²³ 

establishing it ²⁴  and strengthening it

by promoting justice and fairness, ²⁵ 

from this time forward and forevermore.

The Lord’s intense devotion to his people ²⁶  will accomplish this.

9:8 ²⁷ 

The sovereign master ²⁸  decreed judgment ²⁹  on Jacob,

and it fell on Israel. ³⁰ 

9:9 All the people were aware ³¹  of it,

the people of Ephraim and those living in Samaria. ³² 

Yet with pride and an arrogant attitude, they said, ³³ 

9:10 “The bricks have fallen,

but we will rebuild with chiseled stone;

the sycamore fig trees have been cut down,

but we will replace them with cedars.” ³⁴ 

9:11 Then the Lord provoked ³⁵  their adversaries to attack them, ³⁶ 

he stirred up ³⁷  their enemies –

9:12 Syria from the east,

and the Philistines from the west,

they gobbled up Israelite territory. ³⁸ 

Despite all this, his anger does not subside,

and his hand is ready to strike again. ³⁹ 

9:13 The people did not return to the one who struck them,

they did not seek reconciliation ⁴⁰  with the Lord who commands armies.

9:14 So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail,

both the shoots and stalk ⁴¹  in one day.

9:15 The leaders and the highly respected people ⁴²  are the head,

the prophets who teach lies are the tail.

9:16 The leaders of this nation were misleading people,

and the people being led were destroyed. ⁴³ 

9:17 So the sovereign master was not pleased ⁴⁴  with their young men,

he took no pity ⁴⁵  on their orphans and widows;

for the whole nation was godless ⁴⁶  and did wicked things, ⁴⁷ 

every mouth was speaking disgraceful words. ⁴⁸ 

Despite all this, his anger does not subside,

and his hand is ready to strike again. ⁴⁹ 

9:18 For ⁵⁰  evil burned like a fire, ⁵¹ 

it consumed thorns and briers;

it burned up the thickets of the forest,

and they went up in smoke. ⁵² 

9:19 Because of the anger of the Lord who commands armies, the land was scorched, ⁵³ 

and the people became fuel for the fire. ⁵⁴ 

People had no compassion on one another. ⁵⁵ 

9:20 They devoured ⁵⁶  on the right, but were still hungry,

they ate on the left, but were not satisfied.

People even ate ⁵⁷  the flesh of their own arm! ⁵⁸ 

9:21 Manasseh fought against ⁵⁹  Ephraim,

and Ephraim against Manasseh;

together they fought against Judah.

Despite all this, his anger does not subside,

and his hand is ready to strike again. ⁶⁰