The Prince of Peace

1a But there will be no gloom for her who wasb in distress. Formerly, he brought contempt to the region of Zebulun and the region of Naphtali, but in the futurec he will have made glorious the way of the sea, the territory beyond the Jordan—Galilee of the nations.d

2e The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

for those living in a land of deep darkness,

a light has shined upon them.

3You have increased the nation;

you have increased its joy;

they rejoice in your presence

as they rejoice at the harvest,

as they are glad

when they’re dividing the spoils of war.f

4Now as to the yoke that has beeng his burden,

and the bar laidh on his shoulder—

the rod of his oppressor—

you have broken iti as on the day of Midiam.j

5For every boot of the tramping soldier in battle tumult

and every garment rolled in blood

will be used for burning as fuel for a fire.

6For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government will be upon his shoulder,

and his name isk called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7Of the growth of his government and peace

there will be no end.

He will rulel over his kingdom,

sitting on the throne of David,

to establish it and to uphold itm

with justice and righteousness

from this time onward and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies will accomplish this.

A Rebuke to Jacob and Israel

8“The LORDn has sent a plagueo against Jacob,

and it will fall on Israel;

9and all of the people were evilp —

Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria—

saying proudly with arrogant hearts:

10‘The bricks have fallen,

but we will build with dressedq stones;

the sycamorer trees have been cut down,

but we will replace them with cedars.’s

11But the LORD has raised adversariest from Rezinu against him,

and he stirs up his enemies—

12Arameans from the east

and Philistines from the west—

and they devour Israel with open mouths!

“Yetv for all this, his anger has not turned away,

and his hand is still stretched out, ready to strike.”w

Judgment for Not Repenting

13“But the people have not returned to relyx ony him who struck them,

nor have they sought the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.

14So the LORD has cut off from Israel head and tail,

palm branch and reed

inz a single day—

15the elder and the dignitary is the head,

and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail.

16For those who guide this people have been leading them astray,

and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.

17Therefore the Lord does not have pity onaa their young men,

and has no compassion on their orphansbb and widows,

because each of them was godless and an evildoer,

and every mouth spoke folly.

“Yetcc for all this, his anger has not turned away,

and his hand is still stretched out, ready to strike.dd

18“For wickedness has burned like a blaze

that consumes briers and thorns;

it sets thickets of the forest on fire,

and skywardee they swirl

in a column of smoke.

19Fromff the wrath of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies

the land has been scorched,

and the people have become like fuel for the fire;

no one will spare his neighbor.

20They cut meat on the right,

but they’re still hungry,

and they devour alsogg on the left,

but they’re not satisfied;

each devours the flesh of his own children.hh

21Manasseh devours Ephraim,

and Ephraim devours Manasseh;

together they are against Judah.

“Yetii for all this, his anger has not turned away,

and his hand is still stretched out, ready to strike.”jj