1 Nevertheless this darkness shall not be the same as the affliction that came upon her when they lightly touched the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, nor afterward when they more grievously afflicted her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles.
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; those that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined. 3 As thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast not increased the joy. They shall rejoice before thee as they rejoice in the harvest and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For thou hast broken his heavy yoke and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. 5 For every battle of him who fights is with shaking of the earth and the rolling of garments in blood; but this shall be with burning and consuming of fire. 6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government is placed upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called The Wonderful One, The Counsellor, The God, The Mighty One, The Eternal Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 The multitude of his dominion and the peace shall have no end upon the throne of David and upon his Kingdom, ordering it and confirming it in judgment and in righteousness from now on even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of the hosts will perform this.
8 The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it has lighted upon Israel. 9 And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in pride and arrogance of heart, 10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; the wild fig trees are cut down, but we will put cedars in their place. 11 Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him and join his enemies together, 12 the Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
13 But the people did not turn unto him that smote them, neither did they seek the LORD of the hosts. 14 Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. 15 The ancient and venerable to look upon is the head; the prophet that teaches lies, he is the tail. 16 For the governors of this people are deceivers, and those who are governed by them are lost. 17 Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall he have mercy on their fatherless and widows, for every one is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
18 For wickedness burns as the fire, it shall devour the briers and thorns and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke. 19 Through the wrath of the LORD of the hosts the land is darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire; no man shall spare his brother. 20 And he shall snatch on the right hand and be hungry, and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied; they shall eat each man the flesh of his own arm: 21 Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.