The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. He is called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
1 Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation , when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali , and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea , beyond Jordan , in Galilee of the nations .
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light : they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death , upon them hath the light shined .
3 Thou hast multiplied the nation , and not increased the joy : they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest , and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil .
4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden , and the staff of his shoulder , the rod of his oppressor , as in the day of Midian .
5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise , and garments rolled in blood ; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire .
6 For unto us a child is born , unto us a son is given : and the government shall be upon his shoulder : and his name shall be called Wonderful , Counsellor , The mighty God , The everlasting Father , The Prince of Peace .
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end , upon the throne of David , and upon his kingdom , to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever . The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
8 The Lord sent a word into Jacob , and it hath lighted upon Israel .
9 And all the people shall know , even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria , that say in the pride and stoutness of heart ,
10 The bricks are fallen down , but we will build with hewn stones : the sycomores are cut down , but we will change them into cedars .
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 For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts .
14 Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail , branch and rush , in one day .
15 The ancient and honourable , he is the head ; and the prophet that teacheth lies , he is the tail .
16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err ; and they that are led of them are destroyed .
17 Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men , neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows : for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer , and every mouth speaketh folly . For all this his anger is not turned away , but his hand is stretched out still .
18 For wickedness burneth 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 hosts is the land 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 every 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 .