 1 Yet there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish, as in the former time. He degraded the land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, so afterward He will glorify the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. They who live in the land of the shadow of death, on them the light has shined. 3 You have multiplied the nation. You have not increased the joy. They rejoice before you according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For you have broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his taskmaster, as in the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the warrior is with commotion, and the coat rolled in blood shall be burning fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a Child is born. To us a Son is given. And the government shall be on His shoulder. His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 There is no end of the increase of His government and peace on the throne of David and on His kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from now on, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. 8 The Lord sent a word to Jacob, and it has fallen on Israel. 9 All the people shall know, Ephraim and the people of Samaria, who say in pride and hardness of heart, 10 The bricks have fallen down, but we will build with cut stones. The sycamores are cut down, but we use cedars instead. 11 The Lord will set up the foes of Rezin against him and spur on his enemies. 12 The Syrians in front and the Philistines behind. They will 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 do not turn to Him who strikes them, nor do they seek the Lord of hosts. 14 The Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. 15 The elder and honorable, he is the head. And the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. 16 For the leaders of this people led them astray. And their guided ones are swallowed up. 17 For this the Lord shall not rejoice over their young men, nor shall He have mercy on their orphans and widows. For everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks foolishness. In all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still. 18 For wickedness burns like the fire. It shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall roll upwards like the lifting up of smoke. 19 The land is scorched through the wrath of the Lord of hosts. The people will be like the fuel of the fire. No one will have pity on their brother. 20 He will snatch on the right hand and be hungry. He will eat on the left and will not be satisfied. Everyone will eat the flesh of their own arm. 21 Manasseh will devour Ephraim and Ephraim will devour Manasseh. Together they will be against Judah. In all this His anger is not turned away. But His hand is stretched out still.
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