The Government of the Promised Son
1 Neverthelessthe gloomwillnotbeupon her whoisdistressed,
# As when atfirst He lightly esteemed
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
# Andafterward more heavily oppressedher,
Bythe way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
In Galilee of the Gentiles.
2 The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined.
3 You have multiplied the nation
Andincreased its joy;
They rejoice before You
According to the joy of harvest,
# Asmenrejoicewhen they divide the spoil.
4 For You have broken the yoke of his burden
And the staff of his shoulder,
The rod of his oppressor,
# As in the day ofMidian.
5 For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle,
And garments rolled in blood,
# Will be used for burningandfuel of fire.
6 For unto us a Child is born,
# Unto us aSon is given;
# Andthe government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
# Wonderful, Counselor,Mighty God,
# Everlasting Father,Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase ofHisgovernment and peace
# Therewillbeno end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
# Thezeal of theLordof hosts will perform this.
The Punishment of Samaria
8 The Lord sent a word againstJacob,
And it has fallen on Israel.
9 All the people will know—
Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria—
Who say in pride and arrogance of heart:
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
But we will rebuild with hewn stones;
The sycamores are cut down,
But we will replacethemwith cedars.”
11 Therefore theLordshall set up
The adversaries of Rezin against him,
And spur his enemies on,
12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind;
And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth.
For all this His anger is not turned away,
But His handisstretched out still.
13 For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them,
Nor do they seek theLordof hosts.
14 Therefore theLordwill cut off head and tail from Israel,
# Palm branch and bulrushin one day.
15 The elder and honorable, heisthe head;
The prophet who teaches lies, heisthe tail.
16 Forthe leaders of this people causethemto err,
Andthosewhoareled by them are destroyed.
17 Therefore the Lordwill have no joy in their young men,
Nor have mercy on their fatherless and widows;
For everyoneisa hypocrite and an evildoer,
And every mouth speaks folly.
# For all this His anger is not turned away,
But His handisstretched out still.
18 For wickednessburns as the fire;
It shall devour the briers and thorns,
And kindle in the thickets of the forest;
They shall mount uplikerising smoke.
19 Through the wrath of theLordof hosts
# The land is burned up,
And the people shall be as fuel for the fire;
# No man shall spare his brother.
20 And he shall snatch on the right hand
And be hungry;
He shall devour on the left hand
# And not be satisfied;
# Every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm.
21 ManassehshalldevourEphraim, and Ephraim Manasseh;
# Together theyshallbeagainst Judah.
# For all this His anger is not turned away,
But His handisstretched out still.