| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Nevertheless, the gloom of the distressed land will not be like that of the former times when He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future He will bring honor to the Way of the Sea, to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations. | 1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in distress. Formerly, he brought contempt to the region of Zebulun and the region of Naphtali, but in the future he will have made glorious the way of the sea, the territory beyond the Jordan—Galilee of the nations. |
| 2The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. | 2 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 enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before You as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils. | 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. |
| 4For You have shattered their oppressive yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor, just as You did on the day of Midian. | 4Now as to the yoke that has been his burden, and the bar laid on his shoulder— the rod of his oppressor— you have broken it as on the day of Midiam. |
| 5For the trampling boot of battle and the bloodied garments of war will be burned as fuel for the fire. | 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 a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. | 6For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. |
| 7The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this. | 7Of the growth of his government and peace there will be no end. He will rule over his kingdom, sitting on the throne of David, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies will accomplish this. |
| 8The Lord sent a message against Jacob; it came against Israel. | 8"The LORD has sent a plague against Jacob, and it will fall on Israel; |
| 9All the people-- Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria--will know it. They will say with pride and arrogance:" | 9and all of the people were evil — Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria— saying proudly with arrogant hearts: |
| 10The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with cut stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will replace them with cedars." | 10The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamore trees have been cut down, but we will replace them with cedars.' |
| 11The LORD has raised up Rezin's adversaries against him and stirred up his enemies. | 11But the LORD has raised adversaries from Rezin against him, and he stirs up his enemies— |
| 12Aram from the east and Philistia from the west have consumed Israel with open mouths. In all this, His anger is not removed, and His hand is still raised to strike. | 12Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west— and they devour Israel with open mouths! "Yet for all this, his anger has not turned away, and his hand is still stretched out, ready to strike." |
| 13The people did not turn to Him who struck them; they did not seek the LORD of Hosts. | 13"But the people have not returned to rely on him who struck them, nor have they sought the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. |
| 14So the LORD cut off Israel's head and tail, palm branch and reed in a single day. | 14So the LORD has cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed in a single day— |
| 15The head is the elder, the honored one; the tail is the prophet, the lying teacher. | 15the elder and the dignitary is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail. |
| 16The leaders of the people mislead them, and those they mislead are swallowed up. | 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 rejoice over Israel's young men and has no compassion on its fatherless and widows, for everyone is a godless evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. In all this, His anger is not removed, and His hand is still raised to strike. | 17Therefore the Lord does not have pity on their young men, and has no compassion on their orphans and widows, because each of them was godless and an evildoer, and every mouth spoke folly. "Yet for all this, his anger has not turned away, and his hand is still stretched out, ready to strike. |
| 18For wickedness burns like a fire that consumes thorns and briers and kindles the forest thickets so that they go up in a column of smoke. | 18"For wickedness has burned like a blaze that consumes briers and thorns; it sets thickets of the forest on fire, and skyward they swirl in a column of smoke. |
| 19The land is scorched by the wrath of the LORD of Hosts, and the people are like fuel for the fire. No one has compassion on his brother. | 19From 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 carve meat on the right, but they are still hungry; they have eaten on the left, but they are still not satisfied. Each one eats the flesh of his own arm. | 20They cut meat on the right, but they're still hungry, and they devour also on the left, but they're not satisfied; each devours the flesh of his own children. |
| 21Manasseh is with Ephraim, and Ephraim with Manasseh; together, both are against Judah. In all this, His anger is not removed, and His hand is still raised to strike. | 21Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh; together they are against Judah. "Yet for all this, his anger has not turned away, and his hand is still stretched out, ready to strike." |
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