| New King James Version | King James Bible |
| 1Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles. | 1Nevertheless 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. |
| 2The 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. | 2The 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. |
| 3You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. | 3Thou 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. |
| 4For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian. | 4For 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. |
| 5For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle, And garments rolled in blood, Will be used for burning and fuel of fire. | 5For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. |
| 6For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. | 6For 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, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. |
| 7Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no 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. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. | 7Of 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. |
| 8The Lord sent a word against Jacob, And it has fallen on Israel. | 8The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel. |
| 9All the people will know— Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria— Who say in pride and arrogance of heart: | 9And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart, |
| 10“The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with hewn stones; The sycamores are cut down, But we will replace them with cedars.” | 10The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars. |
| 11Therefore the LORD shall set up The adversaries of Rezin against him, And spur his enemies on, | 11Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together; |
| 12The 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 hand is stretched out still. | 12The 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. |
| 13For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, Nor do they seek the LORD of hosts. | 13For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts. |
| 14Therefore the LORD will cut off head and tail from Israel, Palm branch and bulrush in one day. | 14Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. |
| 15The elder and honorable, he is the head; The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. | 15The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. |
| 16For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed. | 16For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. |
| 17Therefore the Lord will have no joy in their young men, Nor have mercy on their fatherless and widows; For everyone 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. | 17Therefore 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. |
| 18For wickedness burns as the fire; It shall devour the briers and thorns, And kindle in the thickets of the forest; They shall mount up like rising smoke. | 18For 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. |
| 19Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts The land is burned up, And the people shall be as fuel for the fire; No man shall spare his brother. | 19Through 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. |
| 20And 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. | 20And 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: |
| 21Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still. | 21Manasseh, 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. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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