| New King James Version | NET 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. | 1The gloom will be dispelled for those who were anxious. In earlier times he humiliated the land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali; but now he brings honor to the way of the sea, the region beyond the Jordan, and 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 walking in darkness see a bright light; light shines on those who live in a land of deep darkness. |
| 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. | 3You have enlarged the nation; you give them great joy. They rejoice in your presence as harvesters rejoice; as warriors celebrate when they divide up the plunder. |
| 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 their oppressive yoke and the club that strikes their shoulders, the cudgel the oppressor uses on them, you have shattered, as in the day of Midian's defeat. |
| 5For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle, And garments rolled in blood, Will be used for burning and fuel of fire. | 5Indeed every boot that marches and shakes the earth and every garment dragged through blood is used as fuel for the 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 a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us. He shoulders responsibility and is called: Extraordinary Strategist, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, 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. | 7His dominion will be vast and he will bring immeasurable prosperity. He will rule on David's throne and over David's kingdom, establishing it and strengthening it by promoting justice and fairness, from this time forward and forevermore. The LORD's intense devotion to his people will accomplish this. |
| 8The Lord sent a word against Jacob, And it has fallen on Israel. | 8The sovereign master decreed judgment on Jacob, and it fell on Israel. |
| 9All the people will know— Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria— Who say in pride and arrogance of heart: | 9All the people were aware of it, the people of Ephraim and those living in Samaria. Yet with pride and an arrogant attitude, they said, |
| 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.” | 10"The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with chiseled stone; the sycamore fig trees have been cut down, but we will replace them with cedars." |
| 11Therefore the LORD shall set up The adversaries of Rezin against him, And spur his enemies on, | 11Then the LORD provoked their adversaries to attack them, he stirred up their enemies-- |
| 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. | 12Syria from the east, and the Philistines from the west, they gobbled up Israelite territory. Despite all this, his anger does not subside, and his hand is ready to strike again. |
| 13For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, Nor do they seek the LORD of hosts. | 13The people did not return to the one who struck them, they did not seek reconciliation with the LORD who commands armies. |
| 14Therefore the LORD will cut off head and tail from Israel, Palm branch and bulrush in one day. | 14So the LORD cut off Israel's head and tail, both the shoots and stalk in one day. |
| 15The elder and honorable, he is the head; The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. | 15The leaders and the highly respected people are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail. |
| 16For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed. | 16The leaders of this nation were misleading people, and the people being led were 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. | 17So the sovereign master was not pleased with their young men, he took no pity on their orphans and widows; for the whole nation was godless and did wicked things, every mouth was speaking disgraceful words. Despite all this, his anger does not subside, and his hand is ready to strike again. |
| 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 evil burned like a fire, it consumed thorns and briers; it burned up the thickets of the forest, and they went up in 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. | 19Because of the anger of the LORD who commands armies, the land was scorched, and the people became fuel for the fire. People had no compassion on one another. |
| 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. | 20They devoured on the right, but were still hungry, they ate on the left, but were not satisfied. People even ate the flesh of their 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 fought against Ephraim, and Ephraim against Manasseh; together they fought against Judah. Despite all this, his anger does not subside, and his hand is ready to strike again. |
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