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9. To Us a Child Is Born

¹ In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-21 is numbered 9:1-20.Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

    ² The people walking in darkness
   have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
   a light has dawned.
³ You have enlarged the nation
   and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
   as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
   when dividing the plunder.
⁴ For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
   you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
   the bar across their shoulders,
   the rod of their oppressor.
⁵ Every warrior’s boot used in battle
   and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
   will be fuel for the fire.
⁶ For to us a child is born,
   to us a son is given,
   and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
   Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
   Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace
   there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
   and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
   with justice and righteousness
   from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
   will accomplish this.

The LORD’s Anger Against Israel

    ⁸ The Lord has sent a message against Jacob;
   it will fall on Israel.
⁹ All the people will know it—
   Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria—
who say with pride
   and arrogance of heart,
¹⁰ “The bricks have fallen down,
   but we will rebuild with dressed stone;
the fig trees have been felled,
   but we will replace them with cedars.”
¹¹ But the LORD has strengthened Rezin’s foes against them
   and has spurred their enemies on.
¹² Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west
   have devoured Israel with open mouth.

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.

    ¹³ But the people have not returned to him who struck them,
   nor have they sought the LORD Almighty.
¹⁴ So the LORD will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
   both palm branch and reed in a single day;
¹⁵ the elders and dignitaries are the head,
   the prophets who teach lies are the tail.
¹⁶ Those who guide this people mislead them,
   and those who are guided are led astray.
¹⁷ Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,
   nor will he pity the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly and wicked,
   every mouth speaks folly.

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.

    ¹⁸ Surely wickedness burns like a fire;
   it consumes briers and thorns,
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,
   so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
¹⁹ By the wrath of the LORD Almighty
   the land will be scorched
and the people will be fuel for the fire;
   they will not spare one another.
²⁰ On the right they will devour,
   but still be hungry;
on the left they will eat,
   but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring Or arm:
    ²¹ Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;
   together they will turn against Judah.

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.

21. Manasseh, Ephraim. These tribes were closely related to each other; for besides their being descended from the same ancestor, Abraham, a close relationship arose out of their being descended from one patriarch, his grandson, Joseph. (Genesis 41:50-52.) But though they were closely allied, still God threatens that he will cause them to destroy themselves by mutual conflict, as if they were devouring the flesh of their own arm, and, consequently, that there will be no need of foreign enemies. He likewise adds that, after having wearied themselves out by mutual wounds, both will unite against Judah, in order to destroy it.

And for all this his anger shall not be turned away. If any one take into consideration those calamities which Isaiah threatened, he will be amazed and greatly astonished that still more severe chastisements are foretold. But in this manner God acts towards the wicked, and does not cease to afflict till he utterly overwhelm and destroy them, when, after having been frequently invited, they refuse to be reconciled to him. We need not wonder, therefore, that he inflicts stroke after stroke, as he also foretold by Moses that he would punish seven times more (Leviticus 26:18), and bring seven times more plagues upon (Leviticus 26:21) those who would not repent; lest they should think that, when they had been punished once or twice, they would not be punished again.

But his hand is stretched out still. By this he means that rods are prepared, that he may immediately strike with them; for it is not with a woman’s passion that the Lord is angry, but his wrath is immediately followed by revenge.