Online Bible

Birth and Reign of the Prince of Peace

But there will be no more ^agloom for her who was in anguish for with judgment comes the promise of salvation. In earlier times He ^btreated the ^cland of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He will make them honored by the presence of the Messiah, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

2 ^aThe people who walk in spiritual darkness¹Will see a great Light;Those who live in the dark land,The Light will shine on them. Is 42:6; Matt 4:15, 163 ^aYou O God will increase the nation,You will ^bmultiply their joy;They will rejoice before YouLike the joy and jubilation of the harvest,As ^cmen rejoice when they divide the spoil of victory.4 For ^aYou will break the yoke of Israel’s burden and the staff (goad) on their shoulders,The rod of their ^boppressor, as at the ¹battle of ^cMidian. Judg 7:8-225 For every boot of the marching warrior in the battle tumult,And every soldier’s garment rolled in blood, will be used for burning, fuel for the fire.6 For to us a ^aChild shall be born, to us a ^bSon shall be given;And the ^cgovernment shall be ^dupon His shoulder,And His name shall be called ^eWonderful Counselor, ^fMighty God,Everlasting ^gFather, Prince of ^hPeace. Is 25:1; 40:9-11; Matt 28:18; Luke 2:117 There shall be ^ano end to the increase of His government and of peace,He shall rule on the ^bthrone of David and over his kingdom,To establish it and to uphold it with ^cjustice and righteousnessFrom that time forward and forevermore.^dThe zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. Dan 2:44; 1+@Cor 15:25-28; Heb 1:8

God’s Anger with Israel’s Arrogance

8 The Lord sends a word (message) against Jacob,And it falls on Israel the ten northern tribes, the kingdom of Ephraim.9 And all the people know it,That is, ¹^aEphraim and the inhabitants of Samaria its capital,Who say in pride and ^barrogance of heart:10 “The bricks have fallen down,But we will ^arebuild all the better with ashlar (hewed stones) ;The sycamores have been cut down,But we will replace them with expensive cedars.”11 Therefore the LORD raises against Ephraim adversaries from ^aRezin king of AramAnd spurs their enemies on,12 The Arameans on the east and the ^aPhilistines on the west;And they ^bdevour Israel with gaping jaws.^cIn spite of all this, God’s anger does not turn awayBut His hand is still stretched out in judgment.

13 Yet the people ^ado not turn back in repentance to Him who struck them,Nor do they ^bseek the LORD of hosts as their most essential need.14 Therefore the LORD cuts off ^ahead and tail the highest and the lowest from Israel,Both the high palm branch and the low bulrush ^bin one day.15 ^aThe elderly and honorable man, he is the head;And the prophet who teaches ^blies, he is the tail.16 ^aFor those who lead this people are causing them to go astray;And those who are led astray by them are swallowed up.17 Therefore the Lord does ^anot rejoice over their young men,^bNor does He have compassion on their fatherless or their widows;For every one of them is ^cgodless and an ^devildoer,And every ^emouth is speaking foolishness.^fIn spite of all this, God’s anger does not turn awayBut His hand is still stretched out in judgment.

18 ^aFor wickedness burns like a fire;It consumes briars and thorns,It even sets the forest thickets ablaze;And it swirls upward in a column of smoke.19 By the ^awrath of the LORD of hosts the ^bland is burned up,And the ^cpeople are like fuel for the fire;No ^dman spares his brother.20 They slice off in discord what is on the right hand but are still ^ahungry,And they eat what is on the left hand but they are not satisfied;Each eats the ^bflesh of his own arm.21 The tribe of Manasseh devours the tribe of his brother Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh,^aAnd together they are against Judah (the southern kingdom, the house of David) .^bIn spite of all this, God’s anger does not turn awayBut His hand is still stretched out in judgment.