| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1 Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory. | 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. |
| 2 The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. | 2The people walking in darkness see a bright light; light shines on those who live in a land of deep darkness. |
| 3You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder. | 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 will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army 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. |
| 5The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned. They will be fuel for the fire. | 5Indeed every boot that marches and shakes the earth and every garment dragged through blood is used as fuel for the fire. |
| 6For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he 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. |
| 7His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen! The LORD’s Anger against Israel | 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 has spoken out against Jacob; his judgment has fallen upon Israel. | 8The sovereign master decreed judgment on Jacob, and it fell on Israel. |
| 9And the people of Israel and Samaria, who spoke with such pride and arrogance, will soon know it. | 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, |
| 10They said, “We will replace the broken bricks of our ruins with finished stone, and replant the felled sycamore-fig trees 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." |
| 11But the LORD will bring Rezin’s enemies against Israel and stir up all their foes. | 11Then the LORD provoked their adversaries to attack them, he stirred up their enemies-- |
| 12The Syrians from the east and the Philistines from the west will bare their fangs and devour Israel. But even then the LORD’s anger will not be satisfied. His fist is still poised to strike. | 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 after all this punishment, the people will still not repent. They will not seek the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. | 13The people did not return to the one who struck them, they did not seek reconciliation with the LORD who commands armies. |
| 14Therefore, in a single day the LORD will destroy both the head and the tail, the noble palm branch and the lowly reed. | 14So the LORD cut off Israel's head and tail, both the shoots and stalk in one day. |
| 15The leaders of Israel are the head, and the lying prophets are the tail. | 15The leaders and the highly respected people are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail. |
| 16For the leaders of the people have misled them. They have led them down the path of destruction. | 16The leaders of this nation were misleading people, and the people being led were destroyed. |
| 17That is why the Lord takes no pleasure in the young men and shows no mercy even to the widows and orphans. For they are all wicked hypocrites, and they all speak foolishness. But even then the LORD’s anger will not be satisfied. His fist is still poised to strike. | 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. |
| 18This wickedness is like a brushfire. It burns not only briers and thorns but also sets the forests ablaze. Its burning sends up clouds of 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. |
| 19The land will be blackened by the fury of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. The people will be fuel for the fire, and no one will spare even his own 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. |
| 20They will attack their neighbor on the right but will still be hungry. They will devour their neighbor on the left but will not be satisfied. In the end they will even eat their own children. | 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 will feed on Ephraim, Ephraim will feed on Manasseh, and both will devour Judah. But even then the LORD’s anger will not be satisfied. His fist is still poised to strike. | 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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