9 Nevertheless 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.
² The 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.
³ Thou 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.
⁴ For 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.
⁵ For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.
⁶ For 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, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of 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.
⁸ The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.
⁹ And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,
¹⁰ The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.
¹¹ Therefore the Lord shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together;
¹² The 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.
¹³ For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of hosts.
¹⁴ Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day.
¹⁵ The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.
¹⁶ For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.
¹⁷ Therefore 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.
¹⁸ For 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.
¹⁹ Through 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.
²⁰ And 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:
²¹ Manasseh, 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 Government of the Promised Son

9 Nevertheless 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.
² The 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.

³ You have multiplied the nation
And ^[a]increased its joy;
They rejoice before You
According to the joy of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
⁴ For 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.
⁵ For every warrior’s ^[b]sandal from the noisy battle,
And garments rolled in blood,
Will be used for burning and fuel ^[c]of fire.

⁶ For 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.
⁷ Of 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.

The Punishment of Samaria

⁸ The Lord sent a word against Jacob,
And it has fallen on Israel.
⁹ All the people will know—
Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria—
Who say in pride and arrogance 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.”
¹¹ Therefore the Lord shall set up
The adversaries of Rezin against him,
And spur his enemies on,
¹² The 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 ^[d]stretched out still.

¹³ For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them,
Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts.
¹⁴ Therefore the Lord will cut off head and tail from Israel,
Palm branch and bulrush in one day.
¹⁵ The elder and honorable, he is the head;
The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.
¹⁶ For the leaders of this people cause them to err,
And those who are led by them are destroyed.
¹⁷ Therefore 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 ^[e]folly.

For all this His anger is not turned away,
But His hand is stretched out still.

¹⁸ For 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.
¹⁹ Through 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.
²⁰ And he shall ^[f]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.
²¹ Manasseh 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.

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 9:3 So with Qr., Tg.; Kt., Vg. not increased joy; LXX Most of the people You brought down in Your joy
b. Isaiah 9:5 boot
c. Isaiah 9:5 for the fire
d. Isaiah 9:12 In judgment
e. Isaiah 9:17 foolishness
f. Isaiah 9:20 slice off or tear

9 ^[a]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^[b]:
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.

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-21 is numbered 9:1-20.
b. Isaiah 9:20 Or arm

Hope in the Messiah

9 ^[a]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.

^2 [b]The people who walk in darkness
    will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,^[c]
    a light will shine.
³ You 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.
⁴ For 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.
⁵ The boots of the warrior
    and the uniforms bloodstained by war
will all be burned.
    They will be fuel for the fire.

⁶ For 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,^[d] Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ His 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

⁸ The Lord has spoken out against Jacob;
    his judgment has fallen upon Israel.
⁹ And the people of Israel^[e] and Samaria,
    who spoke with such pride and arrogance,
    will soon know it.
¹⁰ They said, “We will replace the broken bricks of our ruins with finished stone,
    and replant the felled sycamore-fig trees with cedars.”

¹¹ But the Lord will bring Rezin’s enemies against Israel
    and stir up all their foes.
¹² The Syrians^[f] 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.

¹³ For after all this punishment, the people will still not repent.
    They will not seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
¹⁴ Therefore, in a single day the Lord will destroy both the head and the tail,
    the noble palm branch and the lowly reed.
¹⁵ The leaders of Israel are the head,
    and the lying prophets are the tail.
¹⁶ For the leaders of the people have misled them.
    They have led them down the path of destruction.
¹⁷ That 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.

¹⁸ This 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.
¹⁹ The 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.
²⁰ They 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.^[g]
21 Manasseh 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.

Footnotes:
a. 9:1 Verse 9:1 is numbered 8:23 in Hebrew text.
b. 9:2a Verses 9:2-21 are numbered 9:1-20 in Hebrew text.
c. 9:2b Greek version reads a land where death casts its shadow. Compare Matt 4:16.
d. 9:6 Or Wonderful, Counselor.
e. 9:9 Hebrew of Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel.
f. 9:12 Hebrew Arameans.
g. 9:20 Or eat their own arms.

The Coming King

9 Nevertheless there shall be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time He contemptuously treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.

² The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death,
    upon them the light has shined.
³ You have multiplied the nation
    and increased the joy;
they rejoice before You
    according to the joy of harvest
and as men rejoice
    when they divide the spoil.
⁴ For You have broken the yoke of his burden
    and the bar of his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor
    as in the day of Midian’s defeat.
⁵ For all the sandals of the tramping warriors
    and all the garments rolled in blood
    shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
⁶ For 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 Counselor, Mighty God,
    Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace
    there shall be no end,
upon the throne of David
    and over his kingdom,
to order it and to establish it
    with justice and with righteousness,
    from now until forever.
The zeal of the Lord of Hosts
    will perform this.

The Message Against Israel

⁸ The Lord sent a word against Jacob,
    and it falls upon Israel.
⁹ All the people shall know,
    even Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,
who say in the pride
    and stoutness of heart,
¹⁰ “The bricks are fallen down,
    but we will build with hewn stones;
the sycamores are cut down,
    but we will replace them with cedars.”
¹¹ Therefore, the Lord shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him,
    and join his enemies together.
¹² The Arameans shall be before and the Philistines behind;
    and they shall devour Israel with open jaws.

For all this His anger is not turned away,
    and His hand is stretched out still.

¹³ For the people do not turn to Him who struck them,
    nor do they seek the Lord of Hosts.
¹⁴ Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail,
    branch and bulrush, in one day.
¹⁵ The elder and honorable man, he is the head;
    and the prophet that teaches lies, he is the tail.
¹⁶ For the leaders of this people cause them to err,
    and those who are led by them are destroyed.
¹⁷ Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men,
    nor shall He have mercy on their fatherless and widows;
for every one of them is a hypocrite and an evildoer,
    and every mouth speaks folly.

For all this His anger is not turned away,
    and His hand is stretched out still.

¹⁸ For wickedness burns as a fire;
    it shall devour the briers and thorns,
and shall ignite in the thickets of the forest,
    and they shall mount up like rising smoke.
¹⁹ Through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts
    is the land burned up,
and the people shall be as fuel for the fire;
    no man shall spare his brother.
²⁰ They shall snatch on the right hand,
    but still be hungry;
and they shall eat on the left hand,
    and shall not be satisfied;
every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm.
²¹     Manasseh consumes Ephraim, and Ephraim, Manasseh,
    and they together shall be against Judah.

For all this His anger is not turned away,
    and His hand is stretched out still.

10 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;
² To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!
³ And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?
⁴ Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
⁵ O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.
⁶ I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
⁷ Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.
⁸ For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?
⁹ Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?
¹⁰ As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;
¹¹ Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?
¹² Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.
¹³ For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man:
¹⁴ And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.
¹⁵ Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.
¹⁶ Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.
¹⁷ And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;
¹⁸ And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth.
¹⁹ And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.

Assyria Shall Be Broken

10 “Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees,
Who write misfortune,
Which they have prescribed
² To rob the needy of justice,
And to take what is right from the poor of My people,
That widows may be their prey,
And that they may rob the fatherless.
³ What will you do in the day of punishment,
And in the desolation which will come from afar?
To whom will you flee for help?
And where will you leave your glory?
⁴ Without Me they shall bow down among the prisoners,
And they shall fall ^[a]among the slain.”

For all this His anger is not turned away,
But His hand is stretched out still.

Arrogant Assyria Also Judged

⁵ “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.
⁶ I will send him against an ungodly nation,
And against the people of My wrath
I will give him charge,
To seize the spoil, to take the prey,
And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
⁷ Yet he does not mean so,
Nor does his heart think so;
But it is in his heart to destroy,
And cut off not a few nations.
⁸ For he says,
‘Are not my princes altogether kings?
⁹ Is not Calno like Carchemish?
Is not Hamath like Arpad?
Is not Samaria like Damascus?
¹⁰ As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols,
Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
¹¹ As I have done to Samaria and her idols,
Shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?’ ”

¹² Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has ^[b]performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”

¹³ For he says:

“By the strength of my hand I have done it,
And by my wisdom, for I am prudent;
Also I have removed the boundaries of the people,
And have robbed their treasuries;
So I have put down the inhabitants like a ^[c]valiant man.
¹⁴ My hand has found like a nest the riches of the people,
And as one gathers eggs that are left,
I have gathered all the earth;
And there was no one who moved his wing,
Nor opened his mouth with even a peep.”

¹⁵ Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it?
Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it?
As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up,
Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!
¹⁶ Therefore the Lord, the ^[d]Lord of hosts,
Will send leanness among his fat ones;
And under his glory
He will kindle a burning
Like the burning of a fire.
¹⁷ So the Light of Israel will be for a fire,
And his Holy One for a flame;
It will burn and devour
His thorns and his briers in one day.
¹⁸ And it will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field,
Both soul and body;
And they will be as when a sick man wastes away.
¹⁹ Then the rest of the trees of his forest
Will be so few in number
That a child may write them.

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 10:4 Lit. under
b. Isaiah 10:12 completed
c. Isaiah 10:13 mighty
d. Isaiah 10:16 So with Bg.; MT, DSS YHWH (the Lord)

10 Woe to those who make unjust laws,
    to those who issue oppressive decrees,
² to deprive the poor of their rights
    and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,
making widows their prey
    and robbing the fatherless.
³ What will you do on the day of reckoning,
    when disaster comes from afar?
To whom will you run for help?
    Where will you leave your riches?
⁴ Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives
    or fall among the slain.

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

God’s Judgment on Assyria

⁵ “Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger,
    in whose hand is the club of my wrath!
⁶ I send him against a godless nation,
    I dispatch him against a people who anger me,
to seize loot and snatch plunder,
    and to trample them down like mud in the streets.
⁷ But this is not what he intends,
    this is not what he has in mind;
his purpose is to destroy,
    to put an end to many nations.
⁸ ‘Are not my commanders all kings?’ he says.
⁹     ‘Has not Kalno fared like Carchemish?
Is not Hamath like Arpad,
    and Samaria like Damascus?
¹⁰ As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols,
    kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria—
¹¹ shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images
    as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?’”

¹² When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. ¹³ For he says:

“‘By the strength of my hand I have done this,
    and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.
I removed the boundaries of nations,
    I plundered their treasures;
    like a mighty one I subdued^[a] their kings.
¹⁴ As one reaches into a nest,
    so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations;
as people gather abandoned eggs,
    so I gathered all the countries;
not one flapped a wing,
    or opened its mouth to chirp.’”

¹⁵ Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it,
    or the saw boast against the one who uses it?
As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up,
    or a club brandish the one who is not wood!
¹⁶ Therefore, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    will send a wasting disease upon his sturdy warriors;
under his pomp a fire will be kindled
    like a blazing flame.
¹⁷ The Light of Israel will become a fire,
    their Holy One a flame;
in a single day it will burn and consume
    his thorns and his briers.
¹⁸ The splendor of his forests and fertile fields
    it will completely destroy,
    as when a sick person wastes away.
¹⁹ And the remaining trees of his forests will be so few
    that a child could write them down.

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 10:13 Or treasures; / I subdued the mighty,

10 What sorrow awaits the unjust judges
    and those who issue unfair laws.
² They deprive the poor of justice
    and deny the rights of the needy among my people.
They prey on widows
    and take advantage of orphans.
³ What will you do when I punish you,
    when I send disaster upon you from a distant land?
To whom will you turn for help?
    Where will your treasures be safe?
⁴ You will stumble along as prisoners
    or lie among the dead.
But even then the Lord’s anger will not be satisfied.
    His fist is still poised to strike.

Judgment against Assyria

⁵ “What sorrow awaits Assyria, the rod of my anger.
    I use it as a club to express my anger.
⁶ I am sending Assyria against a godless nation,
    against a people with whom I am angry.
Assyria will plunder them,
    trampling them like dirt beneath its feet.
⁷ But the king of Assyria will not understand that he is my tool;
    his mind does not work that way.
His plan is simply to destroy,
    to cut down nation after nation.
⁸ He will say,
    ‘Each of my princes will soon be a king.
⁹ We destroyed Calno just as we did Carchemish.
    Hamath fell before us as Arpad did.
    And we destroyed Samaria just as we did Damascus.
¹⁰ Yes, we have finished off many a kingdom
    whose gods were greater than those in Jerusalem and Samaria.
¹¹ So we will defeat Jerusalem and her gods,
    just as we destroyed Samaria with hers.’”

¹² After the Lord has used the king of Assyria to accomplish his purposes on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, he will turn against the king of Assyria and punish him—for he is proud and arrogant. ¹³ He boasts,

“By my own powerful arm I have done this.
    With my own shrewd wisdom I planned it.
I have broken down the defenses of nations
    and carried off their treasures.
    I have knocked down their kings like a bull.
¹⁴ I have robbed their nests of riches
    and gathered up kingdoms as a farmer gathers eggs.
No one can even flap a wing against me
    or utter a peep of protest.”

¹⁵ But can the ax boast greater power than the person who uses it?
    Is the saw greater than the person who saws?
Can a rod strike unless a hand moves it?
    Can a wooden cane walk by itself?
¹⁶ Therefore, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    will send a plague among Assyria’s proud troops,
    and a flaming fire will consume its glory.
¹⁷ The Lord, the Light of Israel, will be a fire;
    the Holy One will be a flame.
He will devour the thorns and briers with fire,
    burning up the enemy in a single night.
¹⁸ The Lord will consume Assyria’s glory
    like a fire consumes a forest in a fruitful land;
    it will waste away like sick people in a plague.
¹⁹ Of all that glorious forest, only a few trees will survive—
    so few that a child could count them!

10 Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees
    and who write unjust judgments which they have prescribed
² to turn aside the needy from justice
    and to take away the right from the poor of My people,
that widows may be their prey,
    and that they may rob the fatherless!
³ And what will you do in the day of punishment
    and in the desolation which shall come from afar?
To whom will you flee for help,
    and where will you leave your wealth?
⁴ Nothing remains but to bow down among the prisoners,
    and they shall fall among the slain.

For all this His anger is not turned away,
    and His hand is stretched out still.

Judgment on Assyria

⁵ Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger
    and the staff in whose hand is My indignation.
⁶ I will send him against an ungodly nation,
    and against the people of My wrath I will give him a command,
to seize the plunder, to take the prey,
    and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
⁷ However he does not so intend,
    nor does he plan so in his heart;
but his purpose is to destroy
    and to cut off many nations.
⁸ For he says, “Are not my princes altogether kings?
⁹     Is not Kalno as Carchemish?
Is not Hamath as Arpad?
    Is not Samaria as Damascus?
¹⁰ As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols
    whose graven images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
¹¹ shall I not, as I have done to Samaria and her idols,
    so do to Jerusalem and her idols?”

¹² When the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria and the glory of his high looks.” ¹³ For he says:

“By the strength of my hand and by my wisdom,
    I have done it, for I am prudent;
and I have removed the bounds of the people,
    and have robbed their treasures,
    and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man.
¹⁴ And my hand has found as a nest
    the riches of the people,
and as one gathers eggs that are left,
    I have gathered all the earth
and there was no one who moved the wing
    or opened the mouth or peeped.”

¹⁵ Shall the axe boast itself against him who hews with it?
    Or shall the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?
That is as if the rod wields itself against those who lift it up,
    or as if the staff should lift itself up as if it were not wood.
¹⁶ Therefore the Lord, God of Hosts,
    shall send leanness among his stout ones,
and under his glory he shall kindle a burning
    like the burning of a fire.
¹⁷ The light of Israel shall be a fire,
    and his Holy One a flame,
and it shall burn and devour
    his thorns and his briers in one day,
¹⁸ and shall consume the glory of his forest,
    and of his fruitful field, both soul and body;
    and it shall be as when a sick man faints.
¹⁹ The rest of the trees of his forest shall be so few
    that a child may write them down.

²⁰ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
²¹ The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
²² For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
²³ For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.
²⁴ Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.
²⁵ For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.
²⁶ And the Lord of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.
²⁷ And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
²⁸ He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:
²⁹ They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.
³⁰ Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.
³¹ Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.
³² As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
³³ Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.
³⁴ And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.

The Returning Remnant of Israel

²⁰ And it shall come to pass in that day
That the remnant of Israel,
And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob,
Will never again depend on him who ^[a]defeated them,
But will depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
²¹ The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob,
To the Mighty God.
²² For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea,
A remnant of them will return;
The destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
²³ For the Lord God of hosts
Will make a determined end
In the midst of all the land.

²⁴ Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt. ²⁵ For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction.” ²⁶ And the Lord of hosts will ^[b]stir up a scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt.

²⁷ It shall come to pass in that day
That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder,
And his yoke from your neck,
And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.

²⁸ He has come to Aiath,
He has passed Migron;
At Michmash he has attended to his equipment.
²⁹ They have gone ^[c]along the ridge,
They have taken up lodging at Geba.
Ramah is afraid,
Gibeah of Saul has fled.
^30 [d]Lift up your voice,
O daughter of Gallim!
Cause it to be heard as far as Laish—
^[e]O poor Anathoth!
³¹ Madmenah has fled,
The inhabitants of Gebim seek refuge.
³² As yet he will remain at Nob that day;
He will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion,
The hill of Jerusalem.

³³ Behold, the Lord,
The Lord of hosts,
Will lop off the bough with terror;
Those of high stature will be hewn down,
And the haughty will be humbled.
³⁴ He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron,
And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 10:20 Lit. struck
b. Isaiah 10:26 arouse
c. Isaiah 10:29 Or over the pass
d. Isaiah 10:30 Or Cry shrilly
e. Isaiah 10:30 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX, Syr. Listen to her, O Anathoth

The Remnant of Israel

²⁰ In that day the remnant of Israel,
    the survivors of Jacob,
will no longer rely on him
    who struck them down
but will truly rely on the Lord,
    the Holy One of Israel.
²¹ A remnant will return,^[a] a remnant of Jacob
    will return to the Mighty God.
²² Though your people be like the sand by the sea, Israel,
    only a remnant will return.
Destruction has been decreed,
    overwhelming and righteous.
²³ The Lord, the Lord Almighty, will carry out
    the destruction decreed upon the whole land.

²⁴ Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:

“My people who live in Zion,
    do not be afraid of the Assyrians,
who beat you with a rod
    and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.
²⁵ Very soon my anger against you will end
    and my wrath will be directed to their destruction.”

²⁶ The Lord Almighty will lash them with a whip,
    as when he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb;
and he will raise his staff over the waters,
    as he did in Egypt.
²⁷ In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders,
    their yoke from your neck;
the yoke will be broken
    because you have grown so fat.^[b]

²⁸ They enter Aiath;
    they pass through Migron;
    they store supplies at Mikmash.
²⁹ They go over the pass, and say,
    “We will camp overnight at Geba.”
Ramah trembles;
    Gibeah of Saul flees.
³⁰ Cry out, Daughter Gallim!
    Listen, Laishah!
    Poor Anathoth!
³¹ Madmenah is in flight;
    the people of Gebim take cover.
³² This day they will halt at Nob;
    they will shake their fist
at the mount of Daughter Zion,
    at the hill of Jerusalem.

³³ See, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    will lop off the boughs with great power.
The lofty trees will be felled,
    the tall ones will be brought low.
³⁴ He will cut down the forest thickets with an ax;
    Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 10:21 Hebrew shear-jashub (see 7:3 and note); also in verse 22
b. Isaiah 10:27 Hebrew; Septuagint broken / from your shoulders

Hope for the Lord’s People

²⁰ In that day the remnant left in Israel,
    the survivors in the house of Jacob,
will no longer depend on allies
    who seek to destroy them.
But they will faithfully trust the Lord,
    the Holy One of Israel.
²¹ A remnant will return;^[a]
    yes, the remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God.
²² But though the people of Israel are as numerous
    as the sand of the seashore,
only a remnant of them will return.
    The Lord has rightly decided to destroy his people.
²³ Yes, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    has already decided to destroy the entire land.^[b]

²⁴ So this is what the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, says: “O my people in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians when they oppress you with rod and club as the Egyptians did long ago. ²⁵ In a little while my anger against you will end, and then my anger will rise up to destroy them.” ²⁶ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will lash them with his whip, as he did when Gideon triumphed over the Midianites at the rock of Oreb, or when the Lord’s staff was raised to drown the Egyptian army in the sea.

²⁷ In that day the Lord will end the bondage of his people.
    He will break the yoke of slavery
    and lift it from their shoulders.^[c]

²⁸ Look, the Assyrians are now at Aiath.
    They are passing through Migron
    and are storing their equipment at Micmash.
²⁹ They are crossing the pass
    and are camping at Geba.
Fear strikes the town of Ramah.
    All the people of Gibeah, the hometown of Saul,
    are running for their lives.
³⁰ Scream in terror,
    you people of Gallim!
Shout out a warning to Laishah.
    Oh, poor Anathoth!
³¹ There go the people of Madmenah, all fleeing.
    The citizens of Gebim are trying to hide.
³² The enemy stops at Nob for the rest of that day.
    He shakes his fist at beautiful Mount Zion, the mountain of Jerusalem.

³³ But look! The Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    will chop down the mighty tree of Assyria with great power!
He will cut down the proud.
    That lofty tree will be brought down.
³⁴ He will cut down the forest trees with an ax.
    Lebanon will fall to the Mighty One.^[d]

Footnotes:
a. 10:21 Hebrew Shear-jashub; see 7:3; 8:18.
b. 10:22-23 Greek version reads only a remnant of them will be saved. / For he will carry out his sentence quickly and with finality and righteousness; / for God will carry out his sentence upon all the world with finality. Compare Rom 9:27-28.
c. 10:27 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads The yoke will be broken, / for you have grown so fat.
d. 10:34 Or with an ax / as even the mighty trees of Lebanon fall.

The Returning Remnant of Israel

²⁰ In that day the remnant of Israel
    and those who have escaped of the house of Jacob
shall never again depend on him
    who struck them,
but shall depend on the Lord,
    the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
²¹ The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob,
    to the mighty God.
²² For though your people, O Israel, are as the sand of the sea,
    yet a remnant of them shall return;
the destruction is decreed,
    overflowing with righteousness.
²³ For the Lord God of Hosts shall make a complete destruction,
    as decreed, in the midst of all the land.

²⁴ Therefore, thus says the Lord God of Hosts:

O My people who dwell in Zion,
    do not be afraid of the Assyrian.
He shall strike you with a rod
    and shall lift up his staff against you, after the manner of Egypt.
²⁵ For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease,
    and My anger will be directed to their destruction.

²⁶ The Lord of Hosts shall stir up a scourge for him
    according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb;
and as His rod was over the sea, so shall He lift it up
    after the manner of Egypt.
²⁷ In that day his burden shall be taken away from off your shoulder,
    and his yoke from off your neck;
and the yoke shall be destroyed
    because of the anointing oil.

²⁸ He has come against Aiath,
    he has passed through Migron;
    at Mikmash he has laid up his carriages.
²⁹ They are gone over the pass,
    they have taken up their lodging at Geba.
Ramah is afraid,
    Gibeah of Saul has fled.
³⁰ Lift up your voice, O daughter of Gallim.
    Listen, Laishah
    and poor Anathoth.
³¹ Madmenah has fled,
    the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.
³² Yet today he shall remain at Nob;
    he shakes his fist
against the mount of the daughter of Zion,
    the hill of Jerusalem.

³³ See, the Lord, the Lord of Hosts,
    shall lop the bough with terror;
and the tall ones of stature shall be hewn down,
    and the haughty shall be humbled.
³⁴ He shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron,
    and Lebanon shall fall by the Mighty One.

11 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
² And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
³ And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
⁴ But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
⁵ And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
⁶ The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
⁷ And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
⁸ And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
⁹ They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
¹⁰ And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
¹¹ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
¹² And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
¹³ The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
¹⁴ But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
¹⁵ And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.
¹⁶ And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

The Reign of Jesse’s Offspring

11 There shall come forth a ^[a]Rod from the ^[b]stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall ^[c]grow out of his roots.
² The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

³ His delight is in the fear of the Lord,
And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,
Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
⁴ But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
⁵ Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,
And faithfulness the belt of His waist.

⁶ “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
The calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little child shall lead them.
⁷ The cow and the bear shall graze;
Their young ones shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
⁸ The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole,
And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.
⁹ They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.

¹⁰ “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,
Who shall stand as a banner to the people;
For the Gentiles shall seek Him,
And His resting place shall be glorious.”

¹¹ It shall come to pass in that day
That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time
To recover the remnant of His people who are left,
From Assyria and Egypt,
From Pathros and Cush,
From Elam and Shinar,
From Hamath and the ^[d]islands of the sea.

¹² He will set up a banner for the nations,
And will ^[e]assemble the outcasts of Israel,
And gather together the dispersed of Judah
From the four ^[f]corners of the earth.
¹³ Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart,
And the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off;
Ephraim shall not envy Judah,
And Judah shall not harass Ephraim.
¹⁴ But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west;
Together they shall plunder the ^[g]people of the East;
They shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab;
And the people of Ammon shall obey them.
¹⁵ The Lord will utterly ^[h]destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt;
With His mighty wind He will shake His fist over ^[i]the River,
And strike it in the seven streams,
And make men cross over ^[j]dry-shod.
¹⁶ There will be a highway for the remnant of His people
Who will be left from Assyria,
As it was for Israel
In the day that he came up from the land of Egypt.

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 11:1 Shoot
b. Isaiah 11:1 stock or trunk
c. Isaiah 11:1 be fruitful
d. Isaiah 11:11 Or coastlands
e. Isaiah 11:12 gather
f. Isaiah 11:12 Lit. wings
g. Isaiah 11:14 Lit. sons
h. Isaiah 11:15 So with MT, Vg.; LXX, Syr., Tg. dry up
i. Isaiah 11:15 The Euphrates
j. Isaiah 11:15 Lit. in sandals

The Branch From Jesse

11 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
² The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
³ and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
⁵ Righteousness will be his belt
    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb,
    the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling^[a] together;
    and a little child will lead them.
⁷ The cow will feed with the bear,
    their young will lie down together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
⁸ The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
    and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.

¹⁰ In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. ¹¹ In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush,^[b] from Elam, from Babylonia,^[c] from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean.

¹² He will raise a banner for the nations
    and gather the exiles of Israel;
he will assemble the scattered people of Judah
    from the four quarters of the earth.
¹³ Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish,
    and Judah’s enemies^[d] will be destroyed;
Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah,
    nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim.
¹⁴ They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west;
    together they will plunder the people to the east.
They will subdue Edom and Moab,
    and the Ammonites will be subject to them.
¹⁵ The Lord will dry up
    the gulf of the Egyptian sea;
with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand
    over the Euphrates River.
He will break it up into seven streams
    so that anyone can cross over in sandals.
¹⁶ There will be a highway for the remnant of his people
    that is left from Assyria,
as there was for Israel
    when they came up from Egypt.

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 11:6 Hebrew; Septuagint lion will feed
b. Isaiah 11:11 That is, the upper Nile region
c. Isaiah 11:11 Hebrew Shinar
d. Isaiah 11:13 Or hostility

A Branch from David’s Line

11 Out of the stump of David’s family^[a] will grow a shoot—
    yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
² And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
³ He will delight in obeying the Lord.
    He will not judge by appearance
    nor make a decision based on hearsay.
⁴ He will give justice to the poor
    and make fair decisions for the exploited.
The earth will shake at the force of his word,
    and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.
⁵ He will wear righteousness like a belt
    and truth like an undergarment.

⁶ In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together;
    the leopard will lie down with the baby goat.
The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion,
    and a little child will lead them all.
⁷ The cow will graze near the bear.
    The cub and the calf will lie down together.
    The lion will eat hay like a cow.
⁸ The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra.
    Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm.
⁹ Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,
    for as the waters fill the sea,
    so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord.

¹⁰ In that day the heir to David’s throne^[b]
    will be a banner of salvation to all the world.
The nations will rally to him,
    and the land where he lives will be a glorious place.^[c]
11 In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time
    to bring back the remnant of his people—
those who remain in Assyria and northern Egypt;
    in southern Egypt, Ethiopia,^[d] and Elam;
    in Babylonia,^[e] Hamath, and all the distant coastlands.
¹² He will raise a flag among the nations
    and assemble the exiles of Israel.
He will gather the scattered people of Judah
    from the ends of the earth.

¹³ Then at last the jealousy between Israel^[f] and Judah will end.
    They will not be rivals anymore.
¹⁴ They will join forces to swoop down on Philistia to the west.
    Together they will attack and plunder the nations to the east.
They will occupy the lands of Edom and Moab,
    and Ammon will obey them.
¹⁵ The Lord will make a dry path through the gulf of the Red Sea.^[g]
    He will wave his hand over the Euphrates River,^[h]
sending a mighty wind to divide it into seven streams
    so it can easily be crossed on foot.
¹⁶ He will make a highway for the remnant of his people,
    the remnant coming from Assyria,
just as he did for Israel long ago
    when they returned from Egypt.

Footnotes:
a. 11:1 Hebrew the stump of the line of Jesse. Jesse was King David’s father.
b. 11:10a Hebrew the root of Jesse.
c. 11:10b Greek version reads In that day the heir to David’s throne [literally the root of Jesse] will come, / and he will rule over the Gentiles. / They will place their hopes on him. Compare Rom 15:12.
d. 11:11a Hebrew in Pathros, Cush.
e. 11:11b Hebrew in Shinar.
f. 11:13 Hebrew Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel.
g. 11:15a Hebrew will destroy the tongue of the sea of Egypt.
h. 11:15b Hebrew the river.

The Righteous Branch of Jesse

11 And there shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
    and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
² The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

³ He shall delight in the fear of the Lord,
    and he shall not judge by what his eyes see,
    nor reprove by what his ears hear;
⁴ but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
    and reprove with fairness for the meek of the earth.
He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
    and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
⁵ Righteousness shall be the belt of his loins,
    and faithfulness the belt about his waist.

⁶ The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
    and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
    and a little child shall lead them.
⁷ The cow and the bear shall graze;
    their young ones shall lie down together;
    and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
⁸ The nursing child shall play by the hole of the asp,
    and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.
⁹ They shall not hurt or destroy
    in all My holy mountain,
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord,
    as the waters cover the sea.

¹⁰ In that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the peoples. For him shall the nations seek. And his rest shall be glorious. ¹¹ In that day the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, who shall be left, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

¹² He shall set up a banner for the nations,
    and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel,
and gather together the dispersed of Judah
    from the four corners of the earth.
¹³ The envy also of Ephraim shall depart,
    and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off;
Ephraim shall not envy Judah,
    and Judah shall not harass Ephraim.
¹⁴ But they shall swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines towards the west;
    they shall plunder the sons of the east together;
they shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab,
    and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
¹⁵ The Lord shall utterly destroy
    the tongue of the Egyptian sea,
and with His mighty wind He shall shake His hand
    over the River,^[a]
and shall strike it into seven streams,
    and make men walk over dry-shod.
¹⁶ There shall be a highway for the remnant of His people,
    who will be left from Assyria,
as it was for Israel
    when he came up from the land of Egypt.

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 11:15 Euphrates River.

12 And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
² Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
³ Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
⁴ And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.
⁵ Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.
⁶ Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

A Hymn of Praise

12 And in that day you will say:

“O Lord, I will praise You;
Though You were angry with me,
Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.
² Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation.’ ”

³ Therefore with joy you will draw water
From the wells of salvation.

⁴ And in that day you will say:

“Praise the Lord, call upon His name;
Declare His deeds among the peoples,
Make mention that His name is exalted.
⁵ Sing to the Lord,
For He has done excellent things;
This is known in all the earth.
⁶ Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion,
For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”

Songs of Praise

12 In that day you will say:

“I will praise you, Lord.
    Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
    and you have comforted me.
² Surely God is my salvation;
    I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense^[a];
    he has become my salvation.”
³ With joy you will draw water
    from the wells of salvation.

⁴ In that day you will say:

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
    make known among the nations what he has done,
    and proclaim that his name is exalted.
⁵ Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things;
    let this be known to all the world.
⁶ Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
    for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 12:2 Or song

Songs of Praise for Salvation

12 In that day you will sing:
    “I will praise you, O Lord!
You were angry with me, but not any more.
    Now you comfort me.
² See, God has come to save me.
    I will trust in him and not be afraid.
The Lord God is my strength and my song;
    he has given me victory.”

³ With joy you will drink deeply
    from the fountain of salvation!
⁴ In that wonderful day you will sing:
    “Thank the Lord! Praise his name!
Tell the nations what he has done.
    Let them know how mighty he is!
⁵ Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things.
    Make known his praise around the world.
⁶ Let all the people of Jerusalem^[a] shout his praise with joy!
    For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”

Footnotes:
a. 12:6 Hebrew Zion.

Hymns of Praise

12 And in that day you shall say:

O Lord, I will praise You;
    though You were angry with me,
Your anger has turned away,
    and You comforted me.
² Certainly God is my salvation;
    I will trust and not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song;
    He also has become my salvation.
³ Therefore with joy you shall draw water
    out of the wells of salvation.

⁴ In that day you shall say:

Praise the Lord, call upon His name,
    declare His deeds among the peoples,
    make them remember that His name is exalted.
⁵ Sing to the Lord, for He has done excellent things;
    let this be known in all the earth.
⁶ Cry out and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion.
    For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst.