1 For there will not be gloom for her who was in distress; in the former time He {YHWH, Divine Sovereign} made the land of Zebulun {zevulun: northern tribal territory} and the land of Naphtali of little account, but in the latter time He made glorious the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light; on those dwelling in the land of the shadow of death {tsalmavet: lethal gloom}, a light has shone {nagah: illuminated intensely} upon them.
3 You multiplied the nation and increased the joy {simchah: deep gladness}; they rejoiced before You {YHWH, Source of Joy} as at the harvest, as when they exult in dividing the spoil.
4 For You {YHWH, Mighty Deliverer} have shattered the yoke {ol: instrument of subjection} of his burden, and the staff on his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor against him, as in the day of Midian.
5 For every boot{se'on: battle footwear} of the one who tramps in the uproar, and every garment rolled{megolalah: wrapped up} in blood, will become for burning, fuel for fire.
6 For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us, and the government {misrah: royal authority} will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God {El gibbor, Victorious Ruler}, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 For the increase of the government and for peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice {mishpat: legal judgment} and with righteousness, from now and unto eternity. The zeal of the LORD of hosts {YHWH tsevaot, Divine Champion} will accomplish this.
8 The Lord {Adonai, Sovereign Master} sent a word {davar: divine decree} against Jacob, and it will fall upon Israel.
9 And the entire people will know—Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria—who, in pride {ga'avah: self-exaltation} and in the greatness {godel: defiant firmness} of their heart, say,
10 The bricks have fallen, but we will build with hewn stone {gazit: precisely cut blocks}; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will replace them with cedars {arazim: tall durable trees}.
11 And the LORD {YHWH, Sovereign Judge} will raise up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and He will stir up his enemies {oyev: persistent foe} against him.
12 Aram from the east and the Philistines from behind devoured{vatyochlu: ravenous attack} Israel with a gaping mouth. In all this, His {YHWH, Unrelenting Judge} anger has not turned back, and still His hand is stretched out.
13 But the people did not return to the One who struck them, nor did they seek the LORD {YHWH, Disciplining Judge} of hosts {tsevaot: armies of heaven}.
14 And the LORD {YHWH, Supreme Judge} will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and bulrush, in one day {yom: period of time}.
15 The elder {zaken: community leader} and the one honored in appearance, he is the head; and the prophet who teaches falsehood {sheqer: deliberate lie}, he is the tail.
16 And the leaders of this people cause them to go astray {vayitu: lead into error}, and those who follow them are swallowed up {mebulaim: completely consumed}.
17 Therefore, the Lord {Adonai, Disciplining Sovereign} will not rejoice over their young men, and He will have no compassion on their orphans or their widows, for everyone is godless {khanef: morally perverse} and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this, His anger has not turned away, and His hand is still stretched out.
18 For wickedness burns like fire; it devours briers and thorns, it kindles in the thickets {sivkhei: dense undergrowth} of the forest, and it mounts up in loftiness of smoke {ashan: visible vapor from combustion}.
19 In the wrath of the LORD of hosts {YHWH Tseva’ot, Divine Warrior}, the land is scorched {ne'tam: burned and blackened}, and the people have become like fuel for the fire; no man spares his brother.
20 He will slice {yigzor: cut up} on the right hand and will be hungry; he will eat on the left hand but will not be satisfied. Each man will eat the flesh of his own arm {bisro'o: self-destruction}.
21 Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh; together they stand against Judah. In all this, His {YHWH, Righteous Judge} anger has not turned away, and His hand {netuyah: extended in judgment} remains stretched out.