IX. I Yet there is no darkness to her that had distress. As at the ﬁrst he brought into contempt the land of Zabulon and the land of Naphthali, so in the‘latter time he (hath) brought honour to the way of the sea, beyond— Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

2 The people that walk 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, thou hast increased its joyz’ they joy before thee like the joy in harvest, and as men exult when they divide the spoil.

4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staﬂ’ of his shoulder, the rod of his exactor, as in the day of Midian.

5 For every boot of him that is booted with tumult, and the cloke rolled in blood—it shall be for burning, for fuel of ﬁre.

6 For a child is born unto us, a son is given unto us; and the government is upon his shoulder; and his name is called Wonder, Counsellor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. ’

1. ‘ contempt...horfour.’ Heb. roots often denote lzlgrhm::...ﬁeavine::.3. So Heb. marg.: Heb. text, ‘thou hast not increased the joy’: readings pronounced alike, written with diﬁ’erence of one letter.5. ‘ is booted ’: or, ‘tramps’: ‘tumult,’ lit. ‘shaking’; ‘ earthquake,’ xix. 6. v

7 To the increase of his government and to peace there is no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to establish it and to sustain it with judgment and with righteous- ness from henceforth and for ever. The jealousy of the LORD of Hosts will do this.

8 The LORD sent a word into Jacob, and it shall fall upon Israel.

9 And the whole people, they shall know, Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in pride and stoutness of heart,

10 Bricks are fallen, and we will build with hewn stones; sycamores are cut down, and we will change (them) forcedars.

11 Therefore the LORD hath set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and stirred up his enemies;

12 Aram before, and the Philistines behind: and they devoUr Israelwith open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

13 And the people hath not turned unto him that smiteth them, neither have they sought the LORD of hosts.

14 And the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and rush, in one day.

15 The elder and honourable, he is the head: and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

16 And the leaders of this people cause them to err; and those of them that are led are swallowed up.

17 Therefore the Lord shall not rejoice over its young men, neither shall have mercy on its fatherless and widows; for every one thereof is impious and an evil doer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

12. Or, ‘Aram from the East. and the Phil. from the West.’17. ‘young men’: or ‘chosen men’: cf. xxxi. 8.

18 For wickedness burned as a ﬁre: briers and thorns it devoured, and it kindled the thickets of the forest, and they were. whirled upward with a lifting-up of smoke.

19 With the wrath of the LORD of Hosts is the land turned black, and the people are become as food for ﬁre; they spared not a man his brother.

20 And one snatched on the right hand, and was hungry; and ate on the left hand, and they were not satisfied: every man the ﬂesh of his arm did they eat: