Isaiah
To us a child is born
9
2 You have enlarged the nation;
2 you have increased their joy.
2 They rejoice before you,
2 as people rejoice at harvest time
2 as they rejoice in dividing the spoil.
4 Every warrior’s boot that tramped in war,
4 every cloak rolled in blood,
4 will be thrown out for burning,
4 will serve as fuel for the fire.
5 For a child is born to us, 5 a son is given us; 5 the royal ornament is laid upon his shoulder, 5 and his name is proclaimed: 5 “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, 5 Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Threats against Israel
7 The Lord has sent a word against Jacob: the sentence fell upon Israel. 8 The people of Samaria and Ephraim saw it, but they said in pride and arrogance of heart: 9 “The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with hewn stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but in their place we will plant cedars.”
10 Therefore, Yahweh raises foes against them and stirs up their adversaries: 11 from the east, Arameans, from the west, Philistines – with open mouth they devour Israel.
11 Yet for all this his anger does not subside, his hand is poised to strike.
12 For the people have not come back to him who has smitten them; they have not sought Yahweh Sabaoth.
13 Therefore, Yahweh has cut off from Israel both head and tail, palm branch and reed in a single day . 14 The elders and prominent men are the head, the tail is the prophet of lies. 15 The guides of these people mislead them, the leaders have lost their way. 16 The Lord, therefore, does not spare their young men nor have compassion on their orphans and widows. For everyone has become evil and ungodly; every mouth speaks folly.
16 Yet for all this his anger does not subside, his hand is poised to strike.
17 Their wickedness has become like a fire which consumes both thorn and brier; it rages, sets thickets ablaze, and all of them vanish like smoke.
18 By the wrath of Yahweh Sabaoth the land is set aflame, and the people are burned like fuel for fire because no one spared another.
19 Snatching left and right, they still go hungry and they remain unfilled: each one devours his neighbor’s flesh.
20 Manasseh devours Ephraim, Ephraim devours Manasseh; and against Judah to gether they march.
20 Yet for all this his anger does not subside, his hand is poised to strike.