| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. | 1Nevertheless, the gloom of the distressed land will not be like that of the former times when He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future He will bring honor to the Way of the Sea, to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations. |
| 2The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. | 2The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. |
| 3You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. | 3You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before You as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils. |
| 4For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. | 4For You have shattered their oppressive yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor, just as You did on the day of Midian. |
| 5For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. | 5For the trampling boot of battle and the bloodied garments of war will be burned as fuel for the fire. |
| 6For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. | 6For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. |
| 7Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. | 7The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this. |
| 8The Lord has sent a word against Jacob, and it will fall on Israel; | 8The Lord sent a message against Jacob; it came against Israel. |
| 9and all the people will know, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart: | 9All the people-- Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria--will know it. They will say with pride and arrogance:" |
| 10“The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.” | 10The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with cut stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will replace them with cedars." |
| 11But the LORD raises the adversaries of Rezin against him, and stirs up his enemies. | 11The LORD has raised up Rezin's adversaries against him and stirred up his enemies. |
| 12The Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. | 12Aram from the east and Philistia from the west have consumed Israel with open mouths. In all this, His anger is not removed, and His hand is still raised to strike. |
| 13The people did not turn to him who struck them, nor inquire of the LORD of hosts. | 13The people did not turn to Him who struck them; they did not seek the LORD of Hosts. |
| 14So the LORD cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed in one day— | 14So the LORD cut off Israel's head and tail, palm branch and reed in a single day. |
| 15the elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail; | 15The head is the elder, the honored one; the tail is the prophet, the lying teacher. |
| 16for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up. | 16The leaders of the people mislead them, and those they mislead are swallowed up. |
| 17Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men, and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is godless and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. | 17Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over Israel's young men and has no compassion on its fatherless and widows, for everyone is a godless evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. In all this, His anger is not removed, and His hand is still raised to strike. |
| 18For wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns; it kindles the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke. | 18For wickedness burns like a fire that consumes thorns and briers and kindles the forest thickets so that they go up in a column of smoke. |
| 19Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts the land is scorched, and the people are like fuel for the fire; no one spares another. | 19The land is scorched by the wrath of the LORD of Hosts, and the people are like fuel for the fire. No one has compassion on his brother. |
| 20They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry, and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied; each devours the flesh of his own arm, | 20They carve meat on the right, but they are still hungry; they have eaten on the left, but they are still not satisfied. Each one eats the flesh of his own arm. |
| 21Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh; together they are against Judah. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. | 21Manasseh is with Ephraim, and Ephraim with Manasseh; together, both are against Judah. In all this, His anger is not removed, and His hand is still raised to strike. |
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