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¹ THE land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali have rejoiced; the mighty dominion, the way by the sea, the country beyond the river Jordan, and Galilee of the Gentiles have rejoiced.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 has the light shined.³ Thou hast multiplied the people, and thou hast increased its joy; they joy before thee as those who rejoice in the 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 and the rod of his oppressor, as in the days of Midian.⁵ For every voice which is heard brings terror and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be for burning and fuel for fire.⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder: and his name is called Wonderful Counsellor, The Mighty One, The Everlasting God, The Prince of Peace.⁷ Of the increase of his government and of his peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to establish it and to sustain it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

⁸ The LORD has sent a word to Jacob, and it has lighted upon Israel.⁹ And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and haughtiness of heart,¹⁰ We shall lay bricks and hew stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.¹¹ Therefore the LORD shall cause the adversaries of Rezin to prevail against him, and incite his enemies,¹² The Edomites from the east and the Philistines from the west; 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 did not turn to him till they were devoured, neither did they seek the LORD of hosts.¹⁴ Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, tail and head, in one day.¹⁵ The elder and honorable, he is the head; and the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.¹⁶ For the leaders of this people shall cause them to err and cause them to sink low.¹⁷ Therefore the LORD shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall he have mercy on their orphans and widows; for all of them are hypocrites and evildoers, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.¹⁸ For wickedness burns like the fire; it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and the chosen ones shall roll up like the lifting up of smoke.¹⁹ Through the rebuke of the LORD of hosts the land trembles, 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 shall not be satisfied; they shall eat every man the flesh of his own kinsmen;²¹ Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; and they together shall devour Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.