1. But there is no gloom upon her who is distressed, as when at first He humbled the land of Zeḇulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward more heavily oppressed her, by the way of the sea, beyond the Yardĕn, in Galil of the nations.
2. The people who were walking in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death a light has shone.
3. You shall increase the nation; You shall make its joy great. They shall rejoice before You, as in the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4. For You shall break the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Miḏyan.
5. For every boot of one trampling in tumult, and coat rolled in blood, shall be used for burning and fuel of fire.
6. For a Child shall be born unto us, a Son shall be given unto us, and the rule is on His shoulder. And His Name is called Wonder, Counsellor, Strong Ěl, Father of Continuity, Prince of Peace.
7. Of the increase of His rule and peace there is no end, upon the throne of Dawiḏ and over His reign, to establish it and sustain it with right-ruling and with righteousness from now on, even forever. The ardour of יהוה of hosts does this.
8. יהוה sent a word against Ya‛aqoḇ, and it has fallen on Yisra’ĕl.
9. And the people shall know, all of them, Ephrayim and the inhabitant of Shomeron, who say in pride and greatness of heart:
10. “The bricks have fallen down, but we rebuild with hewn stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we replace them with cedars.”
11. And יהוה set up the adversaries of Retsin against him, and stirred up his enemies,
12. the Arameans before and the Philistines behind. And they devour Yisra’ĕl with an open mouth. With all this His displeasure has not turned back, and His hand is still stretched out.
13. And the people have not turned back to Him who smites them, nor have they sought יהוה of hosts.
14. And יהוה cuts off head and tail from Yisra’ĕl, palm branch and reed in one day.
15. Elder and highly respected, he is the head; the prophet who teaches falsehood, he is the tail.
16. For the leaders of this people lead them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.
17. Therefore יהוה does not rejoice over their young men, and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is defiled and evil, and every mouth speaks foolishness. With all this His displeasure has not turned back, and His hand is still stretched out.
18. For wrongness burns as the fire; it consumes thornbushes and weeds, and sets the bushes of the forest ablaze, and they roll up like rising smoke.
19. The land shall be burned up by the wrath of יהוה of hosts, and the people be as fuel for the fire. A man shall not spare his brother,
20. and cut down on the right hand, but shall be hungry; and he devours on the left hand, but shall not be satisfied; each one devouring the flesh of his own arm:
21. Menashsheh Ephrayim, and Ephrayim Menashsheh; together they are against Yehuḏah. With all this His displeasure has not turned back, and His hand is still stretched out.