9
1 The people that walked in choshech
have seen an Ohr gadol;
they that dwell in the eretz tzalmavet,
upon them hath the Ohr dawned.
2 Thou shalt multiply the Goy (Nation),
and increase its simchah;
they joy before Thee according to the simchat baKatzir,
and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
3 For Thou hast broken the ol (yoke) of his burden,
and the mateh (staff) of his shoulder,
the shevet hanogesh (rod of the task master) of him,
as in the yom of Midyan.*
4 For every boot of the tramping warrior in the battleʼs tumult,
and simlah (garments) megolalah (rolled) in damim (blood)
shall be for burning and
ma'acholet eish (food for fire).
5 For unto us a yeled is born,
unto us ben is given;
and the misrah (dominion) shall be upon his shoulder;
and Shmo shall be called
Peleh (Wonderful), Yoetz (Counsellor), El Gibbor (Mighty G-d),
Avi Ad (Possessor of Eternity), Sar Shalom (Prince of Peace).
6 Of the increase of his misrah
and shalom there shall be no ketz (end),
upon the Kisse Dovid,
and upon his kingdom,
to strengthen it, and to support it with mishpat
and with tzedakah from henceforth
even ad olam (forever).
The Kinat Hashem Tzva'os will fulfill this.
7 Adonoi sent davar against Ya'akov,
and it hath fallen upon Yisroel.
8 And all HaAm shall know it,
even Ephrayim and the inhabitant of Shomron,
that say in the ga'avah (pride) and haughtiness levav (of heart),
9 The levenim (bricks) are fallen down,
but we will rebuild with cut stones;
the sycamores are cut down,
but we will replace them with cedars.
10 Therefore Hashem shall strengthen the adversaries of Retzin against him,
and spur on his enemies;
11 The Syrians from the east, and the Pelishtim from the west;
and they shall devour Yisroel with open mouth.
For all this His anger is not turned away,
but His yad is upraised still.
12 For HaAm turneth not unto Him that struck them,
neither do they seek Hashem Tzva'os.
13 Therefore Hashem will root out of Yisroel head and tail,
palm branch and reed, in yom echad.
14 The zaken and prominent man is the head;
and the navi that is the moreh sheker (teacher of lies, false teacher) is the tail.
15 For the me'ashrei HaAm HaZeh (leaders of this people) cause them to err;
and they that are led of them are destroyed.
16 Therefore Adonoi shall have no joy in their bocherim,
neither shall have mercy on their yetomim and almanot;
for every one is a chanef (g-dless, hypocritical) and an evildoer,
and every mouth speaketh nevalah (folly).
For all this His anger is not turned away,
but His yad is upraised still.
17 For wickedness burneth like eish;
it shall devour the briers and thorns,
and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest,
and they shall smoke upward like the lifting up of ashan (smoke).
18 Through the Evrat Hashem Tzva'os (Wrath of Hashem of Hosts)
is the land darkened,
and HaAm shall be ma'acholet eish (food for fire);
no ish shall spare his brother.
19 And they grab on the yamin (right hand), and are still hungry;
and shall eat on the smol (left hand), and they shall not be satisfied;
they shall eat every ish the basar of his own zero'a;
20 Menasheh against Ephrayim; and Ephrayim, Menasheh;
they together shall be against Yehudah.
For all this His anger is not turned away;
His yad is upraised still.
* 9:3 See Judg 7:25