1 The people, the house of Israel, who walked in Egypt as in darkness, went out to see a great light. Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, on them the light has shined. 2 You have multiplied the people, the house of Israel; to them You have multiplied the joy. They rejoice before You as with the joy of those victorious in battle, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 3 For You have taken away the yoke of his dominion and the government of oppression; the government with which he enslaved him is broken as in the day of Midian. 4 All their dealings are in wickedness; they are polluted with sins, like a garment dipped in blood whose stains of filth cannot be cleansed; so it is like something of no use except to be burned in fire. So He will bring against them nations who are mighty as fire, and they will slay them. 5 The prophet said to the house of David, For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and he has taken the Torah upon himself to keep it. His name is called from before Him who is wonderful in counsel, the mighty God who lives to eternity, the Messiah, in whose days peace will be great upon us.⁠a 6 The greatness of those who keep the Torah will be magnified, and of those who maintain peace. There will be no end to the throne of David and to his kingdom, to establish it and to build it in justice and in righteousness from now on and forever. By the Memra of the LORD of hosts this will be done. 7 The LORD sent a word against the house of Jacob, and it was heard in Israel. 8 The people, all of them, have become great, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and stoutness of heart, 9 “The princes are carried off captive, but we will appoint better ones than they. The treasures are plundered, but we will purchase more beautiful ones than these.” 10 Therefore the LORD will strengthen the hatred of Rezin against him, and He will stir up his enemies. 11 The Syrians from the east and the Philistines from the west, and they will plunder the treasures of Israel in every place. For all this they do not turn away from their sins, that His anger might turn away from them; but still they hold fast to their rebellion, and yet His stroke will be to take vengeance on them. 12 And the people have not returned to the worship of God since the time He brought the stroke upon them, and they do not seek the instruction of the LORD of hosts. 13 And the LORD will destroy from Israel the prince, the captain, the ruler, and the governor in one day. 14 The elder and honored one, he is the head; and the scribe who teaches lies, he is the feeble one. 15 And those who praise this people lead them astray, and their princes swallow them up. 16 Therefore the LORD will have no joy in their young men, nor will He have mercy on their orphans and widows; for all of them are hypocrites and evildoers, and all their mouths speak lies. For all this they do not turn away from their sins, that His anger might turn away from them; but still they hold fast to their rebellion, and yet His stroke is ready to take vengeance on them. 17 The punishment of their sins will burn like fire; it will consume the sinners and the wicked, and will rule over the rest of the people, and will make an end of a great multitude. 18 Through the wrath from before the presence of the LORD of hosts the earth will be burned up, and the people will be like fuel burning in fire; no one will spare his brother. 19 He will plunder on the south and still be hungry; he will destroy on the north and not be satisfied; they will plunder the wealth, each man the wealth of his neighbor. 20 Those of the house of Manasseh with those of the house of Ephraim, and those of the house of Ephraim with those of the house of Manasseh, will join together as one to come against those of the house of Judah. For all this they do not turn away from their sins, that His anger might turn away from them; but still they hold fast to their rebellion, and yet His stroke is ready to take vengeance on them.