1: Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her
vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and
the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by
the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. |
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2: The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light:
they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the
light shined. |
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3:
Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy:
they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice
when they divide the spoil. |
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4: For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of
his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. |
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5: For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and
garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of
fire. |
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6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The
Prince of Peace. |
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7: Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no
end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to
establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for
ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. |
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8: The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon
Israel. |
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9: And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant
of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart, |
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10: The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn
stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.
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11: Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin
against him, and join his enemies together; |
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12: The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they
shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not
turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. |
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13: For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them,
neither do they seek the LORD of hosts. |
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14: Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail,
branch and rush, in one day. |
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15: The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet
that teacheth lies, he is the tail. |
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16: For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they
that are led of them are destroyed. |
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17: Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men,
neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one
is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all
this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
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18: For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the
briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and
they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke. |
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19: Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened,
and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his
brother. |
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20: And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he
shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall
eat every man the flesh of his own arm: |
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21: Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together
shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but
his hand is stretched out still. |