1 At the first time the land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephtali was lightly touched: and at the last the way of the sea beyond the Jordan of the Galilee of the Gentiles was heavily loaded. 2 The people that walked in darkness, have seen a great light: to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen. 3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and hast not increased the joy. They shall rejoice before thee, as they that rejoice in the harvest, as conquerors rejoice after taking a prey, when they divide the spoils. 4 For the yoke of their burden, and the rod of their shoulder, and the sceptre of their oppressor thou best overcome, as in the day of Median. 5 For every violent taking of spoils, with tumult, and garment mingled with blood, shall be burnt, and be fuel for the fire. 6 For a CHILD IS BORN to us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace. 7 His empire shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace: he shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom; to establish it and strengthen it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth and for ever: the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. 8 The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel. 9 And all the people of Ephraim shall know, and the inhabitants of Samaria that say in the pride and haughtiness of their heart: 10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with square stones: they have cut down the sycamores, but we will change them for cedars. 11 And the Lord shall set up the enemies of Rasin over him, and shall bring on his enemies in a crowd: 12 The Syrians from the east, and the Philistines from the west: and they shall devour Israel with open mouth, For all this his indignation is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. 13 And the people are not returned to him who hath struck them, and have not sought after the Lord of hosts. 14 And the Lord shall destroy out of Israel the head and the tail, him that bendeth down, and him that holdeth back, in one day. 15 The aged and honourable, he is the head: and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. 16 And they that call this people blessed, shall cause them to err: and they that are called blessed, shall be thrown down headlong. 17 Therefore the Lord shell have no joy in their young men: neither shall he have mercy on their fatherless, and widows: for every one is a hypocrite and wicked, and every mouth hath spoken folly. For all this his indignation is not turned away, but his bend is stretched out still. 18 For wickedness is kindled as a fire, it shall devour the brier and the thorn: and shall kindle in the thicket of the forest, and it shall be wrapped up in smoke ascending on high. 19 By the wrath of the Lord of hosts the land is troubled, and the people shall be as fuel for the fire: no man shall spare his brother. 20 And he shall turn to the right hand, and shall be hungry: and shall eat on the left hand, and shall not be filled: every one shell eat the flesh of his own arm: Manasses Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasses, and they together shall be against Juda. 21 After all these things his indignation is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
Isaiah · Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
Isaiah 9 Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (21)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Matthew 4:15–16; 2 Kings 15:29; Isaiah 8:22; 1 Chronicles 5:26; 2 Chronicles 16:4
- 2 Matthew 4:16; Ephesians 5:8; John 8:12; John 12:46; Luke 1:78–79
- 3 Isaiah 35:10; Isaiah 26:15; Isaiah 65:18; Isaiah 66:10; Psalm 119:162
- 4 Jeremiah 30:8; Isaiah 14:25; Isaiah 10:26–27; Nahum 1:13; Isaiah 54:14
- 5 2 Thessalonians 1:8; Ezekiel 39:8–10; Isaiah 30:33; Psalm 46:9; Isaiah 66:15–16
- 6 Luke 2:11; Matthew 28:18; Jeremiah 23:5–6; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23
- 7 Luke 1:32–33; Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:14; 2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 45:4–6
- 8 Isaiah 7:7–8; Zechariah 5:1–4; Isaiah 8:4–8; Micah 1:1–9; Zechariah 1:6
- 9 Isaiah 46:12; Isaiah 10:9–11; Jeremiah 44:28–29; Malachi 4:1; 1 Peter 5:5
- 10 Malachi 1:4; 1 Kings 10:27; 1 Kings 7:9–12
- 11 Isaiah 17:1–5; Isaiah 7:8; Isaiah 10:9–11; Isaiah 8:4–7; 2 Kings 15:29
- 12 2 Chronicles 28:18; Isaiah 5:25; Psalm 79:7; 2 Kings 16:6; Isaiah 10:4
- 13 Jeremiah 5:3; Hosea 7:10; Isaiah 31:1; Isaiah 1:5; Hosea 7:16
- 14 Revelation 18:8; Isaiah 19:15; Amos 6:11; Isaiah 30:13; Hosea 13:3
- 15 Matthew 24:24; Isaiah 29:10; 2 Timothy 4:2–3; Isaiah 3:2–3; 1 Samuel 9:6
- 16 Isaiah 3:12; Matthew 15:14; Matthew 23:16–36; 1 Kings 8:55–56; 2 Chronicles 30:27
- 17 Jeremiah 18:21; Isaiah 5:25; Isaiah 10:6; Isaiah 9:12; Matthew 12:34
- 18 Malachi 4:1; Psalm 83:14; Nahum 1:10; Isaiah 5:24; Isaiah 34:8–10
- 19 Micah 7:2; Micah 7:6; 2 Peter 2:4; Isaiah 60:2; Isaiah 24:6
- 20 Isaiah 49:26; Jeremiah 19:9; Isaiah 8:21; Leviticus 26:26–29; Lamentations 4:10
- 21 Isaiah 5:25; 2 Chronicles 28:6–8; Isaiah 9:12; Galatians 5:15; 2 Kings 15:30
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
There are the following predictions: --"Unto us a child is born, and unto us a young man is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulders;" which is significant of the power of the cross, for to it, when He was crucified, He applied His shoulders, as shall be more clearly made out in the ensuing discourse.
… the foal of an ass; that He received for drink, vinegar and gall; that He was despised among the people, and humbled Himself even to death and that He is the holy Lord, the Wonderful, the Counsellor, the Beautiful in appearance, and the Mighty God, coming on the clouds as the Judge of all men; --all these things did the …
The Lord saw him, he concerning whom it was said, "They that sat under the shadow of death, unto them hath light arisen." What then was said to Nathanael?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
… nation by a part of it, nor signifies obscurely all the tribes; mark how the Prophet distinguishes that place, saying "The land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people which sat in darkness, saw great light:" by darkness here not meaning that which is sensible, but men's errors and ungodliness.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
The soul when it was deified descended into Hades, in order that, just as the Sun of Righteousness rose for those upon the earth, so likewise He might bring light to those who sit under the earth in darkness and shadow of death: in order that just as He brought the message of peace to those upon the earth, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 9 (1899)