1 But those who have suffered will no longer be in pain. The territories of Zebulun and Naphtali in Galilee were once hated. But this land of the Gentiles across the Jordan River and along the Mediterranean Sea will be greatly respected.
War Is Over
2 Those who walked in the dark
have seen a bright light.
And it shines upon everyone
who lives in the land
of darkest shadows.
3 Our Lord, you have made
your nation stronger.
Because of you, its people
are glad and celebrate
like workers at harvest time
or like soldiers dividing up
what they have taken.
4 You have broken the power
of those who abused
and enslaved your people.
You have rescued them
just as you saved your people
from Midian.
5 The boots of marching warriors
and the blood-stained uniforms
have been fed to flames
and eaten by fire.
A Child Has Been Born
6 A child has been born for us.
We have been given a son
who will be our ruler.
His names will be
Wonderful Advisor
and Mighty God,
Eternal Father
and Prince of Peace.
7 His power will never end;
peace will last forever.
He will rule David's kingdom
and make it grow strong.
He will always rule
with honesty and justice.
The Lord All-Powerful
will make certain
that all of this is done.
God Will Punish Israel
8 The Lord had warned the people of Israel, 9 and all of them knew it, including everyone in the capital city of Samaria. But they were proud and stubborn and said,
10 “Houses of brick and sycamore
have fallen to the ground,
but we will build houses
with stones and cedar.”
11 The Lord made their enemies attack them. 12 He sent the Arameans from the east and the Philistines from the west, and they swallowed up Israel. But even this did not stop him from being angry, so he kept on punishing them. 13 The people of Israel still did not turn back to the Lord All-Powerful and worship him.
14 In one day he cut off their head and tail, their leaves and branches. 15 Their rulers and leaders were the head, and the lying prophets were the tail. 16 They had led the nation down the wrong path, and the people were confused. 17 The Lord was angry with his people and kept punishing them, because they had turned against him. They were evil and spoke foolishly. That's why he did not have pity on their young people or on their widows and orphans.
18 Evil had spread like a raging forest fire sending thornbushes up in smoke. 19 The Lord All-Powerful was angry and used the people as fuel for a fire that scorched the land. They turned against each other 20 like wild animals attacking and eating everyone around them, even their own relatives. But still they were not satisfied. 21 The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh turned against each other, then joined forces to attack Judah. But the Lord was still angry and ready to punish the nation even more.
1 الشَّعبُ السَّالِكُ في الظَّلامِ
رأى نورا ساطِعا،
والجالِسونَ في أرضِ الموتِ وظِلالِهِ
أشرَقَ علَيهِمِ النُّورُ.
2 مَنَحتَهُمُ ابتِهاجا على ابتِهاجٍ
وزِدتَهُم فَرَحا يا ربُّ،
كالفَرَحِ في الحصادِ فرَحُهُم أمامَكَ
وكابتِهاجِ مَنْ يتَقاسَمونَ الغنيمةَ،
3 لأنَّ النِّيرَ الّذي أثقَلَهُم
والخشَبَةَ الّتي بـينَ أكتافِهِم
كسَّرتَها معَ قضيـبِ مُسخِّريهِم
كما في يومِ مِديانَ.
4 نِعالُ العدُوِّ في المعركةِ،
معَ كُلِّ ثوبٍ مُلطَّخٍ بالدِّماءِ،
أحرَقتَها مأكلا للنَّارِ.
5 لأنَّهُ يولَدُ لَنا ولَدٌ
ويُعطَى لَنا ابنٌ
وتكونُ الرِّئاسةُ على كَتِفِهِ.
يُسمَّى باسمٍ عجيـبٍ،
ويكونُ مُشيرا وإلها قديرا
وأبا أبديًّا ورئيسَ السَّلامِ.
6 سُلطانُهُ يزدادُ قوَّةً،
ومملكَتُهُ في سلامٍ دائمٍ.
يُوَطِّدُ عرشَ داوُدَ
ويُثبِّتُ أركانَ مملكَتِهِ
على الحقِّ والعَدلِ
مِنَ الآنَ إلى الأبدِ.
غيرَةُ الرّبِّ القديرِ تعمَلُ ذلِكَ.
الرب يعاقب شعبه
7 الرّبُّ حكَمَ على ذُرِّيَّةِ يَعقوبَ، فوقَعَت على مملكةِ إِسرائيلَ. 8 وسيعلَمُ شعبُ إِسرائيلَ وسكَّانُ السَّامِرةِ ذلِكَ ومعَ هذا يقولونَ بافتخارٍ وقلبٍ مُستكبِرٍ: 9 تساقَطَت حجارةُ الطِّينِ لكنَّنا سنَبني بحجارةٍ منحوتةٍ، وقِطَعُ الجُمَّيزِ لكنَّنا سنَستَعيضُ عنهُ بشجَرِ الأرزِ. 10 وأثارَ الرّبُّ علَيهِم خَصمَهُم رَصينَ وسلَّحَ أعداءَهُمُ 11 الآراميِّينَ مِنَ الشَّرقِ والفلِسطيِّينَ مِنَ الغربِ ليَلتَهِموا بَني إِسرائيلَ بمِلءِ أفواهِهِم. معَ هذا كُلِّهِ لم يرتَدَّ غضَبُ الرّبِّ، بل بقيَت يَدُهُ مرفوعةً علَيهِم، 12 لأنَّهُم لم يتوبوا بَعدُ إلى الرّبِّ القديرِ الّذي عاقَبَهُم ولا طلَبوهُ 13 فيَقطَعُ مِنْ بَني إِسرائيلَ الرَّأسَ والذَّنَبَ، والنَّخلَ والقَصَبَ، في يومٍ واحدٍ. 14 الشَّيخُ والوجيهُ هوَ الرَّأسُ، والنَّبـيُّ الّذي يُعلِّمُ بالكذِبِ هوَ الذَّنَبُ. 15 فقادةُ هذا الشَّعبِ هم يُضلِّلونَهُ، والّذينَ ينقادونَ إليهِم يُبادونَ. 16 لذلِكَ لا يرضَى الرّبُّ عَنْ شُبَّانِهِم، ولا يرحَمُ أيتامَهُم وأرامِلَهُم، لأنَّ الجميعَ يُنافِقونَ ويَفعلونَ الشَّرَّ، وكُلُّ واحدٍ فيهِم ينطِقُ بالحَماقةِ. معَ هذا كُلِّهِ لم يرتَدَّ غضَبُ الرّبِّ، بل بقيَت يَدُهُ مرفوعةً علَيهِم.
17 شرورُهُم تشتعِلُ كالنَّارِ، فتأكُلُ الأشواكَ والعُلَّيقَ وتَحرُقُ أدغالَ الغابةِ وتلتَفُّ كعمودٍ مِنَ الدُّخانِ. 18 وبغضَبِ الرّبِّ القديرِ تلتَهِبُ الأرضُ، فيكونُ الشَّعبُ مِثلَ وقودِ النَّارِ لا يُشفِقُ واحدٌ على أخيهِ. 19 ينهَشُ على اليمينِ ويَبقَى جائِعا، ويلتَهِمُ على الشِّمالِ ولا يشبَعُ. يأكُلونَ كُلُّ واحدٍ لَحمَ ذراعِهِ: 20 منسَّى يقومُ على أفرايمَ، وأفرايمُ يقومُ على منسَّى، وكِلاهُما يقومانِ على يَهوذا. ومعَ هذا كُلِّهِ لم يرتَدَّ غضَبُ الرّبِّ، بل بقيَت يَدُهُ مرفوعةً علَيهِم.
