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1. In the past, people thought the land of Zebulun and Naphtali was not important. But later, that land will be honored� the land along the sea, the land east of the Jordan River, and Galilee where people from other nations live.
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1. Nevertheless H3588 the dimness H4155 shall not H3808 be such as H834 was in her vexation H4164 , when H6256 at the first H7223 he lightly afflicted H7043 the land H776 of Zebulun H2074 and the land H776 of Naphtali H5321 , and afterward H314 did more grievously afflict H3513 her by the way H1870 of the sea H3220 , beyond H5676 Jordan H3383 , in Galilee H1551 of the nations H1471 .
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2. Those people lived in darkness, but they will see a great light. They lived in a place as dark as death, but a great light will shine on them.
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2. The people H5971 that walked H1980 in darkness H2822 have seen H7200 a great H1419 light H216 : they that dwell H3427 in the land H776 of the shadow of death H6757 , upon H5921 them hath the light H216 shined H5050 .
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3. God, you will make the nation grow, and you will make the people happy. They will rejoice in your presence as they do at harvest time. It will be like the joy when people take their share of things they have won in war.
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3. Thou hast multiplied H7235 the nation H1471 , and not H3808 increased H1431 the joy H8057 : they joy H8055 before H6440 thee according to the joy H8057 in harvest H7105 , and as H834 men rejoice H1523 when they divide H2505 the spoil H7998 .
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4. That will happen because you will lift the heavy yoke off their shoulders and take away their heavy burden. You will take away the rod that the enemy used to punish your people, as you did when you defeated Midian.
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4. For H3588 thou hast broken H2865 H853 the yoke H5923 of his burden H5448 , and the staff H4294 of his shoulder H7926 , the rod H7626 of his oppressor H5065 , as in the day H3117 of Midian H4080 .
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5. Every boot that marched in battle and every uniform stained with blood will be destroyed and thrown into the fire.
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5. For H3588 every H3605 battle H5430 of the warrior H5431 is with confused noise H7494 , and garments H8071 rolled H1556 in blood H1818 ; but this shall be H1961 with burning H8316 and fuel H3980 of fire H784 .
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6. This will happen when the special child is born. God will give us a son who will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be "Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace."
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6. For H3588 unto us a child H3206 is born H3205 , unto us a son H1121 is given H5414 : and the government H4951 shall be upon H5921 his shoulder H7926 : and his name H8034 shall be H1961 called H7121 Wonderful H6382 , Counselor H3289 , The mighty H1368 God H410 , The everlasting H5703 Father H1 , The Prince H8269 of Peace H7965 .
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7. His power will continue to grow, and there will be peace without end. This will establish him as the king sitting on David's throne and ruling his kingdom. He will rule with goodness and justice forever and ever. The strong love that the Lord All-Powerful has for his people will make this happen!
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7. Of the increase H4766 of his government H4951 and peace H7965 there shall be no H369 end H7093 , upon H5921 the throne H3678 of David H1732 , and upon H5921 his kingdom H4467 , to order H3559 it , and to establish H5582 it with judgment H4941 and with justice H6666 from henceforth H4480 H6258 even forever H5704 H5769 . The zeal H7068 of the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 will perform H6213 this H2063 .
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8. The Lord gave a command against Jacob and someone in Israel fell.
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8. The Lord H136 sent H7971 a word H1697 into Jacob H3290 , and it hath lighted H5307 upon Israel H3478 .
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9. So all the people in Ephraim, including the ruler in Samaria, learned their lesson. Those people are very proud and boastful now. They say,
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9. And all H3605 the people H5971 shall know H3045 , even Ephraim H669 and the inhabitant H3427 of Samaria H8111 , that say H559 in the pride H1346 and stoutness H1433 of heart H3824 ,
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10. "Yes, those bricks fell, but we will rebuild with strong stone. Yes, those little trees were chopped down, but we will plant new trees. And they will be large, strong trees."
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10. The bricks H3843 are fallen down H5307 , but we will build H1129 with hewn stones H1496 : the sycamores H8256 are cut down H1438 , but we will change H2498 them into cedars H730 .
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11. The Lord found someone to go up and fight against Rezin. The Lord stirred up his enemies.
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11. Therefore the LORD H3068 shall set up H7682 H853 the adversaries H6862 of Rezin H7526 against H5921 him , and join his enemies together H5526 H853 H341 ;
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12. As for Israel, the Arameans are in front of him and the Philistines are behind him. And they are both eating away at him. But even after all that, the Lord is still angry. His arm is still raised and ready to punish Israel.
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12. The Syrians H758 before H4480 H6924 , and the Philistines H6430 behind H4480 H268 ; and they shall devour H398 H853 Israel H3478 with open H3605 mouth H6310 . For all H3605 this H2063 his anger H639 is not H3808 turned away H7725 , but his hand H3027 is stretched out H5186 still H5750 .
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13. The Lord punished the people, but they did not stop sinning and come back to him. They did not come to the Lord All- Powerful for help.
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13. For the people H5971 turneth H7725 not H3808 unto H5704 him that smiteth H5221 them, neither H3808 do they seek H1875 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 .
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14. So the Lord cut off Israel's head and tail. He took away the branch and the stalk in one day.
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14. Therefore the LORD H3068 will cut off H3772 from Israel H4480 H3478 head H7218 and tail H2180 , branch H3712 and rush H100 , in one H259 day H3117 .
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15. (The head means the elders and important leaders. The tail means the prophets who told lies.)
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15. The ancient H2205 and honorable H5375 H6440 , he H1931 is the head H7218 ; and the prophet H5030 that teacheth H3384 lies H8267 , he H1931 is the tail H2180 .
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16. Their guides are leading them the wrong way, so those who follow them will be destroyed.
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16. For the leaders H833 of this H2088 people H5971 cause them to err H8582 ; and they that are led H833 of them are destroyed H1104 .
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17. All of them are evil. So the Lord is not happy with the young men, and he will not show mercy to their widows and orphans. That is because they are evil hypocrites; they tell lies. But even after all that, the Lord is still angry. His arm is still raised and ready to punish them.
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17. Therefore H5921 H3651 the Lord H136 shall have no H3808 joy H8055 in H5921 their young men H970 , neither H3808 shall have mercy H7355 on their fatherless H3490 and widows H490 : for H3588 every one H3605 is a hypocrite H2611 and an evildoer H7489 , and every H3605 mouth H6310 speaketh H1696 folly H5039 . For all H3605 this H2063 his anger H639 is not H3808 turned away H7725 , but his hand H3027 is stretched out H5186 still H5750 .
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18. That evil was like a small fire that started among the weeds and thorns and then spread to the larger bushes in the forest. Finally, it became a giant fire, and everything went up in smoke.
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18. For H3588 wickedness H7564 burneth H1197 as the fire H784 : it shall devour H398 the briers H8068 and thorns H7898 , and shall kindle H3341 in the thickets H5442 of the forest H3293 , and they shall mount up H55 like the lifting up H1348 of smoke H6227 .
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19. The Lord All-Powerful was angry, so the land was burned. The people were fuel for the fire. No one showed any compassion to anyone else.
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19. Through the wrath H5678 of the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 is the land H776 darkened H6272 , and the people H5971 shall be H1961 as the fuel H3980 of the fire H784 : no H3808 man H376 shall spare H2550 H413 his brother H251 .
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20. People looked to the right and grabbed whatever they could, but they were still hungry. They grabbed whatever was on their left, but still they were not satisfied. So they turned on themselves and began to eat the bodies of their own children.
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20. And he shall snatch H1504 on H5921 the right hand H3225 , and be hungry H7456 ; and he shall eat H398 on H5921 the left hand H8040 , and they shall not H3808 be satisfied H7646 : they shall eat H398 every man H376 the flesh H1320 of his own arm H2220 :
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21. Manasseh fought against Ephraim, and Ephraim fought against Manasseh. Then both of them turned on Judah. But even after all that, the Lord is still angry. His arm is still raised and ready to punish them.
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21. Manasseh H4519 , H853 Ephraim H669 ; and Ephraim H669 , H853 Manasseh H4519 : and they H1992 together H3162 shall be against H5921 Judah H3063 . For all H3605 this H2063 his anger H639 is not H3808 turned away H7725 , but his hand H3027 is stretched out H5186 still H5750 .
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