1However, those in Judah who have been distressed/worried will not continue to suffer. Previously, Yahweh humbled the people in the land where the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali live. But in the future he will honor the people who live in that Galilee region, along the road between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, where many foreigners live.
2Some day, it will be as though [MET] the people who walked in darkness will see a great light.
3Yahweh, you will cause us people in Israel to rejoice;
4You will cause us to no longer be slaves [MET] of those who captured us;
5The boots that the enemy soldiers have worn
6Another reason that we will rejoice is that a special child will be born for us;
7His rule, and the peace that he brings/causes, will never end.
8The Lord has warned the people of Israel, the descendants of Jacob;
9But Yahweh brought the armies of Assyria, the enemies of King Rezin of Syria, to fight against Israel
10The army of Syria came from the east,
11But even though Yahweh punished his people like that,
12Therefore, in one day Yahweh will get rid of those who are like Israel’s head and those who are like its tail;
13The leaders [DOU] of Israel are the head,
14The leaders of the people have misled them;
15For that reason, Yahweh is not pleased with the young men of Israel,
16When people do wicked things,
17It is as though the whole land is burned black
18Israeli people will attack their neighbors on the right to get food from them,
19People of the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim will attack each other,