1 In the first time, the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali was alighted, either released; and at the last, the way of the sea beyond Jordan, of Galilee of heathen men, was made heavy. (At first, the lands of Zebulun and of Naphtali were dealt with lightly; but later, the way to the sea from the Jordan River, yea, of Galilee of the heathen, was dealt with heavily.)

2 The people that went in darknesses saw a great light; when men dwelled in the country of [the] shadow of death, light rose up to them. (The people who went in darkness saw a great light; where people lived in the country of the shadow of death, the light rose upon them.)

3 Thou multipliedest folk, thou magnifiedest not gladness, (or Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased their happiness); they shall be glad before thee, as they that be glad in harvest, (and) as overcomers make full out joy, when they have taken a prey, when they part the spoils.

4 For thou hast overcome the yoke of his burden, and the rod of his shoulder, and the sceptre of his wrongful asker, as in the day of Midian.

5 For why all violent raven (gotten) with noise, and a cloth meddled with blood, shall be into burning, and the meat of fire. (For all the violent raven taken in tumult, and a cloak mixed, or covered, with blood, shall be into burning, and food for the fire.)

6 Forsooth a little child is born to us, and a son is given to us, and princehood is made on his shoulder, (or But a little child is born to us, and a son is given to us, and princehood is placed upon his shoulders); and his name shall be called Wonderful, A counsellor, God, Strong, Father of the world to coming, A prince of peace. [A little child forsooth is born to us, and a son is given to us, and made is princehood upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Marvellous, Counsellor, God, Strong, Father of the world to come, Prince of peace.]

7 His empire shall be multiplied, and none end shall be of his peace; he shall sit on the seat of David, and on the realm of him, that he confirm it, and make (it) strong in doom and rightfulness, from henceforth and till into without end. The fervent love of the Lord of hosts shall make this (happen). (His empire shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end to his peace; he shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, so that he can establish it, and make it strong in justice, or in judgement, and righteousness, from henceforth until forever. The fervent love of the Lord of hosts shall make this happen.)

8 The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it fell in Israel. (The Lord sent a word against Jacob, and it fell upon Israel.)

9 And all the people of Ephraim shall know, and they that dwell in Samaria (or and they who live in Samaria), saying in the pride and greatness of heart,

10 Tilestones fell down (or The bricks fell down), but we shall build with square stones; they have cut down (the) sycamores, but we shall (ex)change (them for) cedars.

11 And the Lord shall raise (up) the enemies of Rezin on him, and he shall turn the enemies of him into noise; (And the Lord shall raise up Rezin’s enemies against him, and his enemies shall attack him;)

12  God shall make Syria to come from the east, and (the) Philistines from the west; and with all the mouth they shall devour Israel. In all these things the strong vengeance of the Lord is not turned away, but yet his hand is stretched forth;

13 and the people is not turned again to the Lord smiting it, and they sought not the Lord of hosts. (and still the people did not turn again to the Lord, or and still the people did not return to the Lord, who struck them, yea, they did not seek out the Lord of hosts.)

14 And the Lord shall lose from Israel the head and the tail, [the] crooking and [the] beshrewing, either (the) refraining, in one day. (And the Lord shall destroy in Israel the head and the tail, yea, the crooked and the depraved, all in one day.)

15 An eld man and honourable, he is the head; and a prophet teaching leasing, he is the tail. (An old and honourable man, he is the head; and a prophet teaching lies, he is the tail.)

16 And they that bless his people, shall be deceivers, and they that be blessed, shall be cast down. (And they who bless his people, shall be deceivers, and they who be blessed, shall be cast down.)

17 For this thing the Lord shall not be glad on the young men thereof, and he shall not have mercy on the fatherless children and widows thereof; for each man is an hypocrite and wayward, and each mouth spake folly. In all these things the strong vengeance of him is not turned away, but yet his hand is stretched forth; and the people is not turned again to the Lord smiting it (or and still the people did not turn again to the Lord, or and still the people did not return to the Lord, who struck them).

18 For why wickedness is kindled as fire; it shall devour the briars and thorns, and it shall be kindled in the thickness of the forest, and it shall be wrapped (al)together in the pride of smoke. (For wickedness is kindled like a fire; it shall devour the briars and thorns, and it shall be kindled in the thickness of the forest, and it shall be wrapped up in a pall, or in a column, of smoke.)

19 In the wrath of the Lord of hosts the land shall be troubled, and the people shall be as the meat of fire (or and the people shall become food for the fire); a man shall not spare his brother.

20 And he shall bow to the right half, and he shall hunger, and he shall eat at the left half, and he shall not be [ful] filled; each man shall devour the flesh of his arm. (And one person shall turn to the right, and he shall still have hunger, and another shall eat on the left, and he shall not be fulfilled; and everyone shall devour the flesh of their own children.)

21 Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim shall devour Manasseh, and they together against Judah. In all these things the strong vengeance of him is not turned away, but yet his hand is stretched forth.