¹Nevertheless the darkness shall not be as when the distress was in the [land], at the time he at first lightly, and afterwards heavily, visited the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, -- the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations:

¹Asi iye, aiva pakumanikidzwa, haangazovi nerima. Panguva yokutanga wakaninipisa nyika yeZebhuruni nenyika yeNafutari, asi panguva yazvino akaikudza, kurutivi rwegungwa, mhiri kwaJoridhani, Garirea ravahedheni.

²the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them light hath shone.

²Vanhu vaifamba murima vakaona chiedza chikuru; vaigara munyika yomumvuri worufu, vakapenyerwa chiedza.

³Thou hast multiplied the nation, hast increased its joy: they joy before thee like to the joy in harvest; as [men] rejoice when they divide the spoil.

³Makawanza rudzi, makawedzera mufaro wavo; vanofara pamberi penyu, sokufara kwavanhu panguva yokukohwa, sokufara kwavanhu kana vachigoverana zvakapambwa.

⁴For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

⁴nekuti makavhuna joko raivaremedza, netsvimbo yairova mafudzi avo, neshamhu yavaivamanikidza, sapamazuva avaMidhiani.

⁵For every boot of him that is shod for the tumult, and the garment rolled in blood, shall be for burning, fuel for fire.

⁵nekuti shangu imwe neimwe yomurwi, yakatsika nokutinhira, nenguvo yakanyikwa muropa, zvichapiswa, zvichava sehuni dzomoto.

⁶For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name is called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty ùGod, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.

⁶nekuti takazvarirwa Mwana, takapiwa Mwanakomana; umambo huchava pafudzi rake; zita rake richanzi, Anoshamisa, Gota, Mwari ane simba, Baba vokusingaperi, Muchinda worugare.

⁷Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with judgment and with righteousness, from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this.

⁷Kukura koumambo hwake nokorugare hazvina mugumo, agare pachigaro choushe chaDhavhidhi napaushe hwake, ahusimbise ahutsigire nokururamisira nokururama kubva zvino kusvikira panguva isingaperi. Kushingaira kwaJehovha wehondo kuchazviita.

⁸The Lord sent a word unto Jacob, and it lighteth upon Israel.

⁸Jehovha akatuma shoko kuna Jakove, rakaburukira pamusoro pavaIsiraeri.

⁹And all the people shall know [it], Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in pride and stoutness of heart,

⁹Vanhu vose vachaziva, ivo vaEfuremu navagere Samaria, ivo vanoti namanyawi avo nokuzvikudza kwemoyo yavo,

¹⁰The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; the sycamore trees are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars.

¹⁰Zvitinha zvawa, asi tichavaka namabwe akavezwa; mionde yatemwa, asi tichaisa misidhari panzvimbo yayo.

¹¹And Jehovah will set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and arm his enemies,

¹¹Naizvozvo Jehovha achavamutsira vadzivisi vaRezini, achasanganisa vavengi vake;

¹²the Syrians on the east, and the Philistines on the west; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

¹²vaSiria pamberi, navaFirisitia mushure, vachapedza Isiraeri nomuromo wakashama. Kunyange zvakadaro, kutsamwa kwake hakuna kudzorwa, asi ruoko rwake rwakaramba rwakatambanudzwa nazvino.

¹³But the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, and they do not seek Jehovah of hosts.

¹³Asi vanhu havana kutendeukira kuna iye akavarova, havana kutsvaka Jehovha wehondo.

¹⁴And Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm-branch and rush, in one day:

¹⁴Saka Jehovha achagura vaIsiraeri musoro nomuswe, davi romuchindwe nenhokwe, nomusi mumwe.

¹⁵the ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

¹⁵Mukuru nowanokudzwa ndiwo musoro; muporofita, anodzidzisa nhema, ndiwo muswe.

¹⁶For the guides of this people mislead [them]; and they that are guided by them are swallowed up.

¹⁶nekuti vatungamiriri vavanhu ava vanovatsaukisa; vanotungamirirwa navo vanoparadzwa.

¹⁷Therefore the Lord will not rejoice in their young men, neither will he have mercy on their fatherless and on their widows; for every one is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

¹⁷Naizvozvo Ishe haangafariri majaya avo, haangavi netsitsi nenherera nechirikadzi dzavo; nekuti mumwe nomumwe wavo mumhuri waMwari nomuiti wezvakaipa, muromo mumwe nomumwe unotaura zvohupenzi. Kunyange zvakadaro, kutsamwa kwake hakuna kudzorwa, asi ruoko rwake rwakaramba rwakatambanudzwa nazvino.

¹⁸For wickedness burneth as a fire: it devoureth briars and thorns, and kindleth in the thickets of the forest, and they go rolling up like a pillar of smoke.

¹⁸nekuti zvakaipa zvinopfuta somoto; unopedza rukato nemhinzwa; zvirokwazvo unopisa matenhere edondo, zvichikwira kudenga iri shongwe youtsi.

¹⁹Through the wrath of Jehovah of hosts is the land burned up, and the people is as fuel for fire: a man spareth not his brother;

¹⁹Nyika inotsva nokuda kokutsamwa kwaJehovha wehondo; vanhu vakaita sehuni dzinoveswa; hakuna munhu une nyasha nehama yake.

²⁰and he snatcheth on the right hand, and is hungry, and eateth on the left hand; and they are not satisfied. They eat every man the flesh of his own arm:

²⁰Mumwe achabvuta kurudyi, asi achava nenzara; achadya kuruboshwe, asi havangaguti; mumwe nomumwe achadya nyama yoruoko rwake.

²¹Manasseh, Ephraim, and Ephraim, Manasseh; [and] they together are against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

²¹VaManase vachadya vaEfuremu, navaEfuremu vaManase; ivo pamwechete vachamukira vaJudha. Kunyange zvakadaro, kutsamwa kwake hakuna kudzorwa, asi ruoko rwake rwakaramba rwakatambanudzwa nazvino.