Peace at last

1Like a branch that sprouts11.1: Rev 5.5; 22.16.

from a stump,

someone from David's family11.1 David's family: Hebrew “Jesse's family”. Jesse was the father of King David.

will some day be king.

2The Spirit of the LORD

will be with him

to give him understanding,

wisdom, and insight.

He will be powerful,

and he will know

and honour the LORD.

3His greatest joy will be

to obey the LORD.

This king won't judge

by appearances

or listen to rumours.

4The poor and the needy11.4: 2 Th 2.8.

will be treated with fairness

and with justice.

His word will be law

everywhere in the land,

and criminals

will be put to death.

5Honesty and fairness11.5: Eph 6.14.

will be his royal robes.

6Leopards will lie down11.6-9: Is 65.25.

with young goats,

and wolves will rest

with lambs.

Calves and lions

will eat together

and be cared for

by little children.

7Cows and bears will share

the same pasture;

their young will rest

side by side.

Lions and oxen

will both eat straw.

8Little children will play

near snake holes.

They will stick their hands

into dens of poisonous snakes

and never be hurt.

9Nothing harmful will take place11.9: He 2.14.

on the LORD's holy mountain.

Just as water fills the sea,

the land will be filled

with people who know

and honour the LORD.

God's people will come back home

10The time is coming when one of David's descendants11.10 David's descendants: Hebrew “Jesse's descendants” (see the note at 11.1). will be the signal for the people of all nations to come together. They will follow his advice, and his own nation will become famous.11.10: Ro 15.12.

11When that day comes, the Lord will again reach out his mighty arm and bring home his people who have survived in Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Ethiopia,11.11 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has “Cush”, which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan. Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the land along the coast.11.11 land along the coast: Or “islands”. 12He will give a signal to the nations, and he will bring together the refugees from Judah and Israel, who have been scattered all over the earth. 13Israel will stop being jealous of Judah, and Judah will no longer be the enemy of Israel. 14Instead, they will get together and attack the Philistines in the west. Then they will defeat the Edomites, the Moabites, and the Ammonites in the east. They will rule those people and take from them whatever they want.

15The Lord will dry up the arm of the Red Sea near Egypt,11.15 arm of the Red Sea near Egypt: Gulf of Suez. and he will send a scorching wind to divide the River Euphrates into seven streams that anyone can step across.11.15: Rev 16.12. 16Then for his people who survive, there will be a good road from Assyria, just as there was a good road for their ancestors when they left Egypt.