1 A shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will produce fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, which is Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of advice and power, a Spirit of knowledge and awe of the Lord. 3 His happiness will be in giving reverence to the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees, and he will not make decisions based on what he hears. 4 Instead, he will judge the poor justly, and make decisions fairness on behalf of the destitute people of the earth. He will strike the earth when he pronounces judgment, and he will execute the wicked with just a word from his lips. 5 He will wear goodness like a sash and trustworthiness like a belt.

6 Wolves will live with lambs; leopards will lie down with young goats, calves and young lions and young livestock will be together, and a small child will lead them along. 7 Cows and bears will graze side by side; young lions will eat straw like cattle. 8 Babies will be able to play safely near snake holes, little children will be able to put their hands into a vipers' den. 9 Nothing will cause any harm or damage anywhere on my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord in the same way that water fills the sea.

10 At that time the root of Jesse will stand like a banner for the nations. Foreigners will come to him, and the place of where he lives will be glorious.

11 At that time the Lord will act a second time* to bring back the remnant of His people from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Ethiopia, Elam, Babylonia, Hamath, and from the Mediterranean islands. 12 He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiled people of Israel; he will bring together the scattered people of Judah from the ends of the earth. 13 Ephraim's jealousy will disappear, and Judah's enemies will be destroyed; Ephraim won't be jealous of Judah, and Judah won't treat Ephraim as an enemy. 14 Together they will fly downhill to attack the Philistines to the west; they will plunder the people of the east. They will defeat Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will become their subjects. 15 The Lord will divide the Gulf of Suez;† he will wave his hand over the Euphrates River creating a scorching wind. He will split into seven streams that people can cross easily on foot. 16 There will be a highway from Assyria for the remnant of his people that are left, just as there was for Israel when they left the land of Egypt.