Isaiah 8

1 And the Lord said to me, Take a great writing-board, and on it put down in common letters, Maher-shalal-hash-baz;

And Jehovah said to me, Take thee a great tablet, and write thereon with a man's style, concerning Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

2 And take true witnesses to the writing, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah, the son of Jeberechiah.

And I took unto me to witness, sure witnesses, Urijah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.

3 And I went in to my wife, and she became with child, and gave birth to a son. Then the Lord said to me, Give him the name Maher-shalal-hash-baz,

And I came near to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son; and Jehovah said unto me, Call his name, Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

4 For before the child is able to say, Father, or, Mother, the wealth of Damascus and the goods of Samaria will be taken away by the king of Assyria.

For before the lad knoweth to cry, My father! and, My mother! the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.

5 And the Lord said again to me,

And Jehovah spoke again to me, saying,

6 Because this people will have nothing to do with the softly-flowing waters of Shiloah, and have fear of Rezin and Remaliah's son;

Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah which flow softly, and rejoiceth in Rezin and in the son of Remaliah,

7 For this cause the Lord is sending on them the waters of the River, deep and strong, even the king of Assyria and all his glory: and it will come up through all its streams, overflowing all its edges:

therefore behold, the Lord will bring up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory; and he shall mount up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:

8 And it will come on into Judah; rushing on and overflowing, till the waters are up to the neck; and his outstretched wings will be covering the land from side to side: for God is with us.

and he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow it and go further, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel!

9 Have knowledge, O peoples, and be in fear; give ear, all you far-off parts of the earth:

Rage, ye peoples, and be broken in pieces! And give ear, all ye distant parts of the earth: Gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces!

10 Let your designs be formed, and they will come to nothing; give your orders, and they will not be effected: for God is with us.

Settle a plan, and it shall come to nought; speak a word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

11 For the Lord, controlling me with a strong hand, gave me orders not to go in the way of this people, saying,

For Jehovah spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and he instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,

12 Do not say, It is holy, about everything of which this people says, It is holy; and do not be in fear of what they go in fear of.

Ye shall not say, Conspiracy, of everything of which this people saith, Conspiracy; and fear ye not their fear, and be not in dread.

13 But let the Lord of armies be holy to you, and go in fear of him, giving honour to him.

Jehovah of hosts, him shall ye sanctify; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

14 And he will be for a holy place: but for a stone of falling and a rock of trouble to the two houses of Israel, and to the men of Jerusalem, for a net in which they may be taken.

And he will be for a sanctuary; and for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

15 And numbers of them, falling on the stone, will be broken, and will be taken in the net.

And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

16 Let my teaching be kept secret: and my words be given to my disciples only.

Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

17 And I will be waiting for the Lord, whose face is veiled from the house of Jacob, and I will be looking for him.

And I will wait for Jehovah, who hideth his face from the house of Jacob; and I will look for him.

18 See, I and the children whom the Lord has given me, are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of armies, whose resting-place is in Mount Zion.

Behold, I and the children that Jehovah hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel, from Jehovah of hosts, who dwelleth in mount Zion.

19 And when they say to you, Make request for us to those who have control of spirits, and to those wise in secret arts, who make hollow bird-like sounds; is it not right for a people to make request to their gods, to make request for the living to the dead?

And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto the necromancers and unto the soothsayers, who chirp and who mutter, [say, ] Shall not a people seek unto their God? [Will they go] for the living unto the dead?

20 Then say to them, Put your faith in the teaching and the witness. ... If they do not say such things. ... For him there is no dawn. ...

To the law and the testimony! If they speak not according to this word, for them there is no daybreak.

21 And he will go through the land in bitter trouble and in need of food; and when he is unable to get food, he will become angry, cursing his king and his God, and his eyes will be turned to heaven on high;

And they shall pass through it, hard pressed and hungry; and it shall come to pass when they are hungry, they will fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and will gaze upward:

22 And he will be looking down on the earth, and there will be trouble and dark clouds, black night where there is no seeing.

and they will look to the earth; and behold, trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they shall be driven into thick darkness.