Isaiah 8

1 And the Lord said to me: “Take up for yourself a large book, and with a man’s pen write in it: ‘Take away the spoils quickly; plunder swiftly.’”

The LORD said to me, "Take a large tablet, and write on it with a man's pen, 'For Maher Shalal Hash Baz;'

2 And I summoned to myself faithful witnesses: Uriah, the priest, and Zechariah, the son of Berechiah.

and I will take for myself faithful witnesses to testify: Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Berechiah."

3 And I joined with the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said to me: “Call his name: ‘Rush to take away the spoils; Hurry to be plundered.’

I went to the prophetess, and she conceived, and bore a son. Then said the LORD to me, "Call his name 'Maher Shalal Hash Baz.'

4 For before the boy knows how to call to his father and his mother, the strength of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria will be taken away, in the sight of the king of the Assyrians.”

For before the child knows how to say, 'My father,' and, 'My mother,' the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away by the king of Assyria."

5 And the Lord spoke to me further, saying:

The LORD spoke to me yet again, saying,

6 “Because this people has cast aside the waters of Shiloah, which go forth silently, and has instead chosen Rezin and the son of Remaliah,

"Because this people have refused the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son;

7 for this reason, behold, the Lord will lead over them the waters of a river, strong and plentiful: the king of the Assyrians with all his glory. And he will rise up throughout all his streams, and he will overflow all his banks.

now therefore, look, the LORD brings upon them the mighty flood waters of the River: the king of Assyria and all his glory. It will come up over all its channels, and go over all its banks.

8 And he will pass through Judah, inundating it, and he will cross over and arrive, even at its neck. And he will extend his wings, filling the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.”

It will sweep onward into Judah. It will overflow and pass through; it will reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of its wings will fill the breadth of your land, Immanuel.

9 O people, gather together, and be conquered! All distant lands, listen! Be strengthened, and be conquered! Gird yourselves, and be conquered!

Make an uproar, you peoples, and be broken in pieces. Listen, all you from far countries. Prepare for battle, and be shattered.

10 Undertake a plan, and it will be dissipated! Speak a word, and it will not be done! For God is with us.

Take counsel together, and it will be brought to nothing; speak the word, and it will not stand: for God is with us."

11 For the Lord said this to me, and he has instructed this to me with a strong hand, lest I go forth in the way of this people, saying:

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

12 “You should not say ‘It is conspiracy!’ For all that this people speaks is a conspiracy. And you should not be frightened or alarmed with their fear.

"Do not say, 'A conspiracy.' concerning all about which this people say, 'A conspiracy.' And do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread.

13 Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself. Let him be your dread, and let him be your fear.

The LORD of hosts is who you must regard as holy. He is the one you must fear. He is the one you must dread.

14 And so shall he be a sanctification to you. But he will be a stone of offense and a rock of scandal to the two houses of Israel, and a snare and a ruin to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

And he will be a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock that makes them fall to both the houses of Israel, for a trap and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

15 And very many of them will stumble and fall, and they will be broken and entangled and seized.

Many will stumble over it, fall, be broken, be snared, and be captured."

16 Bind the testimony, seal the law, among my disciples.”

Wrap up the testimony. Seal the law among my disciples.

17 And I will wait for the Lord, who has concealed his face from the house of Jacob, and I will stand before him.

I will wait for the LORD, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will trust in him.

18 Behold: I and my children, whom the Lord has given to me as a sign and a portent, in Israel, from the Lord of hosts, who lives on Mount Zion.

Look, here I am, and the children God has given me as signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.

19 And though they say to you, “Seek from seers and diviners,” they who hiss in their incantations, should not the people seek from their God, for the sake of the living, and not from the dead?

When they tell you, "Consult with the spirits of the dead and familiar spirits who chirp and who mutter. Shouldn't a people consult with their gods, by consulting the dead on behalf of the living?"

20 And this is, moreover, for the sake of the law and the testimony. But if they do not speak according to this Word, then he will not have the morning light.

Turn to the law and to the testimony. If they do not speak according to this word, surely there is no morning for them.

21 And he will pass by it; he will fall and become hungry. And when he is hungry, he will become angry, and he will speak evil against his king and his God, and he will lift himself upward.

They will pass through it, greatly distressed and hungry; and it will happen that when they are hungry, they will worry, and curse by their king and by their God. They will turn their faces upward,

22 And he will gaze downward to the earth, and behold: tribulation and darkness, dissolution and distress, and a pursuing gloom. For he will not be able to fly away from its distress.

and look to the earth, and see distress, darkness, and the gloom of anguish. They will be driven into thick darkness.