Isaiah 8

1 Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take you a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.

And Jehovah saith unto me, 'Take to thee a great tablet, and write upon it with a graving tool of man, To haste spoil, enjoy prey.'

2 And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.

And I cause faithful witnesses to testify to me, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah.

3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.

And I draw near unto the prophetess, and she conceiveth, and beareth a son; and Jehovah saith unto me, 'Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz,

4 For before the child shall have knowledge 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.

for before the youth doth know to cry, My father, and My mother, one taketh away the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria, before the king of Asshur.'

5 The LORD spoke also unto me again, saying,

And Jehovah addeth to speak unto me again, saying:

6 Forasmuch as this people refuses the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son;

'Because that this people hath refused The waters of Shiloah that go softly, And is rejoicing with Rezin and the son of Remaliah,

7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:

Therefore, lo, the Lord is bringing up on them, The waters of the river, the mighty and the great, (The king of Asshur, and all his glory, ) And it hath gone up over all its streams, And hath gone on over all its banks.

8 And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.

And it hath passed on into Judah, It hath overflown and passed over, Unto the neck it cometh, And the stretching out of its wings Hath been the fulness of the breadth of thy land, O Emmanu-El!

9 Associate yourselves, O all of you people, and all of you shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all you of far countries: gird yourselves, and all of you shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and all of you shall be broken in pieces.

Be friends, O nations, and be broken, And give ear, all ye far off ones of earth, Gird yourselves, and be broken, Gird yourselves, and be broken.

10 Take counsel together, and it shall come to nothing; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

Take counsel, and it is broken, Speak a word, and it doth not stand, Because of Emmanu-El!'

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

For thus hath Jehovah spoken unto me with strength of hand, and instructeth me against walking in the way of this people, saying,

12 Say all of you not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear all of you their fear, nor be afraid.

'Ye do not say, A confederacy, To all to whom this people saith, A confederacy, And its fear ye do not fear, Nor declare fearful.

13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

Jehovah of Hosts — Him ye do sanctify, And He [is] your Fear, and He your Dread,

14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a animal trap and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

And He hath been for a sanctuary, And for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of falling, To the two houses of Israel, For a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

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

And many among them have stumbled and fallen, And been broken, and snared, and captured.

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

Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among My disciples.

17 And I will wait upon the LORD, that hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

And I have waited for Jehovah, Who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob, And I have looked for Him.

18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwells in mount Zion.

Lo, I, and the children whom Jehovah hath given to me, [Are] for signs and for wonders in Israel, From Jehovah of Hosts, who is dwelling in Mount Zion.

19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mumble: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?

And when they say unto you, 'Seek unto those having familiar spirits, And unto wizards, who chatter and mutter, Doth not a people seek unto its God? — For the living unto the dead!

20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

To the law and to the testimony! If not, let them say after this manner, 'That there is no dawn to it.'

21 And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.

— And it hath passed over into it, hardened and hungry, And it hath come to pass, That it is hungry, and hath been wroth, And made light of its king, and of its God, And hath looked upwards.

22 And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.

And unto the land it looketh attentively, And lo, adversity and darkness! — Dimness, distress, and thick darkness is driven away, But not the dimness for which she is in distress!