Isaiah 8

1 And the Lord said unto me, Take thyself a large table, and write on it with distinct letters, Lemaher-shalal-chash-bas.

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.’”

2 And I was to summon for myself trustworthy witnesses, Uriyah the priest, and Zecharyahu the son of Yeberechyahu.

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

3 And I came near unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bore a son. Then said the Lord to me, Call his name Maher-shalal-chash-bas.

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.’

4 For before yet the boy shall know to call, My father, and my mother, the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be carried away before the king of Assyria.

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.”

5 And the Lord continued to speak unto me again, saying,

And the Lord spoke to me further, saying:

6 Forasmuch as this people despiseth the waters of Shiloach that flow softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remalyahu's son:

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

7 Yea therefore behold, the Lord bringeth up over them the strong and many waters of the river, —the king of Assyria, and all his glory; and he shall come up over all his channels, and step over all his banks;

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.

8 And he shall penetrate into Judah, overflow and flood over, even to the neck shall he reach; and his outstretched wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O 'Immanu-el.

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.”

9 Associate yourselves, O ye people, yet shall ye be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of the far portions of the earth: gird yourselves, yet shall ye be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, yet shall ye be broken in pieces.

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

10 Take counsel together, yet shall it come to naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand firm; for with us is God.

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

11 For thus said the Lord to me with the strength of prophecy, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,

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:

12 Call ye not a conspiracy all that this people may call a conspiracy, and what it feareth shall ye not fear, and be not terrified [thereat].

“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.

13 The Lord of hosts, him shall ye sanctify; and let him be your fear, and let him be your terror.

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

14 And he will be for a sanctuary; but also for a stone of stumbling and for a rock to fall over unto both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

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.

15 And many shall stumble over them, and fall, and be broken, and snared, and be caught.

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

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

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

17 And I will wait for the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope for him.

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

18 Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for tokens in Israel, from the Lord of hosts who dwelleth on mount Zion.

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.

19 And when they shall say unto you, “Inquire of those that have familiar spirits, and of the wizards, that whisper, and that mutter:” should not a people inquire of their God? [should we then] in behalf of the living [inquire] of the dead?

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?

20 [Hold] to the law and to the testimony: if they are not to speak according to this word, in which there is no light.

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.

21 And the [people] shall pass through [the land], hard oppressed and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they will become enraged, and curse their king and their god, and turn toward on high [for aid].

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.

22 And they will look unto the earth; and behold there are trouble and darkness, dimness of oppression, and they shall be scattered into obscurity.

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.