Isaiah 8

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

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

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

3 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.'

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 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."

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 to me yet again, saying,

And Jehovah addeth to speak unto me again, saying:

6 "Because this people have refused 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, 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.

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 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.

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

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 will be brought to nothing; speak the word, and it will 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 not to 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 "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.

'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 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.

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

14 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

18 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.

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 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?"

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

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

21 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,

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