Isaiah 8

1 And Jehovah said to me, Take thee a great tablet, and with a man's writing-instrument write on it, Hasteth-the-prey, Speedeth-the-spoil.

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

2 And I took with me 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 I went in to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then said Jehovah to me, Call his name, Hasteth-the-prey, Speedeth-the-spoil.

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

4 For before the child shall learn to say, My father, and My mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be borne away before the king of Assyria.

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 Moreover, Jehovah spake to me again, saying:

Jehovah spoke to me yet again, saying,

6 Because this people despiseth The soft-flowing waters of Siloah, And rejoiceth in 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 Therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth upon them the strong and mighty waters of the river; [[The king of Assyria and all his glory.]] He shall rise above all his channels, And go over all his banks.

now therefore, look, Jehovah 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 shall pass through Judah, overflowing and spreading; Even to the neck shall he reach, And his stretched-out wings shall fill the whole breadth of thy 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 Rage, ye nations, and despair! Give ear, all ye distant parts of the earth! Gird yourselves, and despair! Gird yourselves, and despair!

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

10 Form your plan, and it shall come to naught; Give the command, and it shall not stand; 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 thus spake Jehovah to me with a strong hand, Instructing me not to walk in the way of this people:

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

12 Call not everything a confederacy which this people calleth a confederacy; Fear ye not what they fear, Neither be afraid!

"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 Jehovah of hosts, sanctify ye him; Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread!

Jehovah 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 he shall be to you a sanctuary; But a stone of stumbling, and a rock to strike against, To the two houses of Israel, A trap and a snare 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 many among them shall stumble; They shall fall, and be broken; They shall be ensnared and taken.

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

16 Bind up the revelation, Seal the word, with my disciples!

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

17 I will, therefore, wait for Jehovah, Who now hideth his face from the house of Jacob; Yet will I look for him.

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

18 Behold, I, and the children which Jehovah hath given me, Are signs and tokens in Israel From Jehovah of hosts, who dwelleth upon mount Zion.

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

19 And when they shall say to you, “Inquire of the necromancers and the wizards, That chirp, and that murmur,” [[Then say ye, ]] “Should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead for the living?”

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 To the word, to the revelation! If they speak not according to this, For them no bright morning shall arise.

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 They shall pass through the land distressed and famished; And when they are famished, they shall be enraged, and curse their king and their God, And look 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 if they look to the earth, Behold distress and darkness, fearful darkness! And into darkness shall they be driven.

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