Isaiah 8

1 Yahweh said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it, 'Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.'

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.

2 I will summon faithful witnesses to attest for me, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah.”

And I took with me faithful witnesses, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah, the son of Berechiah.

3 I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then Yahweh said to me, “Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.

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.

4 For before the child knows to cry, 'My father,' and, 'My mother,' the riches of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried away by the king of Assyria.”

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.

5 Yahweh spoke to me again,

Moreover, Jehovah spake to me again, saying:

6 “Because this people has refused the gentle waters of Shiloah, and is happy over Rezin and Remaliah's son,

Because this people despiseth The soft-flowing waters of Siloah, And rejoiceth in Rezin, and the son of Remaliah,

7 therefore the Lord is about to bring up on them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. It will come up over all its channels and overflow its banks.

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.

8 The River will sweep onward into Judah, flooding and passing on, until it reaches to your neck. Its outstretched wings will fill the breadth of your land, Immanuel.”

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!

9 You peoples will be broken to pieces. Listen, all you distant countries: arm yourselves for war and be broken in pieces; arm yourselves and be broken in pieces.

Rage, ye nations, and despair! Give ear, all ye distant parts of the earth! Gird yourselves, and despair! Gird yourselves, and despair!

10 Form a plan, but it will not be carried out; issue the command, but it will not be carried out, for God is with us.

Form your plan, and it shall come to naught; Give the command, and it shall not stand; For God is with us.

11 Yahweh spoke to me, with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people.

For thus spake Jehovah to me with a strong hand, Instructing me not to walk in the way of this people:

12 Do not call conspiracy anything that this people calls conspiracy, you will not fear what they fear, and do not be terrified.

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

13 It is Yahweh of hosts whom you will honor as holy; he is the one you must fear, and he is the one you must dread.

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

14 He will become a sanctuary; but he will be a stone of striking, and a rock of stumbling— for both the houses of Israel, and he will be a trap and a snare to the people of Jerusalem.

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.

15 Many will stumble over it and fall and be broken, and be ensnared and captured.

And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall, and be broken; They shall be ensnared and taken.

16 Bind up my testimony, seal the official record, and give it to my disciples.

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

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

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

18 See, I and the sons whom Yahweh has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from Yahweh of hosts, who lives on Mount Zion.

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.

19 They will say to you, “Consult with the mediums and spiritists,” those who chirp and mutter incantations. But should a people not consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?

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?”

20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not say such things, it is because they have no light of dawn.

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

21 They will pass through the land greatly distressed and hungry. When they are hungry, they will become angry and curse their king and their God, as they turn their faces upward.

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.

22 They will look at the earth and see distress, darkness, and oppressive gloom. They will be driven into a land of darkness.

And if they look to the earth, Behold distress and darkness, fearful darkness! And into darkness shall they be driven.