יְשַׁעְיָהוּ 8

1 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י קַח־לְךָ֖ גִּלָּיֹ֣ון גָּדֹ֑ול וּכְתֹ֤ב עָלָיו֙ בְּחֶ֣רֶט אֱנֹ֔ושׁ לְמַהֵ֥ר שָׁלָ֖ל חָ֥שׁ בַּֽז׃

Then the Lord told me, “Get a large tablet and write on it in with an ordinary pen, ‘Maher-shalal-hash-baz.’

2 וְאָעִ֣ידָה לִּ֔י עֵדִ֖ים נֶאֱמָנִ֑ים אֵ֚ת אוּרִיָּ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְאֶת־זְכַרְיָ֖הוּ בֶּ֥ן יְבֶרֶכְיָֽהוּ׃

I will need Uriah the priest and Zechariah, son of Jeberekiah, to be my trustworthy witnesses.”

3 וָאֶקְרַב֙ אֶל־הַנְּבִיאָ֔ה וַתַּ֖הַר וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י קְרָ֣א שְׁמֹ֔ו מַהֵ֥ר שָׁלָ֖ל חָ֥שׁ בַּֽז׃

Then I slept with my wife the prophetess, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. The Lord told me, “Call him Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

4 כִּ֗י בְּטֶ֙רֶם֙ יֵדַ֣ע הַנַּ֔עַר קְרֹ֖א אָבִ֣י וְאִמִּ֑י יִשָּׂ֣א ׀ אֶת־חֵ֣יל דַּמֶּ֗שֶׂק וְאֵת֙ שְׁלַ֣ל שֹׁמְרֹ֔ון לִפְנֵ֖י מֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּֽׁוּר׃ ס

For even before the boy knows how to say ‘Daddy’ or ‘Mommy,’ the king of Assyria will carry off Damascus' wealth and Samaria's possessions.”

5 וַיֹּ֣סֶף יְהוָ֔ה דַּבֵּ֥ר אֵלַ֛י עֹ֖וד לֵאמֹֽר׃

Then the Lord spoke to me again, saying,

6 יַ֗עַן כִּ֤י מָאַס֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה אֵ֚ת מֵ֣י הַשִּׁלֹ֔חַ הַהֹלְכִ֖ים לְאַ֑ט וּמְשֹׂ֥ושׂ אֶת־רְצִ֖ין וּבֶן־רְמַלְיָֽהוּ׃

“Because this people has rejected the waters of Shiloah that gently flow and instead have rejoiced with Rezin and Remaliah's son,

7 וְלָכֵ֡ן הִנֵּ֣ה אֲדֹנָי֩ מַעֲלֶ֨ה עֲלֵיהֶ֜ם אֶת־מֵ֣י הַנָּהָ֗ר הָעֲצוּמִים֙ וְהָ֣רַבִּ֔ים אֶת־מֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּׁ֖וּר וְאֶת־כָּל־כְּבֹודֹ֑ו וְעָלָה֙ עַל־כָּל־אֲפִיקָ֔יו וְהָלַ֖ךְ עַל־כָּל־גְּדֹותָֽיו׃

the Lord is going to bring the powerful floodwaters of the Euphrates River against them—the king of Assyria with all his glorious army. It will flood all its channels and overflow all its banks.

8 וְחָלַ֤ף בִּֽיהוּדָה֙ שָׁטַ֣ף וְעָבַ֔ר עַד־צַוָּ֖אר יַגִּ֑יעַ וְהָיָה֙ מֻטֹּ֣ות כְּנָפָ֔יו מְלֹ֥א רֹֽחַב־אַרְצְךָ֖ עִמָּ֥נוּ אֵֽל׃ ס

It will sweep on into Judah, overflowing and flooding through, reaching up to the neck. Like outspread wings it will engulf the whole of your land, Immanuel!

9 רֹ֤עוּ עַמִּים֙ וָחֹ֔תּוּ וְהַֽאֲזִ֔ינוּ כֹּ֖ל מֶרְחַקֵּי־אָ֑רֶץ הִתְאַזְּר֣וּ וָחֹ֔תּוּ הִֽתְאַזְּר֖וּ וָחֹֽתּוּ׃

Pay attention, you nations, and be smashed! Listen, all you distant lands, get ready, but you will be smashed. Get ready, but you will be smashed.

10 עֻ֥צוּ עֵצָ֖ה וְתֻפָ֑ר דַּבְּר֤וּ דָבָר֙ וְלֹ֣א יָק֔וּם כִּ֥י עִמָּ֖נוּ אֵֽל׃ ס

You can plan your strategy, but it will be foiled; you can say what you're intending, but it won't happen, for God is with us.”

11 כִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אֵלַ֖י כְּחֶזְקַ֣ת הַיָּ֑ד וְיִסְּרֵ֕נִי מִלֶּ֛כֶת בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ הָֽעָם־הַזֶּ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃

For this is what the Lord told me, holding me with a strong hand, instructing me not to follow the way of this people. He said,

12 לֹא־תֹאמְר֣וּן קֶ֔שֶׁר לְכֹ֧ל אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמַ֛ר הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה קָ֑שֶׁר וְאֶת־מֹורָאֹ֥ו לֹֽא־תִֽירְא֖וּ וְלֹ֥א תַעֲרִֽיצוּ׃

Don't call a conspiracy everything that these people call a conspiracy. Don't fear what they fear. Don't be overawed!

13 אֶת־יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֹ֖ות אֹתֹ֣ו תַקְדִּ֑ישׁוּ וְה֥וּא מֹורַאֲכֶ֖ם וְה֥וּא מֽ͏ַעֲרִֽצְכֶֽם׃

The Lord Almighty is the one you should see as holy. He is the one you should fear, he is the one you should be in awe of.

14 וְהָיָ֖ה לְמִקְדָּ֑שׁ וּלְאֶ֣בֶן נֶ֠גֶף וּלְצ֨וּר מִכְשֹׁ֜ול לִשְׁנֵ֨י בָתֵּ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לְפַ֣ח וּלְמֹוקֵ֔שׁ לְיֹושֵׁ֖ב יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

He will be a sanctuary for you. But to the royal families of both Israel and Judah he will be a stone they trip over and a rock that makes them stumble, a trap and a snare to the people who live in Jerusalem.

15 וְכָ֥שְׁלוּ בָ֖ם רַבִּ֑ים וְנָפְל֣וּ וְנִשְׁבָּ֔רוּ וְנֹוקְשׁ֖וּ וְנִלְכָּֽדוּ׃ ס

Many people will stumble over them. They will fall and be broken. They will be trapped and caught.

16 צֹ֖ור תְּעוּדָ֑ה חֲתֹ֥ום תֹּורָ֖ה בְּלִמֻּדָֽי׃

Safeguard this testimony, seal these instructions—they are for my disciples.

17 וְחִכִּ֙יתִי֙ לַיהוָ֔ה הַמַּסְתִּ֥יר פָּנָ֖יו מִבֵּ֣ית יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְקִוֵּ֖יתִֽי־לֹֽו׃

I will wait for the Lord, the one who is hiding his face from Jacob's descendants. I will wait in hope for him.

18 הִנֵּ֣ה אָנֹכִ֗י וְהַיְלָדִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָֽתַן־לִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לְאֹתֹ֥ות וּלְמֹופְתִ֖ים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מֵעִם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֔ות הַשֹּׁכֵ֖ן בְּהַ֥ר צִיֹּֽון׃ ס

Look, I'm here, together with the children the Lord has given me. They are signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who lives on Mount Zion.

19 וְכִֽי־יֹאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵיכֶ֗ם דִּרְשׁ֤וּ אֶל־הָאֹבֹות֙ וְאֶל־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים הַֽמְצַפְצְפִ֖ים וְהַמַּהְגִּ֑ים הֲלֹוא־עַם֙ אֶל־אֱלֹהָ֣יו יִדְרֹ֔שׁ בְּעַ֥ד הַחַיִּ֖ים אֶל־הַמֵּתִֽים׃

When someone suggests to you, “Go and ask mediums and spiritists who whisper and mutter,” shouldn't people ask their God? Why should they ask the dead on behalf of the living?

20 לְתֹורָ֖ה וְלִתְעוּדָ֑ה אִם־לֹ֤א יֹֽאמְרוּ֙ כַּדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־לֹ֖ו שָֽׁחַר׃

Go and examine God's law and his instructions! If what they say doesn't correspond with God's word, there will be no dawn for them.

21 וְעָ֥בַר בָּ֖הּ נִקְשֶׁ֣ה וְרָעֵ֑ב וְהָיָ֨ה כִֽי־יִרְעַ֜ב וְהִתְקַצַּ֗ף וְקִלֵּ֧ל בְּמַלְכֹּ֛ו וּבֵאלֹהָ֖יו וּפָנָ֥ה לְמָֽעְלָה׃

They will wander round the country, depressed and hungry. When they are starving they will become furious, and looking up they will curse their king and their God.

22 וְאֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ יַבִּ֑יט וְהִנֵּ֨ה צָרָ֤ה וַחֲשֵׁכָה֙ מְע֣וּף צוּקָ֔ה וַאֲפֵלָ֖ה מְנֻדָּֽח׃

Then they will look towards the earth and see only misery and gloom and agonizing depression, and they will be thrown out into the darkness.