Isaiah, 8

1. Yahweh said to me, 'Take a large tablet and on it with an ordinary stylus write, "Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz".

1. Then the LORD said to me, "Take a large tablet and write upon it in common characters, `Belonging to Ma'her-shal'al-hash-baz.'"

2. And take reliable witnesses, the priest Uriah and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah.'

2. And I got reliable witnesses, Uri'ah the priest and Zechari'ah the son of Jeberechi'ah, to attest for me.

3. I then had intercourse with the prophetess, who then conceived and gave birth to a son. Yahweh said to me, 'Call him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz,

3. And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, "Call his name Ma'her-shal'al-hash-baz;

4. for before the child knows how to say "mother" or "father", the wealth of Damascus and the booty of Samaria will be carried away while the king of Assyria looks on.'

4. for before the child knows how to cry `My father' or `My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Sama'ria will be carried away before the king of Assyria."

5. Yahweh spoke to me again and said,

5. The LORD spoke to me again:

6. 'Since this people has rejected the waters of Shiloah which flow smoothly, and has trembled before Razon and the son of Remaliah,

6. "Because this people have refused the waters of Shilo'ah that flow gently, and melt in fear before Rezin and the son of Remali'ah;

7. now, against it, the Lord will bring the mighty, swelling waters of the River (the king of Assyria and all his glory); the River will flood up all its channels and overflow all its banks;

7. therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory; and it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks;

8. it will flow into Judah, flooding everything and passing on; it will reach right up to the neck, and the spreading of its wings will cover the whole extent of your country, Immanuel!

8. and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck; and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Imman'u-el."

9. Realise this, peoples, and be afraid, listen, all members of far-off nations! Arm yourselves yet be afraid! Arm yourselves yet be afraid!

9. Be broken, you peoples, and be dismayed; give ear, all you far countries; gird yourselves and be dismayed; gird yourselves and be dismayed.

10. Devise plans as you may: they will come to nothing! Make what pronouncements you like; it will not come about! For God is with us!'

10. Take counsel together, but it will come to nought; speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us.

11. For this was how Yahweh spoke to me when his hand seized hold of me and he taught me not to follow the path of this people, saying,

11. For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying:

12. 'Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy; do not dread what they dread, have no fear of that.

12. "Do not call conspiracy all that this people call conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread.

13. Yahweh Sabaoth is the one you will proclaim holy, him you will dread, him you will fear.

13. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy; let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

14. He will be a sanctuary, a stumbling-stone, a rock to trip up the two Houses of Israel; a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem,

14. And he will become a sanctuary, and a stone of offense, and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

15. over which many of them will stumble, fall and be broken, be ensnared and made captive.

15. And many shall stumble thereon; they shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken."

16. Bind up the testimony, seal the instruction in the heart of my disciples.'

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

17. My trust is in Yahweh who hides his face from the House of Jacob; I put my hope in him.

17. I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him.

18. Look, I and the children whom Yahweh has given me shall become signs and portents in Israel on behalf of Yahweh Sabaoth who dwells on Mount Zion.

18. Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.

19. And should people say to you, 'Go and consult ghosts and wizards that whisper and mutter' -- a people should certainly consult its gods and the dead on behalf of the living!

19. And when they say to you, "Consult the mediums and the wizards who chirp and mutter," should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?

20. As regards instruction and testimony, without doubt this is how they will talk, and hence there will be no dawn for them.

20. To the teaching and to the testimony! Surely for this word which they speak there is no dawn.

21. Oppressed and starving he will wander the country; and, once starving, he will become frenzied and curse his king and his God; turning his gaze upward,

21. They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry; and when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will curse their king and their God, and turn their faces upward;

22. then down to earth, there will be only anguish, gloom, the confusion of night, swirling darkness.

22. and they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be thrust into thick darkness.

23. For is not everything dark as night for a country in distress? As the past humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, so the future will glorify the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, the territory of the nations.

23.