Isaiah 8–9

Isaiah and His Children as Signs

The Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll^a and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.”^b So I called in Uriah^c the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses^d for me. Then I made love to the prophetess,^e and she conceived and gave birth to a son.^f And the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.^g Before the boy knows^h how to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascusⁱ and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.^j”

The Lord spoke to me again:

“Because this people has rejected^k

the gently flowing waters of Shiloah^l

and rejoices over Rezin

and the son of Remaliah,^m

therefore the Lord is about to bring against them

the mighty floodwatersⁿ of the Euphrates—

the king of Assyria^o with all his pomp.^p

It will overflow all its channels,

run over all its banks^q

and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it,^r

passing through it and reaching up to the neck.

Its outspread wings^s will cover the breadth of your land,

Immanuel!”^t

Raise the war cry,^u you nations, and be shattered!^v

Listen, all you distant lands.

Prepare^w for battle, and be shattered!

Prepare for battle, and be shattered!

Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted;^x

propose your plan, but it will not stand,^y

for God is with us.^z

This is what the Lord says to me with his strong hand upon me,^a warning me not to follow^b the way of this people:

“Do not call conspiracy^c

everything this people calls a conspiracy;

do not fear what they fear,^d

and do not dread it.^e

The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,^f

he is the one you are to fear,^g

he is the one you are to dread.^h

He will be a holy place;ⁱ

for both houses of Israel he will be

a stone^j that causes people to stumble^k

and a rock that makes them fall.^l

And for the people of Jerusalem he will be

a trap and a snare.^m

Many of them will stumble;ⁿ

they will fall and be broken,

they will be snared and captured.”

Bind up this testimony of warning^o

and seal^p up God’s instruction among my disciples.

I will wait^q for the Lord,

who is hiding^r his face from the house of Jacob.

I will put my trust in him.^s

Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me.^t We are signs^u and symbols^v in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.^w

The Darkness Turns to Light

When someone tells you to consult^a mediums and spiritists,^b who whisper and mutter,^c should not a people inquire^d of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Consult God’s instruction^e and the testimony of warning.^f If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light^g of dawn. Distressed and hungry,^h they will roam through the land;ⁱ when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse^j their king and their God. Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom,^k and they will be thrust into utter darkness.^l

^*Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom^m for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,ⁿ but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

^*The people walking in darkness^o

have seen a great light;^p

on those living in the land of deep darkness^q

a light has dawned.^r

You have enlarged the nation^s

and increased their joy;^t

they rejoice before you

as people rejoice at the harvest,

as soldiers rejoice

when dividing the plunder.^u

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,^v

you have shattered^w

the yoke^x that burdens them,

the bar across their shoulders,^y

the rod of their oppressor.^z

Every warrior’s boot used in battle

and every garment rolled in blood

will be destined for burning,^a

will be fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born,^b

to us a son is given,^c

and the government^d will be on his shoulders.^e

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor,^f Mighty God,^g

Everlasting^h Father,ⁱ Prince of Peace.^j

Of the increase of his government^k and peace^l

there will be no end.^m

He will reignⁿ on David’s throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice^o and righteousness^p

from that time on and forever.^q

The zeal^r of the Lord Almighty

will accomplish this.

The Lord’s Anger Against Israel

The Lord has sent a message^a against Jacob;

it will fall on Israel.

All the people will know it—

Ephraim^b and the inhabitants of Samaria^c—

who say with pride

and arrogance^d of heart,

“The bricks have fallen down,

but we will rebuild with dressed stone;^e

the fig^f trees have been felled,

but we will replace them with cedars.^g”

But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s^h foes against them

and has spurred their enemies on.

Arameansⁱ from the east and Philistines^j from the west

have devoured^k Israel with open mouth.

Yet for all this, his anger^l is not turned away,

his hand is still upraised.^m

But the people have not returnedⁿ to him who struck^o them,

nor have they sought^p the Lord Almighty.

So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,

both palm branch and reed^q in a single day;^r

the elders^s and dignitaries^t are the head,

the prophets^u who teach lies^v are the tail.

Those who guide^w this people mislead them,

and those who are guided are led astray.^x

Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,^y

nor will he pity^z the fatherless and widows,

for everyone is ungodly^a and wicked,^b

every mouth speaks folly.^c

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,

his hand is still upraised.^d

Surely wickedness burns like a fire;^e

it consumes briers and thorns,^f

it sets the forest thickets ablaze,^g

so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.

By the wrath^h of the Lord Almighty

the land will be scorchedⁱ

and the people will be fuel for the fire;^j

they will not spare each other.^k

On the right they will devour,

but still be hungry;^l

on the left they will eat,^m

but not be satisfied.

They will all feed on the flesh of their own offspring:

Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;ⁿ

together they will turn against Judah.^o

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,

his hand is still upraised.^p