Isaiah 8
8
Assyria Is Coming Soon
1The Lord told me, “Get a large scroll,#8:1 scroll This Hebrew word might also mean a clay or stone tablet. and use an ordinary pen#8:1 ordinary pen Literally, “stylus of a man.” This might be a pen for writing on clay. to write these words: ‘This is for Maher Shalal Hash Baz.’#8:1 Maher Shalal Hash Baz This means “There will soon be looting and stealing.””
2I found some men who could be trusted to serve as witnesses: Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah. They watched me write those words. 3Then I went to my wife, the woman prophet. She became pregnant and had a son. The Lord told me, “Name the boy Maher Shalal Hash Baz.” 4He said that because before the boy learns to say “Mama” and “Daddy,” God will take all the wealth and riches from Damascus#8:4 Damascus A city in the country of Aram (Syria). and Samaria and give them to the king of Assyria.
5The Lord spoke to me again. 6He said, “These people#8:6 These people Probably Judeans who wanted to join Rezin and Pekah. Also in verse 11. refuse to accept the slow-moving waters of Shiloah.#8:6 Shiloah A channel that carried water from Gihon Spring to a pool at the south end of the City of David (Jerusalem). Men from David’s family were anointed to be kings there. They prefer Rezin and Remaliah’s son.” 7But the Lord will bring the king of Assyria and all his power against them. The Assyrians will come like their swift moving river, like water that rises and spills over its banks. 8This water will be like a flash flood as it passes through Judah. It will rise to Judah’s throat and almost drown him.
But he will spread his wings over your whole country, Immanuel.#8:8 But he … Immanuel Or “Immanuel, it will spread throughout your whole country.” This might be a promise of God’s protection, or it might be a warning about Assyria’s power.
9All you nations, prepare for war.
You will be defeated.
Listen, all you faraway countries!
Prepare for battle.
You will be defeated.
10Make your plans for the fight.
Your plans will be defeated.
Give orders to your armies,
but your orders will be useless,
because God is with us!#8:10 God is with us In Hebrew this is like the name Immanuel.
Warnings to Isaiah
11The Lord spoke to me with his great power and warned#8:11 warned Or “prevented.” me not to be like these people. He said, 12“Don’t think there is a plan against you just because the people say there is. Don’t be afraid of what they fear. Don’t let them frighten you!”
13The Lord All-Powerful is the one you should fear. He is the one you should respect.#8:13 respect Literally, “consider holy.” He is the one who should frighten you. 14If you people would respect him, he would be a safe place#8:14 safe place Or “holy place.” for you. But you don’t respect him, so he is like a stone that you stumble over. He is a rock that makes both families of Israel fall. He has become a trap that all the people of Jerusalem will fall into. 15(Many people will trip over this rock. They will fall and be broken. They will be caught in the trap.)
16 The Lord said, “Write this agreement.#8:16 Write this agreement Or “Take a document.” This could refer to the large scroll in verse 1 or to the promise that follows in verse 17. Tie it up and seal it so that it cannot be changed. Give these teachings to my followers for safekeeping.”
17The Lord has turned away from the family of Jacob.
But I will wait for him.
I trust that he will come to save us.
18Here I am with the children the Lord has given me. We are here as signs from the Lord All-Powerful, who lives on Mount Zion. He is using us to show his plans for the people of Israel.
19The people will say, “Go to the fortunetellers and wizards who mumble and chirp like birds. Ask them what to do.” But I say, “Shouldn’t people go to their God for help? Why go to the dead to get help for the living?” 20You should follow the teachings and the agreement.#8:20 agreement This usually means the agreement God made with Israel through Moses. Here, it probably means the agreement in verse 17. I swear, if you follow those other things, there is no future for you. 21When the enemy comes, there will be hard times and hunger. And when he becomes hungry, he will become angry. He will say curses in the name of his king and his gods. Then he will lift his head upwards like a roaring lion. 22And when the captives turn their faces to the ground, there is only a depressing darkness closing in—the dark sadness of people forced to leave their country.
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Isaiah 8: ERV
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Yeshayah (Isaiah) 8
8
1And יהוה said to me, “Take a large tablet, and write on it with a man’s pen concerning Mahĕr-Shalal-Ḥash-Baz.
2“And let Me take reliable witnesses to record, Uriyah the priest and Zeḵaryahu son of Yeḇereḵyahu.”
3And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. And יהוה said to me, “Call his name Mahĕr-Shalal-Ḥash-Baz;
4for before the child knows to cry ‘My father’ and ‘My mother,’ the riches of Dammeseq and the spoil of Shomeron is taken away before the sovereign of Ashshur.”
5And יהוה spoke to me again, saying,
6“Inasmuch as these people refused the waters of Shiloaḥ that flow softly, and rejoice in Retsin and in Remalyahu’s son;
7now therefore, see, יהוה brings up over them the waters of the River, strong and mighty – the sovereign of Ashshur and all his esteem. And he shall come up over all his channels and go over all his banks.
8“And he shall pass through Yehuḏah, he shall overflow and pass over, reaching up to the neck. And the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanu’ĕl.
9“Be shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Give ear, all you from the far places of the earth. Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces.
10“Take counsel, and it comes to naught; speak a word, and it does not stand, for Ěl is with us.”
11For יהוה spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,
12“Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’ concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.
13“יהוה of hosts, Him you shall set apart. Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.
14“And He shall be for a set-apart place, but a stone of stumbling and a rock that makes for falling to both the houses of Yisra’ĕl, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim.
15“And many among them shall stumble and fall, and be broken and snared and taken.”
16Bind up the witness, seal the Torah among my taught ones.
17And I shall wait on יהוה, who hides His face from the house of Ya‛aqoḇ. And I shall look for Him.
18Look, I and the children whom יהוה has given me – for signs and wonders in Yisra’ĕl from יהוה of hosts, who dwells in Mount Tsiyon.
19And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their Elohim? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?
20To the Torah and to the witness! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because they have no daybreak.#Or light.
21And they shall pass through it hard pressed and hungry. And it shall be, when they are hungry, that they shall be wroth and curse their sovereign and their Elohim, looking upward.
22And they shall look to the earth and see distress and darkness, gloom of hard times, and be driven into thick darkness.
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