Isaiah 8
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Isaiah’s Son a Sign of the Assyrian Invasion
8 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.’”[a] 2 And I got reliable witnesses, Uri′ah the priest and Zechari′ah the son of Jeberechi′ah, to attest for me. 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 cry ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samar′ia will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”
5 The Lord spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people have refused the waters of Shilo′ah that flow gently, and melt in fear before[b] Rezin and the son of Remali′ah; 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 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 Be broken, you peoples, and be dismayed;
give ear, all you far countries;
gird yourselves and be dismayed;
gird yourselves and be dismayed.
10 Take counsel together, but it will come to nought;
speak a word, but it will not stand,
for God is with us.[c]
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 call conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the Lord of hosts, him you shall regard as holy; let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 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 And many shall stumble thereon; they shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.”
Disciples of Isaiah
16 Bind up the testimony, seal the teaching among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 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 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 To the teaching and to the testimony! Surely for this word which they speak there is no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land,[d] greatly distressed and hungry; and when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will curse[e] their king and their God, and turn their faces upward; 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.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 8:1 That is The spoil speeds, the prey hastes
- Isaiah 8:6 Cn: Heb rejoices in
- Isaiah 8:10 Heb immanu el
- Isaiah 8:21 Heb it
- Isaiah 8:21 Or curse by
Yeshayah 8
Orthodox Jewish Bible
8 Moreover Hashem said unto me, Take thee a gillayon gadol (great slab), and write on it with cheret enosh concerning Maher Shalal Chash Baz (The Spoil Speeds, the Booty Hastens [i.e., the coming Assyrian defeat of Syria and Israel is imminent and the life of this son of Isaiah is a prophetic time line. See verse 4 below]).
2 And I took unto me edim ne’emanim (faithful witnesses) to record, Uriyah the kohen, and Zecharyah ben Yeverechyahu.
3 And I went unto the neviah; and she conceived, and bore ben. Then said Hashem to me, Call shmo Maher Shalal Chash Baz.
4 For before the na’ar shall have da’as to cry, Avi, or Immi, the chayil Damascus and the spoil of Shomron shall be carried off before Melech Ashur.
5 Hashem spoke also unto me again, saying,
6 Forasmuch as HaAm HaZeh refuseth the waters of Shiloah that flow softly, and delight in [alliance with] Retzin and Ben Remalyahu;
7 Now therefore, hinei, Adonoi bringeth up upon them the waters of the River, strong and many, even Melech Ashur, and all his kavod; and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks;
8 And he shall swirl into Yehudah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of Thy eretz, O Immanu-El.
9 Exasperate yourselves, O ye Amim (Nations), and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries; gird yourselves for battle, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves for battle, and ye shall be broken in pieces.
10 Consult etzah (counsel, plan), and it shall come to naught; speak the davar, and it shall not stand; for Immanu El (G-d is with us).
11 For Hashem hath spoken thus to me with chezkat haYad, and instructed me that I should not walk in the Derech HaAm HaZeh, saying,
12 Call ye not Kesher (Conspiracy) all that this people calls kesher; neither fear ye their fear, nor be in dread.
13 Regard Hashem Tzva’os as kadosh; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.
14 And He shall be for a Mikdash; but for an Even Negef (Stone of Stumbling) and for a Tzur Michshol to both the Batei Yisroel, for a pach (snare) and for a mokesh (trap) to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim.
15 And rabbim (many) among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
16 Bind up [to preserve for the future] the te’udah (testimony, i.e. prophetic record such as chapter 6), chatom (seal up) the torah (teaching) among my disciples.
17 And I will wait for Hashem, that hideth His face from the Bais Ya’akov, and I will look [in hope] for Him.
18 Hinei, I and the yeladim whom Hashem hath given me are for otot and for mofetim [see Zecharyah 3:8] in Yisroel from Hashem Tzva’os, which dwelleth in Mt Tziyon.
19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto mediums that have familiar spirits, and unto spiritists that whisper, and that mutter: should not Am seek unto Elohav? Should they consult the mesim (dead ones) for the benefit of the chayyim (living)?
20 To the torah (teaching of G-d) and to the te’udah (recorded testimony, see verse 16); if they speak not according to Davar HaZeh, it is because there is no shachar (dawn, light) in them.
21 And they [i.e., the unbelievers, contrasted with those in v.13] shall roam about therein, hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse by their melech and Elohav, and look upward.
22 And they shall look unto eretz; and, hinei, tzarah and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.
Isaiah 8
New King James Version
Assyria Will Invade the Land
8 Moreover the Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll, and (A)write on it with a man’s pen concerning [a]Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. 2 And I will take for Myself faithful witnesses to record, (B)Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.”
3 Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz; 4 (C)for before the child [b]shall have knowledge to cry ‘My father’ and ‘My mother,’ (D)the riches of Damascus and the [c]spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria.”
5 The Lord also spoke to me again, saying:
6 “Inasmuch as these people refused
The waters of (E)Shiloah that flow softly,
And rejoice (F)in Rezin and in Remaliah’s son;
7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them
The waters of [d]the River, strong and mighty—
The king of Assyria and all his glory;
He will [e]go up over all his channels
And go over all his banks.
8 He will pass through Judah,
He will overflow and pass over,
(G)He will reach up to the neck;
And the stretching out of his wings
Will [f]fill the breadth of Your land, O (H)Immanuel.[g]
9 “Be(I) shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces!
Give ear, all you from far countries.
Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces;
Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces.
10 (J)Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;
Speak the word, (K)but it will not stand,
(L)For [h]God is with us.”
Fear God, Heed His Word
11 For the Lord spoke thus to me with [i]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 [j]threats, nor be [k]troubled.
13 The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow;
Let Him be your fear,
And let Him be your dread.
14 (M)He will be as a [l]sanctuary,
But (N)a stone of stumbling and a rock of [m]offense
To both the houses of Israel,
As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 And many among them shall (O)stumble;
They shall fall and be broken,
Be snared and [n]taken.”
16 Bind up the testimony,
Seal the law among my disciples.
17 And I will wait on the Lord,
Who (P)hides His face from the house of Jacob;
And I (Q)will hope in Him.
18 (R)Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me!
We (S)are for signs and wonders in Israel
From the Lord of hosts,
Who dwells in Mount Zion.
19 And when they say to you, (T)“Seek those who are mediums and wizards, (U)who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they (V)seek the dead on behalf of the living? 20 (W)To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because (X)there[o] is no light in them.
21 They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and (Y)curse [p]their king and their God, and look upward. 22 Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 8:1 Lit. Speed the Spoil, Hasten the Booty
- Isaiah 8:4 knows how
- Isaiah 8:4 plunder
- Isaiah 8:7 The Euphrates
- Isaiah 8:7 Overflow
- Isaiah 8:8 Lit. be the fullness of
- Isaiah 8:8 Lit. God-With-Us
- Isaiah 8:10 Heb. Immanuel
- Isaiah 8:11 Mighty power
- Isaiah 8:12 Lit. fear or terror
- Isaiah 8:12 Lit. in dread
- Isaiah 8:14 holy abode
- Isaiah 8:14 stumbling over
- Isaiah 8:15 captured
- Isaiah 8:20 Or they have no dawn
- Isaiah 8:21 Or by their king and by their God
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
