8
Assyria Will Invade the Land
1Moreover the Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll, and ⚓write on it with a man’s pen concerning Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.
2And I will take for Myself faithful witnesses to record, ⚓Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.”
3Then 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⚓for before the child shall have knowledge to cry ‘My father’ and ‘My mother,’ ⚓the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria.”
5The Lord also spoke to me again, saying:
6“Inasmuch as these people refused
The waters of ⚓Shiloah that flow softly,
And rejoice ⚓in Rezin and in Remaliah’s son;
7Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them
The waters of the River, strong and mighty—
The king of Assyria and all his glory;
He will go up over all his channels
And go over all his banks.
8He will pass through Judah,
He will overflow and pass over,
⚓He will reach up to the neck;
And the stretching out of his wings
Will fill the breadth of Your land, O ⚓Immanuel.
9“Be⚓ 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⚓Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;
Speak the word, ⚓but it will not stand,
⚓For God is with us.”
Fear God, Heed His Word
11For the Lord 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.
13The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow;
Let Him be your fear,
And let Him be your dread.
14⚓He will be as a sanctuary,
But ⚓a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense
To both the houses of Israel,
As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15And many among them shall ⚓stumble;
They shall fall and be broken,
Be snared and taken.”
16Bind up the testimony,
Seal the law among my disciples.
17And I will wait on the Lord,
Who ⚓hides His face from the house of Jacob;
And I ⚓will hope in Him.
18⚓Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me!
We⚓are for signs and wonders in Israel
From the Lord of hosts,
Who dwells in Mount Zion.
19And when they say to you, ⚓“Seek those who are mediums and wizards, ⚓who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they⚓seek the dead on behalf of the living?
20⚓To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because ⚓there is no light in them.
21They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and ⚓curse their king and their God, and look upward.
22Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.