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New King James Version

Isaiah and His Children as Signs

The Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.”a

1

Assyria Will Invade the Land

Moreover the Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll, and write on it with a man’s pen concerning [a]Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.

2

So I called in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses for me.

2

And I will take for Myself faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.”

3

Then I made love to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.

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

For before the boy knows how to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.”

4

for before the child [b]shall have knowledge to cry ‘My father’ and ‘My mother,’ the riches of Damascus and the [c]spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria.”

5

The Lord spoke to me again:

5

The Lord also spoke to me again, saying:

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“Because this people has rejected
the gently flowing waters of Shiloah
and rejoices over Rezin
and the son of Remaliah,

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“Inasmuch as these people refused
The waters of Shiloah that flow softly,
And rejoice in Rezin and in Remaliah’s son;

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therefore the Lord is about to bring against them
the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates —
the king of Assyria with all his pomp.
It will overflow all its channels,
run over all its banks

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

and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it,
passing through it and reaching up to the neck.
Its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land,
Immanuelb!”

8

He 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 [f]fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel.[g]

9

Raise the war cry,c you nations, and be shattered!
Listen, all you distant lands.
Prepare for battle, and be shattered!
Prepare for battle, and be shattered!

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

Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted;
propose your plan, but it will not stand,
for God is with us.d

10

Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;
Speak the word, but it will not stand,
For [h]God is with us.”

11

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

11

Fear God, Heed His Word

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 call conspiracy
everything this people calls a conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear,
and do not dread it.

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 Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,
he is the one you are to fear,
he is the one you are to dread.

13

The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow;
Let Him be your fear,
And let Him be your dread.

14

He will be a holy place;
for both Israel and Judah he will be
a stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.
And for the people of Jerusalem he will be
a trap and a snare.

14

He will be as a [l]sanctuary,
But 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.

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Many of them will stumble;
they will fall and be broken,
they will be snared and captured.”

15

And many among them shall stumble;
They shall fall and be broken,
Be snared and [n]taken.”

16

Bind up this testimony of warning
and seal up God’s instruction among my disciples.

16

Bind up the testimony,
Seal the law among my disciples.

17

I will wait for the Lord,
who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob.
I will put my trust in him.

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And 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 the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.

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.

19

The Darkness Turns to Light

When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?

19

And 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

Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.

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To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there[o] is no light in them.

21

Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God.

21

They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse [p]their king and their God, and look upward.

22

Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.

22

Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.

Parallel

New International Version

New King James Version

Isaiah 8

Isaiah 8