Isaiah 8:11-10:4

New International Version

¹¹This 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:

¹²“Do not call conspiracy^(C)
    everything this people calls a conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear,^(D)
    and do not dread it.^(E)
¹³The 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)
¹⁴He will be a holy place;^(I)
    for both Israel and Judah 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)
¹⁵Many of them will stumble;^(N)
    they will fall and be broken,
    they will be snared and captured.”

¹⁶Bind up this testimony of warning^(O)
and seal^(P) up God’s instruction among my disciples.
¹⁷I will wait^(Q) for the Lord,
who is hiding^(R) his face from the descendants of Jacob.
I will put my trust in him.^(S)

¹⁸Here 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

¹⁹When someone tells you to consult^(X) mediums and spiritists,^(Y) who whisper and mutter,^(Z) should not a people inquire^(AA) of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? ²⁰Consult God’s instruction^(AB) and the testimony of warning.^(AC) If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light^(AD) of dawn. ²¹Distressed and hungry,^(AE) they will roam through the land;^(AF) when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse^(AG) their king and their God. ²²Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom,^(AH) and they will be thrust into utter darkness.^(AI)

9 ^[a]Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom^(AJ) for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,^(AK) but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

²The people walking in darkness^(AL)
    have seen a great light;^(AM)
on those living in the land of deep darkness^(AN)
    a light has dawned.^(AO)
³You have enlarged the nation^(AP)
    and increased their joy;^(AQ)
they rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
    when dividing the plunder.^(AR)
⁴For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,^(AS)
    you have shattered^(AT)
the yoke^(AU) that burdens them,
    the bar across their shoulders,^(AV)
    the rod of their oppressor.^(AW)
⁵Every warrior’s boot used in battle
    and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,^(AX)
    will be fuel for the fire.
⁶For to us a child is born,^(AY)
    to us a son is given,^(AZ)
    and the government^(BA) will be on his shoulders.^(BB)
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor,^(BC) Mighty God,^(BD)
    Everlasting^(BE) Father,^(BF) Prince of Peace.^(BG)
⁷Of the greatness of his government^(BH) and peace^(BI)
    there will be no end.^(BJ)
He will reign^(BK) on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice^(BL) and righteousness^(BM)
    from that time on and forever.^(BN)
The zeal^(BO) of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.

The Lord’s Anger Against Israel

⁸The Lord has sent a message^(BP) against Jacob;
    it will fall on Israel.
⁹All the people will know it—
    Ephraim^(BQ) and the inhabitants of Samaria^(BR)—
who say with pride
    and arrogance^(BS) of heart,
¹⁰“The bricks have fallen down,
    but we will rebuild with dressed stone;^(BT)
the fig^(BU) trees have been felled,
    but we will replace them with cedars.^(BV)”
¹¹But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s^(BW) foes against them
    and has spurred their enemies on.
¹²Arameans^(BX) from the east and Philistines^(BY) from the west
    have devoured^(BZ) Israel with open mouth.

Yet for all this, his anger^(CA) is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.^(CB)

¹³But the people have not returned^(CC) to him who struck^(CD) them,
    nor have they sought^(CE) the Lord Almighty.
¹⁴So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
    both palm branch and reed^(CF) in a single day;^(CG)
¹⁵the elders^(CH) and dignitaries^(CI) are the head,
    the prophets^(CJ) who teach lies^(CK) are the tail.
¹⁶Those who guide^(CL) this people mislead them,
    and those who are guided are led astray.^(CM)
¹⁷Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,^(CN)
    nor will he pity^(CO) the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly^(CP) and wicked,^(CQ)
    every mouth speaks folly.^(CR)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.^(CS)

¹⁸Surely wickedness burns like a fire;^(CT)
    it consumes briers and thorns,^(CU)
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,^(CV)
    so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
¹⁹By the wrath^(CW) of the Lord Almighty
    the land will be scorched^(CX)
and the people will be fuel for the fire;^(CY)
    they will not spare one another.^(CZ)
²⁰On the right they will devour,
    but still be hungry;^(DA)
on the left they will eat,^(DB)
    but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring^[b]:
²¹    Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;^(DC)
    together they will turn against Judah.^(DD)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.^(DE)

10 Woe^(DF) to those who make unjust laws,
    to those who issue oppressive decrees,^(DG)
²to deprive^(DH) the poor of their rights
    and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,^(DI)
making widows their prey
    and robbing the fatherless.^(DJ)
³What will you do on the day of reckoning,^(DK)
    when disaster^(DL) comes from afar?
To whom will you run for help?^(DM)
    Where will you leave your riches?
⁴Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives^(DN)
    or fall among the slain.^(DO)