Isaiah 6-8

New International Version

Isaiah’s Commission

6 In the year that King Uzziah^(A) died,^(B) I saw the Lord,^(C) high and exalted,^(D) seated on a throne;^(E) and the train of his robe^(F) filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphim,^(G) each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet,^(H) and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:

⁴ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.^(M)

⁵ “Woe^(N) to me!” I cried. “I am ruined!^(O) For I am a man of unclean lips,^(P) and I live among a people of unclean lips,^(Q) and my eyes have seen^(R) the King,^(S) the Lord Almighty.”^(T)

⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal^(U) in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips;^(V) your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.^(W)”

⁸ Then I heard the voice^(X) of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?^(Y) And who will go for us?^(Z)”

And I said, “Here am I.^(AA) Send me!”

⁹ He said, “Go^(AB) and tell this people:

¹¹ Then I said, “For how long, Lord?”^(AH)

And he answered:

The Sign of Immanuel

7 When Ahaz^(AS) son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin^(AT) of Aram^(AU) and Pekah^(AV) son of Remaliah^(AW) king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.

² Now the house of David^(AX) was told, “Aram has allied itself with^[b] Ephraim^(AY)”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken,^(AZ) as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

³ Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub,^[c](BA) to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.^{(BB) 4} Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm^(BC) and don’t be afraid.^(BD) Do not lose heart^(BE) because of these two smoldering stubs^(BF) of firewood—because of the fierce anger^(BG) of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.^{(BH) 5} Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s^(BI) son have plotted^(BJ) your ruin, saying, ⁶ “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” ⁷ Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:^(BK)

¹⁰ Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, ¹¹ “Ask the Lord your God for a sign,^(BT) whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.^(BU)”

¹² But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.^(BV)”

¹³ Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David!^(BW) Is it not enough^(BX) to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience^(BY) of my God^(BZ) also? ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you^[d] a sign:^(CA) The virgin^[e](CB) will conceive and give birth to a son,^(CC) and^[f] will call him Immanuel.^{[g](CD) 15} He will be eating curds^(CE) and honey^(CF) when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, ¹⁶ for before the boy knows^(CG) enough to reject the wrong and choose the right,^(CH) the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.^{(CI) 17} The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away^(CJ) from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.^(CK)”

Assyria, the Lord’s Instrument

¹⁸ In that day^(CL) the Lord will whistle^(CM) for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.^{(CN) 19} They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices^(CO) in the rocks, on all the thornbushes^(CP) and at all the water holes. ²⁰ In that day^(CQ) the Lord will use^(CR) a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River^(CS)—the king of Assyria^(CT)—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your beard^(CU) also.^{(CV) 21} In that day,^(CW) a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats.^{(CX) 22} And because of the abundance of the milk they give, there will be curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds^(CY) and honey.^{(CZ) 23} In that day,^(DA) in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels,^[h](DB) there will be only briers and thorns.^{(DC) 24} Hunters will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers^(DD) and thorns. ²⁵ As for all the hills^(DE) once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns;^(DF) they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.^(DG)

Isaiah and His Children as Signs

8 The Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll^(DH) and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.”^{[i](DI) 2} So I called in Uriah^(DJ) the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses^(DK) for me. ³ Then I made love to the prophetess,^(DL) and she conceived and gave birth to a son.^(DM) And the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.^{(DN) 4} For before the boy knows^(DO) how to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus^(DP) and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.^(DQ)”

⁵ The Lord spoke to me again:

¹¹ This is what the Lord says to me with his strong hand upon me,^(EH) warning me not to follow^(EI) the way of this people:

¹⁸ Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me.^(FA) We are signs^(FB) and symbols^(FC) in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.^(FD)

The Darkness Turns to Light

¹⁹ When someone tells you to consult^(FE) mediums and spiritists,^(FF) who whisper and mutter,^(FG) should not a people inquire^(FH) of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? ²⁰ Consult God’s instruction^(FI) and the testimony of warning.^(FJ) If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light^(FK) of dawn. ²¹ Distressed and hungry,^(FL) they will roam through the land;^(FM) when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse^(FN) their king and their God. ²² Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom,^(FO) and they will be thrust into utter darkness.^(FP)