Isaiah and His Children as Signs

The Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll(A) and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.”[a](B) So I called in Uriah(C) the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses(D) for me. Then I made love to the prophetess,(E) and she conceived and gave birth to a son.(F) And the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.(G) For before the boy knows(H) how to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus(I) and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.(J)

The Lord spoke to me again:

“Because this people has rejected(K)
    the gently flowing waters of Shiloah(L)
and rejoices over Rezin
    and the son of Remaliah,(M)
therefore the Lord is about to bring against them
    the mighty floodwaters(N) of the Euphrates—
    the king of Assyria(O) with all his pomp.(P)
It will overflow all its channels,
    run over all its banks(Q)
and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it,(R)
    passing through it and reaching up to the neck.
Its outspread wings(S) will cover the breadth of your land,
    Immanuel[b]!”(T)

Raise the war cry,[c](U) you nations, and be shattered!(V)
    Listen, all you distant lands.
Prepare(W) for battle, and be shattered!
    Prepare for battle, and be shattered!
10 Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted;(X)
    propose your plan, but it will not stand,(Y)
    for God is with us.[d](Z)

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

12 “Do not call conspiracy(AC)
    everything this people calls a conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear,(AD)
    and do not dread it.(AE)
13 The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,(AF)
    he is the one you are to fear,(AG)
    he is the one you are to dread.(AH)
14 He will be a holy place;(AI)
    for both Israel and Judah he will be
a stone(AJ) that causes people to stumble(AK)
    and a rock that makes them fall.(AL)
And for the people of Jerusalem he will be
    a trap and a snare.(AM)
15 Many of them will stumble;(AN)
    they will fall and be broken,
    they will be snared and captured.”

16 Bind up this testimony of warning(AO)
    and seal(AP) up God’s instruction among my disciples.
17 I will wait(AQ) for the Lord,
    who is hiding(AR) his face from the descendants of Jacob.
I will put my trust in him.(AS)

18 Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me.(AT) We are signs(AU) and symbols(AV) in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.(AW)

The Darkness Turns to Light

19 When someone tells you to consult(AX) mediums and spiritists,(AY) who whisper and mutter,(AZ) should not a people inquire(BA) of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20 Consult God’s instruction(BB) and the testimony of warning.(BC) If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light(BD) of dawn. 21 Distressed and hungry,(BE) they will roam through the land;(BF) when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse(BG) their king and their God. 22 Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom,(BH) and they will be thrust into utter darkness.(BI)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 8:1 Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz means quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil; also in verse 3.
  2. Isaiah 8:8 Immanuel means God with us.
  3. Isaiah 8:9 Or Do your worst
  4. Isaiah 8:10 Hebrew Immanuel

預言災難快到

耶和華對我說:“你拿一塊大版,用通用的文字寫上‘瑪黑珥.沙拉勒.哈施.罷斯’(“瑪黑珥.沙拉勒.哈施.罷斯”意即“趕快擄掠,急速奪取”)。 我要叫兩個誠實的見證人,就是烏利亞祭司和耶比利家的兒子撒迦利亞,來為我作見證。” 我親近了女先知,就是我妻子,她就懷孕生子。耶和華對我說:“給他起名叫‘瑪黑珥.沙拉勒.哈施.罷斯’, 因為在這孩子曉得喊叫父母以先,大馬士革的財寶和撒瑪利亞的擄物,必在亞述王面前被搬了去。”

亞述入侵

耶和華又再告訴我說:

“這子民既然厭棄了西羅亞緩流的水,

卻喜悅利汛和利瑪利的兒子,

因此,主必使大河又強又大的水臨到他們,

就是亞述王和他一切威榮,

水必漲起來,高過所有的水道;水要氾濫,漫過所有的河岸;

然後必沖入猶大,漲溢氾濫,

直到頸項,

以馬內利啊!它展開的翅膀必遮遍你廣闊的地土。”

列國之民啊!你們儘管作惡,但你們終必毀滅!

所有在遠處的人民啊,要留心聽!

你們儘管束腰吧,你們終必毀滅!

你們儘管束腰吧,你們終必毀滅!

10 你們儘管計劃陰謀吧,這些終必失敗;

你們儘管提議吧,這些終必不能成立,

因為 神與我們同在。

當遠離偶像與邪術

11 耶和華以大能的手托住我,教導我不要走這子民所走的道路;他對我這樣說:

12 “這子民所稱為陰謀的,你們都不要稱為陰謀;

他們所怕的,你們不要怕,也不要畏懼。

13 你們要尊萬軍之耶和華為聖,

他是你們當怕的,

也是你們當畏懼的。

14 他必向信靠他的人作聖所,

卻向以色列兩家作絆腳的石頭、跌人的磐石;

又向耶路撒冷的居民作陷阱和網羅。

15 許多人必在其上絆跌、仆倒、跌碎,

並且陷入網羅被捉住。”

16 你要捲起律法書,在我的門徒中間封住訓誨。 17 我要等候那掩面不顧雅各家的耶和華,我要仰視他。 18 看哪!我和耶和華賜給我的孩子,在以色列中作預兆與奇蹟,都是從住在錫安山的萬軍之耶和華來的。

19 有人對你們說:“要求問那些交鬼的和行巫術的,就是那些喃喃細語的人。”一族之民不應當求問自己的 神嗎?他們怎能為活人求問死人呢? 20 他們應當求問 神的訓誨和法度;他們若不照著這些準則說話,就見不到曙光。 21 他們必經過這地,受困迫、受飢餓;他們飢餓的時候,就惱怒,咒罵自己的王和自己的 神; 22 他們仰臉向天觀望,又俯視大地,只見困苦、黑暗、可怕的幽暗;他們必被趕入幽黑的黑暗中。

Assyria Will Invade the Land

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

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; (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.”

The Lord also spoke to me again, saying:

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

“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

  1. Isaiah 8:1 Lit. Speed the Spoil, Hasten the Booty
  2. Isaiah 8:4 knows how
  3. Isaiah 8:4 plunder
  4. Isaiah 8:7 The Euphrates
  5. Isaiah 8:7 Overflow
  6. Isaiah 8:8 Lit. be the fullness of
  7. Isaiah 8:8 Lit. God-With-Us
  8. Isaiah 8:10 Heb. Immanuel
  9. Isaiah 8:11 Mighty power
  10. Isaiah 8:12 Lit. fear or terror
  11. Isaiah 8:12 Lit. in dread
  12. Isaiah 8:14 holy abode
  13. Isaiah 8:14 stumbling over
  14. Isaiah 8:15 captured
  15. Isaiah 8:20 Or they have no dawn
  16. Isaiah 8:21 Or by their king and by their God

The Coming Assyrian Invasion

Then the Lord said to me, “Take a large tablet (A)and write on it in common characters,[a] ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.’[b] And (B)I will get reliable witnesses, (C)Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.”

And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, (D)“Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; (E)for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the (F)wealth of (G)Damascus and the spoil of (H)Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”

The Lord spoke to me again: “Because this people has refused the waters of (I)Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over (J)Rezin and the son of Remaliah, therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them (K)the waters of (L)the River,[c] mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it (M)will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, (N)reaching even to the neck, and its (O)outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, (P)O Immanuel.”

Be broken,[d] you peoples, and (Q)be shattered;[e]
    give ear, all you far countries;
strap on your armor and be shattered;
    strap on your armor and be shattered.
10 Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;
    speak a word, (R)but it will not stand,
    for God (S)is with us.[f]

Fear God, Wait for the Lord

11 For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and (T)warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call (U)conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and (V)do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the Lord of hosts, (W)him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a (X)sanctuary and (Y)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 (Z)shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.”

16 Bind up (AA)the testimony; (AB)seal the teaching[g] among my disciples. 17 I will (AC)wait for the Lord, who is (AD)hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 (AE)Behold, I and (AF)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, “Inquire of the (AG)mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of (AH)the dead on behalf of the living? 20 (AI)To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no (AJ)dawn. 21 They will pass through the land,[h] greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against[i] their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 (AK)And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into (AL)thick darkness.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 8:1 Hebrew with a man's stylus
  2. Isaiah 8:1 Maher-shalal-hash-baz means The spoil speeds, the prey hastens
  3. Isaiah 8:7 That is, the Euphrates
  4. Isaiah 8:9 Or Be evil
  5. Isaiah 8:9 Or dismayed
  6. Isaiah 8:10 The Hebrew for God is with us is Immanuel
  7. Isaiah 8:16 Or law; also verse 20
  8. Isaiah 8:21 Hebrew it
  9. Isaiah 8:21 Or speak contemptuously by