The Coming Assyrian Invasion

Then the Lord said to me, “Take a large piece of parchment[a] and write on it with an ordinary pen:[b](A) Maher-shalal-hash-baz.[c] I have appointed[d] trustworthy witnesses—Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah.”(B)

I was then intimate with the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. The Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz, for before the boy knows how to call out father or mother,(C) the wealth of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria will be carried off to the king of Assyria.”(D)

The Lord spoke to me again:

Because these people rejected
the slowly flowing waters of Shiloah
and rejoiced with[e] Rezin
and the son of Remaliah,(E)
the Lord will certainly bring against them
the mighty rushing waters of the Euphrates River—
the king of Assyria and all his glory.
It will overflow its channels
and spill over all its banks.
It will pour into Judah,
flood over it, and sweep through,
reaching up to the neck;(F)
and its spreading streams[f]
will fill your entire land, Immanuel!(G)

Band together, peoples, and be broken;
pay attention, all you distant lands;
prepare for war, and be broken;
prepare for war, and be broken.
10 Devise a plan; it will fail.(H)
Make a prediction; it will not happen.
For God is with us.[g](I)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 8:1 Hb obscure
  2. Isaiah 8:1 Lit with the pen of a man
  3. Isaiah 8:1 = Speeding to the Plunder, Hurrying to the Spoil
  4. Isaiah 8:2 Vg; MT, one DSS ms read I will appoint; one DSS ms, LXX, Syr, Tg read Appoint
  5. Isaiah 8:6 Or and rejoiced over
  6. Isaiah 8:8 Or wings
  7. Isaiah 8:10 Or For Immanuel

The Coming Assyrian Invasion

Then the Lord said to me, “Make a large signboard and clearly write this name on it: Maher-shalal-hash-baz.[a] I asked Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah, both known as honest men, to witness my doing this.

Then I slept with my wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said, “Call him Maher-shalal-hash-baz. For before this child is old enough to say ‘Papa’ or ‘Mama,’ the king of Assyria will carry away both the abundance of Damascus and the riches of Samaria.”

Then the Lord spoke to me again and said, “My care for the people of Judah is like the gently flowing waters of Shiloah, but they have rejected it. They are rejoicing over what will happen to[b] King Rezin and King Pekah.[c] Therefore, the Lord will overwhelm them with a mighty flood from the Euphrates River[d]—the king of Assyria and all his glory. This flood will overflow all its channels and sweep into Judah until it is chin deep. It will spread its wings, submerging your land from one end to the other, O Immanuel.

“Huddle together, you nations, and be terrified.
    Listen, all you distant lands.
Prepare for battle, but you will be crushed!
    Yes, prepare for battle, but you will be crushed!
10 Call your councils of war, but they will be worthless.
    Develop your strategies, but they will not succeed.
    For God is with us![e]

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Footnotes

  1. 8:1 Maher-shalal-hash-baz means “Swift to plunder and quick to carry away.”
  2. 8:6a Or They are rejoicing because of.
  3. 8:6b Hebrew and the son of Remaliah.
  4. 8:7 Hebrew the river.
  5. 8:10 Hebrew Immanuel!