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Isaiah 8-9
Common English Bible
Isaiah 8-9
Common English Bible
Isaiah’s testimonies
8 The Lord said to me, “Take a large tablet, and write on it in ordinary letters,[a] For Maher-shalal-hash-baz.[b] 2 Summon trusted people, Uriah the priest and Zechariah, Jeberechiah’s son, to witness it.”
3 I then had sex with the prophetess, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz. 4 Before the boy knows how to say ‘my father’ and ‘my mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”
5 The Lord spoke again to me: 6 Since this people has rejected the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and instead rejoices over[c] Rezin and Remaliah’s son— 7 therefore, look, the Lord is raising up against them the powerful floodwaters of the Euphrates, the king of Assyria and all his glory. It will rise up over all its channels, overflowing all its banks, 8 and sweep into Judah, flooding, overflowing, and reaching up to the neck. But God is with us;[d] the span of his wings will cover the width of the land.
9 Unite[e] yourselves, peoples, and be shattered!
Listen, all distant places of the earth!
Prepare to be shattered!
Prepare to be shattered!
10 Create a plan, but be frustrated!
Speak a word, but it won’t stand, for God is with us.[f]
11 The Lord spoke to me, taking hold of me and warning me not to walk in the way of this people: 12 Don’t call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy. Don’t fear what they fear, and don’t be terrified. 13 It is the Lord of heavenly forces whom you should hold sacred, whom you should fear, and whom you should hold in awe.
14 God will become a sanctuary—
but he will be a stone to trip over and a rock to stumble on for the two houses of Israel;
a trap and a snare for those living in Jerusalem.
15 Many of them will stumble and fall,
and be broken, snared, and captured.
16 Bind up the testimony; seal up the teaching among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the Lord, who has hidden his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in God. 18 Look! I and the children the Lord gave me are signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of heavenly forces, who lives on Mount Zion.
19 If they say to you: “Consult the ghosts and the spirits that chirp and mutter. (Shouldn’t a people consult its gods?) Consult the dead on behalf of the living 20 for instruction and for testimony”—they will surely say such things, but they will never see the dawn.[g]
21 They will pass through the land,[h] dejected and hungry, and when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will curse their king and God. They will turn toward heaven 22 and look to the earth, but they will see only distress and darkness, random movement, and the anguish and doom of banishment.[i]
A great light
9 [j] Nonetheless, those who were in distress won’t be exhausted. At an earlier time, God cursed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but later he glorified the way of the sea, the far side of the Jordan, and the Galilee of the nations.[k]
2 [l] The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.
On those living in a pitch-dark land, light has dawned.
3 You have made the nation great;
you have increased its joy.
They rejoiced before you as with joy at the harvest,
as those who divide plunder rejoice.
4 As on the day of Midian, you’ve shattered the yoke that burdened them,
the staff on their shoulders,
and the rod of their oppressor.
5 Because every boot of the thundering warriors,
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned, fuel for the fire.
6 A child is born to us, a son is given to us,
and authority will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 There will be vast authority and endless peace
for David’s throne and for his kingdom,
establishing and sustaining it
with justice and righteousness
now and forever.
The zeal of the Lord of heavenly forces will do this.
God’s hand still stretched out
8 The Lord sent a word against Jacob;
it fell upon Israel;
9 the people all knew it—
Ephraim and the one who rules in Samaria.
But with a proud and arrogant heart they said,
10 “Bricks have fallen,
but let’s rebuild with stones.
Sycamores were cut down,
but let’s replace them with cedars.”
11 So the Lord raised up their foes against them,[m]
and stirred up their enemies—
12 Aram from the east and the Philistines from the west—
and they devoured Israel with an open mouth.
Even then God’s anger didn’t turn away;
God’s hand was still extended.
13 But the people didn’t turn to the one who struck them.
They didn’t seek the Lord of heavenly forces.
14 So the Lord cut off head and tail,
palm branch and reed from Israel in one day.
15 (Elders and celebrities are the head;
prophets who teach lies are the tail.)
16 But this people’s leaders were misleading,
and those being led were confused.
17 So the Lord showed their youth no pity,
and showed their orphans and widows no mercy;
for everyone was godless and evil;
every mouth spoke nonsense.
Even then God’s anger didn’t turn away;
God’s hand was still extended.
18 Wickedness burned like fire,
devouring thorn and thistle.
It kindled the thickets of the forest;
they swirled in rising smoke.
19 The land was scorched by the rage of the Lord of heavenly forces;
the people were like fuel for the fire.
Not one person pitied another:
20 they consumed on the right, but remained hungry;
devoured on the left, and weren’t satisfied.
They devoured the flesh of their own children.[n]
21 Manasseh devoured Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseh;
together they turned against Judah.
Even then God’s anger didn’t turn away;
God’s hand was still extended.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 8:1 Heb uncertain
- Isaiah 8:1 Or spoil hastens, plunder hurries
- Isaiah 8:6 Or melts before
- Isaiah 8:8 Heb Immanuel
- Isaiah 8:9 Heb uncertain
- Isaiah 8:10 Heb Immanuel
- Isaiah 8:20 Heb uncertain for 8:19-20
- Isaiah 8:21 Or it
- Isaiah 8:22 Heb uncertain for 8:21-22
- Isaiah 9:1 8:23 in Heb
- Isaiah 9:1 Heb uncertain
- Isaiah 9:2 9:1 in Heb
- Isaiah 9:11 Or the enemies of Rezin
- Isaiah 9:20 Or arm
Isaiah 8-9
New International Version
Isaiah 8-9
New International Version
Isaiah and His Children as Signs
8 The Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll(A) and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.”[a](B) 2 So I called in Uriah(C) the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses(D) for me. 3 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) 4 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)”
5 The Lord spoke to me again:
6 “Because this people has rejected(K)
the gently flowing waters of Shiloah(L)
and rejoices over Rezin
and the son of Remaliah,(M)
7 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)
8 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)
9 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)
9 [e]Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom(BJ) for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,(BK) but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—
2 The people walking in darkness(BL)
have seen a great light;(BM)
on those living in the land of deep darkness(BN)
a light has dawned.(BO)
3 You have enlarged the nation(BP)
and increased their joy;(BQ)
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.(BR)
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,(BS)
you have shattered(BT)
the yoke(BU) that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,(BV)
the rod of their oppressor.(BW)
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,(BX)
will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,(BY)
to us a son is given,(BZ)
and the government(CA) will be on his shoulders.(CB)
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor,(CC) Mighty God,(CD)
Everlasting(CE) Father,(CF) Prince of Peace.(CG)
7 Of the greatness of his government(CH) and peace(CI)
there will be no end.(CJ)
He will reign(CK) on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice(CL) and righteousness(CM)
from that time on and forever.(CN)
The zeal(CO) of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
The Lord’s Anger Against Israel
8 The Lord has sent a message(CP) against Jacob;
it will fall on Israel.
9 All the people will know it—
Ephraim(CQ) and the inhabitants of Samaria(CR)—
who say with pride
and arrogance(CS) of heart,
10 “The bricks have fallen down,
but we will rebuild with dressed stone;(CT)
the fig(CU) trees have been felled,
but we will replace them with cedars.(CV)”
11 But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s(CW) foes against them
and has spurred their enemies on.
12 Arameans(CX) from the east and Philistines(CY) from the west
have devoured(CZ) Israel with open mouth.
13 But the people have not returned(DC) to him who struck(DD) them,
nor have they sought(DE) the Lord Almighty.
14 So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
both palm branch and reed(DF) in a single day;(DG)
15 the elders(DH) and dignitaries(DI) are the head,
the prophets(DJ) who teach lies(DK) are the tail.
16 Those who guide(DL) this people mislead them,
and those who are guided are led astray.(DM)
17 Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,(DN)
nor will he pity(DO) the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly(DP) and wicked,(DQ)
every mouth speaks folly.(DR)
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.(DS)
18 Surely wickedness burns like a fire;(DT)
it consumes briers and thorns,(DU)
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,(DV)
so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
19 By the wrath(DW) of the Lord Almighty
the land will be scorched(DX)
and the people will be fuel for the fire;(DY)
they will not spare one another.(DZ)
20 On the right they will devour,
but still be hungry;(EA)
on the left they will eat,(EB)
but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring[f]:
21 Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;(EC)
together they will turn against Judah.(ED)
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.(EE)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 8:1 Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz means quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil; also in verse 3.
- Isaiah 8:8 Immanuel means God with us.
- Isaiah 8:9 Or Do your worst
- Isaiah 8:10 Hebrew Immanuel
- Isaiah 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-21 is numbered 9:1-20.
- Isaiah 9:20 Or arm
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.