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—the priest Uriah 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 ‘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 water of Shiloah
and rejoiced with[e] Rezin
and the son of Remaliah,(E)
the Lord will certainly bring against them
the mighty rushing water 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 flooded banks[f]
will fill your entire land, Immanuel!(G)

Band together,[g] 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.[h](I)

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Footnotes

  1. 8:1 Hb obscure
  2. 8:1 Lit with the pen of a man
  3. 8:1 = Speeding to the Plunder, Hurrying to the Spoil
  4. 8:2 Vg; MT, one DSS ms read I will appoint; one DSS ms, LXX, Syr, Tg read Appoint
  5. 8:6 Or and rejoiced over
  6. 8:8 Lit its outspread wings
  7. 8:9 Or Raise the war cry, or Be shattered
  8. 8:10 Hb Immanuel

Isaiah’s Son a Sign of the Assyrian Invasion

Then the Lord said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters, ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz,’[a](A) and have it attested[b] for me by reliable witnesses, the priest Uriah and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah.”(B) And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz, for before the child knows how to call ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away by the king of Assyria.”(C)

The Lord spoke to me again: “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently and melt in fear before[c] Rezin and the son of Remaliah,(D) therefore the Lord is bringing up against it the mighty flood waters of the River, the king of Assyria and all his glory; it will rise above all its channels and overflow all its banks; it will sweep on into Judah as a flood and, pouring over, will reach up to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.(E)

Take notice,[d] you peoples, and be dismayed;
    listen, all you far countries;
gird yourselves and be dismayed![e]
10 Take counsel together, but it shall be brought to naught;
    speak a word, but it will not stand,
    for God is with us.”(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 8.1 That is, the spoil speeds, the prey hastens
  2. 8.2 Q ms Gk Syr: MT and I caused to be attested
  3. 8.6 Cn: Heb rejoicing with
  4. 8.9 Gk: Heb Be shattered
  5. 8.9 Q mss: MT repeats gird yourselves and be dismayed!