1 T hen the Lord said to me, “Take a large piece of stone and write on it in easy-to-read letters: ‘They hurry to get what they can. They run to pick up what is left.’”

Then the Lord said to me, Take a large tablet and write upon it with a graving tool and in ordinary characters: Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

2 A nd I took men who could be trusted to watch the writing, Uriah the religious leader and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.

And I took faithful witnesses to record and attest for me, Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah.

3 T hen I went to the woman who spoke for God, and she was able to have a child, and gave birth to a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-shalal-hashbaz.

And I approached the prophetess, and when she had conceived and borne a son, the Lord said to me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz,

4 F or before the boy knows how to cry out ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the riches of Damascus and everything of any worth in Samaria will be carried away by the king of Assyria.”

For before the child knows how to say, My father or my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be carried away before the king of Assyria.

5 T he Lord spoke to me again, saying,

The Lord spoke to me yet again and said,

6 “ These people have turned away from the gentle, flowing waters of Shiloah, and find joy in Rezin and the son of Remaliah.

Because this people have refused and despised the waters of Shiloah that go gently, and rejoice in and with Rezin and Remaliah’s son,

7 S o now, see, the Lord is ready to bring on them the strong and powerful waters of the Euphrates, the king of Assyria and all his greatness. It will rise up high and cause a flood.

Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings upon them the waters of the River, strong and many—even the king of Assyria and all the glory; and it will rise over all its channels, brooks, valleys, and canals and extend far beyond its banks;

8 T hen it will flow into Judah. It will flood and pass through, and come up even to the neck. And the spread of its wings will cover the width of your land, O Immanuel.

And it will sweep on into Judah; it will overflow and go over, reaching even to the neck, and the outstretched wings shall fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel!

9 “ Be broken, O people, and be afraid. Listen, all you far places of the earth. Get ready, yet be afraid. Get ready, yet be afraid.

Make an uproar and be broken in pieces, O you peoples! Give ear, all you of far countries. Gird yourselves, and be thrown into consternation! Gird yourselves, and be dismayed!

10 M ake a plan, but it will come to nothing. Give your plan, but it will not be done. For God is with us.” The People Are Told to Obey

Take counsel together, but it shall come to nought; speak the word, but it will not stand, for God is with us!

11 F or the Lord said this to me with great power, and told me not to walk in the way of these people. He said,

For the Lord spoke thus to me with His strong hand, and warned and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,

12 “ Do not call holy all that these people call holy. Do not fear what they fear, or be afraid of it.

Do not call conspiracy all that this people will call conspiracy; neither be in fear of what they fear, nor in dread.

13 I t is the Lord of All Whom you should think of as holy. Let Him be the One you fear. He is the One to be afraid of.

The Lord of hosts—regard Him as holy and honor His holy name, and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread.

14 T hen He will become a holy place. But He will be a stone of trouble and a rock to fall over for both houses of Israel. He will be a net and a trap for the people of Jerusalem.

And He shall be a sanctuary; but He shall be a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

15 M any will fall over them. They will fall and be broken. They will be trapped and caught.”

And many among them shall stumble thereon; and they shall fall and be broken, and be snared and taken.

16 P ut together what I have said. Hold to my teachings among my followers.

Bind up the testimony, seal the law and the teaching among my disciples.

17 I will wait for the Lord Who is hiding His face from the family of Jacob. I trust Him and hope in Him.

And I will wait for the Lord, Who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; and I will look for and hope in Him.

18 S ee, I and the children the Lord has given me are something special to see and a wonder in Israel from the Lord of All, Who lives on Mount Zion.

Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, Who dwells on Mount Zion.

19 W hen they say to you, “Ask those who speak in secret with the spirits of the dead and who use their secret ways,” should not a people ask their God? Should they speak to the dead for the living?

And when the people shall say to you, Consult for direction mediums and wizards who chirp and mutter, should not a people seek and consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?

20 T ell them to put their faith in the teaching and the Law. If they do not speak what this word says, it is because they have no light in them.

to the teaching and to the testimony! If their teachings are not in accord with this word, it is surely because there is no dawn and no morning for them.

21 T hey will pass through the land troubled and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be angry and curse their king and their God as they look up.

And they shall pass through sorely distressed and hungry; and when they are hungry, they will fret, and will curse by their king and their God; and whether they look upward

22 T hen they will look to the earth and see trouble and darkness and suffering and will be driven out into darkness.

Or look to the earth, they will behold only distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, and into thick darkness and widespread, obscure night they shall be driven away.