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.’”

Yahweh said to me, “Take a large tablet, and write on it with a man’s pen, ‘For 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 will take for myself faithful witnesses to testify: Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the 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.

I went to the prophetess, and she conceived, and bore a son. Then Yahweh 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,’ and, ‘My mother,’ the riches of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried away by the king of Assyria.”

5 T he Lord spoke to me again, saying,

Yahweh spoke to me yet again, saying,

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 the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in 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 mighty flood waters of the River: the king of Assyria and all his glory. It will come up over all its channels, and go over all 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.

It will sweep onward into Judah. It will overflow and pass through; it will reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of its wings will fill the width of your land, 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, you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Listen, all you from far countries: dress for battle, and be shattered! Dress for battle, and be shattered!

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, and it will be brought to nothing; speak the word, and 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 Yahweh spoke thus to me with a strong hand, 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.

“Don’t say, ‘A conspiracy!’ concerning all about which this people say, ‘A conspiracy!’ neither fear their threats, nor be terrorized.

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.

Yahweh of Armies is who you must respect as holy. He is the one you must fear. He is the one you must 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.

He will be a sanctuary, but for both houses of Israel, he will be a trap and a snare for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

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

Many will stumble over it, fall, be broken, be snared, and be captured.”

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

Wrap up the testimony. Seal the law 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.

I will wait for Yahweh, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for 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 Yahweh has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from Yahweh of Armies, who dwells in 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?

When they tell you, “Consult with those who have familiar spirits and with the wizards, who chirp and who mutter:” shouldn’t a people consult with 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.

Turn to the law and to the testimony! If they don’t speak according to this word, surely there is 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.

They will pass through it, very distressed and hungry; and it will happen that when they are hungry, they will worry, and curse by their king and by their God. They will turn their faces upward,

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

and look to the earth, and see distress, darkness, and the gloom of anguish. They will be driven into thick darkness.