1 A nd Jehovah saith unto me, `Take to thee a great tablet, and write upon it with a graving tool of man, To haste spoil, enjoy prey.'

Then 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.’”

2 A nd I cause faithful witnesses to testify to me, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah.

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

3 A nd I draw near unto the prophetess, and she conceiveth, and beareth a son; and Jehovah saith unto me, `Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz,

Then 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.

4 f or before the youth doth know to cry, My father, and My mother, one taketh away the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria, before the king of Asshur.'

For 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.”

5 A nd Jehovah addeth to speak unto me again, saying:

The Lord spoke to me again, saying,

6 ` Because that this people hath refused The waters of Shiloah that go softly, And is rejoicing with Rezin and the son of Remaliah,

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

7 T herefore, lo, the Lord is bringing up on them, The waters of the river, the mighty and the great, (The king of Asshur, and all his glory,) And it hath gone up over all its streams, And hath gone on over all its banks.

So 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.

8 A nd it hath passed on into Judah, It hath overflown and passed over, Unto the neck it cometh, And the stretching out of its wings Hath been the fulness of the breadth of thy land, O Emmanu-El!

Then 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.

9 B e friends, O nations, and be broken, And give ear, all ye far off ones of earth, Gird yourselves, and be broken, Gird yourselves, and be broken.

“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.

10 T ake counsel, and it is broken, Speak a word, and it doth not stand, Because of Emmanu-El!'

Make 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

11 F or thus hath Jehovah spoken unto me with strength of hand, and instructeth me against walking in the way of this people, saying,

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

12 ` Ye do not say, A confederacy, To all to whom this people saith, A confederacy, And its fear ye do not fear, Nor declare fearful.

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

13 J ehovah of Hosts -- Him ye do sanctify, And He your Fear, and He your Dread,

It 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.

14 A nd He hath been for a sanctuary, And for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of falling, To the two houses of Israel, For a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Then 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.

15 A nd many among them have stumbled and fallen, And been broken, and snared, and captured.

Many will fall over them. They will fall and be broken. They will be trapped and caught.”

16 B ind up the testimony, Seal the law among My disciples.

Put together what I have said. Hold to my teachings among my followers.

17 A nd I have waited for Jehovah, Who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob, And I have looked for Him.

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

18 L o, I, and the children whom Jehovah hath given to me, for signs and for wonders in Israel, From Jehovah of Hosts, who is dwelling in Mount Zion.

See, 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.

19 A nd when they say unto you, `Seek unto those having familiar spirits, And unto wizards, who chatter and mutter, Doth not a people seek unto its God? -- For the living unto the dead!

When 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?

20 T o the law and to the testimony! If not, let them say after this manner, `That there is no dawn to it.'

Tell 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.

21 - - And it hath passed over into it, hardened and hungry, And it hath come to pass, That it is hungry, and hath been wroth, And made light of its king, and of its God, And hath looked upwards.

They 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.

22 A nd unto the land it looketh attentively, And lo, adversity and darkness! -- Dimness, distress, and thick darkness is driven away, But not the dimness for which she is in distress!

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