The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 8 -

Moreover, the Lord sayd vnto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a mans penne, Make speede to the spoyle: haste to the praye.

Then I tooke vnto me faithfull witnesses to recorde, Vriah the Priest, and Zechariah the sonne of Ieberechiah.

After, I came vnto the Prophetesse, which conceiued, and bare a sonne. Then sayd the Lord to me, Call his name, Mahershalalhash-baz.

For before the childe shall haue knowledge to crye, My father, and my mother, he shall take away the riches of Damascus and the spoyle of Samaria, before the King of Asshur.

And the Lord spake yet againe vnto me, saying,

Because this people hath refused the waters of Shiloah that runne softly, and reioyce with Rezin, and the sonne of Remaliah,

Nowe therefore, beholde, the Lord bringeth vp vpon them the waters of the Riuer mightie and great, euen the King of Asshur with all his glory, and he shall come vp vpon all their riuers, and goe ouer all their banks,

And shall breake into Iudah, and shall ouerflowe and passe through, and shall come vp to the necke, and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanu-el.

Gather together on heapes, O ye people, and ye shalbe broken in pieces, and hearken all ye of farre countreys: gird your selues, and you shalbe broken in pieces: gird your selues, and you shalbe broken in pieces.

Take counsell together, yet it shall be brought to nought: pronounce a decree, yet shall it not stand: for God is with vs.

A Call to Fear God

(Ecclesiastes 8:10–13)

For the Lord spake thus to me in taking of mine hand, and taught me, that I should not walke in the way of this people, saying,

Say ye not, A confederacie to all them, to whome this people sayth a confederacie, neither feare you their feare, nor be afrayd of them.

Sanctifie the Lord of hostes, and let him be your feare, and let him be your dread,

And he shalbe as a Sanctuarie: but as a stumbling stone, and as a rocke to fall vpon, to both the houses of Israel, and as a snare and as a net to the inhabitants of Ierusalem.

And many among them shall stumble, and shall fall and shalbe broken and shalbe snared and shalbe taken.

Binde vp the testimonie: seale vp the Law among my disciples.

Therefore I will waite vpon the Lord that hath hid his face from the house of Iaakob, and I wil looke for him.

Beholde, I and the children whome the Lord hath giuen me, are as signes and as wonders in Israel, by the Lord of hostes, which dwelleth in mount Zion.

Darkness and Light

And when they shall say vnto you, Enquire at them that haue a spirit of diuination, and at the soothsayers, which whisper and murmure, Should not a people enquire at their God? from the liuing to the dead?

To the Law, and to the testimonie, if they speake not according to this worde: it is because there is no light in them.

Then he that is afflicted and famished, shall go to and from in it: and when he shalbe hungry, he shall euen freat himselfe, and curse his King and his gods, and shall looke vpward.

And when he shall looke to the earth, beholde trouble, and darkenes, vexation and anguish, and he is driuen to darkenes.

The LORD said to me, “Take a large tablet, and write on it with a man’s pen, ‘For Maher Shalal Hash Baz’;(a)

and I will take for myself faithful witnesses to testify: Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.”

I went to the prophetess, and she conceived, and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Call his name ‘Maher Shalal Hash Baz.’

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.”

The LORD spoke to me yet again, saying,

“Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son;

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.

It will sweep onward into Judah. It will overflow and pass through. It will reach even to the neck. The stretching out of its wings will fill the width of your land, O Immanuel.

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!

Take counsel together, and it will be brought to nothing; speak the word, and it will not stand, for God is with us.”

A Call to Fear God

(Ecclesiastes 8:10–13)

For the LORD spoke this to me with a strong hand, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,

“Don’t call a conspiracy all that this people call a conspiracy. Don’t fear their threats or be terrorized.

The LORD of Armies is who you must respect as holy. He is the one you must fear. He is the one you must dread.

He will be a sanctuary, but for both houses of Israel, he will be a stumbling stone and a rock that makes them fall. For the people of Jerusalem, he will be a trap and a snare.

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

Wrap up the covenant. Seal the law among my disciples.

I will wait for the LORD, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of Armies, who dwells in Mount Zion.

Darkness and Light

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?

Turn to the law and to the covenant! If they don’t speak according to this word, surely there is no morning for them.

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

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

Footnotes

(a)8:1 “Maher Shalal Hash Baz” means “quick to the plunder, swift to the prey”.