Assyrian Invasion Prophesied

1And Jehovah said to me, Take thee a great tablet, and write thereon with a man's style, concerning Maher-shalal-hash-baz. 2And I took unto me to witness, sure witnesses, Urijah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah. 3And I came near to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son; and Jehovah said unto me, Call his name, Maher-shalal-hash-baz. 4For before the lad knoweth to cry, My father! and, My mother! the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.

5And Jehovah spoke again to me, saying,

6Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah which flow softly, and rejoiceth in Rezin and in the son of Remaliah,

7therefore behold, the Lord will bring up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory; and he shall mount up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:

8and he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow it and go further, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel!

9Rage, ye peoples, and be broken in pieces! And give ear, all ye distant parts of the earth: Gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces!

10Settle a plan, and it shall come to nought; speak a word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

A Call to Fear God

11For Jehovah spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and he instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,

12Ye shall not say, Conspiracy, of everything of which this people saith, Conspiracy; and fear ye not their fear, and be not in dread.

13Jehovah of hosts, him shall ye sanctify; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

14And he will be for a sanctuary; and for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

15And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

16Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. 17And I will wait for Jehovah, who hideth his face from the house of Jacob; and I will look for him. 18Behold, I and the children that Jehovah hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel, from Jehovah of hosts, who dwelleth in mount Zion.

Afflictions to Idolaters

19And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto the necromancers and unto the soothsayers, who chirp and who mutter, [say,] Shall not a people seek unto their God? [Will they go] for the living unto the dead? 20To the law and the testimony! If they speak not according to this word, for them there is no daybreak. 21And they shall pass through it, hard pressed and hungry; and it shall come to pass when they are hungry, they will fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and will gaze upward: 22and they will look to the earth; and behold, trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they shall be driven into thick darkness.