The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

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- Chapter 8 -

And the Lord said to me: “Take up for yourself a large book, and with a man’s pen write in it: ‘Take away the spoils quickly; plunder swiftly.’ ”

And I summoned to myself faithful witnesses: Uriah, the priest, and Zechariah, the son of Berechiah.

And I joined with the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said to me: “Call his name: ‘Rush to take away the spoils; Hurry to be plundered.’

For before the boy knows how to call to his father and his mother, the strength of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria will be taken away, in the sight of the king of the Assyrians.”

And the Lord spoke to me further, saying:

“Because this people has cast aside the waters of Shiloah, which go forth silently, and has instead chosen Rezin and the son of Remaliah,

for this reason, behold, the Lord will lead over them the waters of a river, strong and plentiful: the king of the Assyrians with all his glory. And he will rise up throughout all his streams, and he will overflow all his banks.(a)

And he will pass through Judah, inundating it, and he will cross over and arrive, even at its neck. And he will extend his wings, filling the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.”

O people, gather together, and be conquered! All distant lands, listen! Be strengthened, and be conquered! Gird yourselves, and be conquered!

Undertake a plan, and it will be dissipated! Speak a word, and it will not be done! For God is with us.

A Call to Fear God

(Ecclesiastes 8:10–13)

For the Lord said this to me, and he has instructed this to me with a strong hand, lest I go forth in the way of this people, saying:

“You should not say ‘It is conspiracy!’ For all that this people speaks is a conspiracy. And you should not be frightened or alarmed with their fear.

Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself. Let him be your dread, and let him be your fear.

And so shall he be a sanctification to you. But he will be a stone of offense and a rock of scandal to the two houses of Israel, and a snare and a ruin to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

And very many of them will stumble and fall, and they will be broken and entangled and seized.

Bind the testimony, seal the law, among my disciples.”

And I will wait for the Lord, who has concealed his face from the house of Jacob, and I will stand before him.

Behold: I and my children, whom the Lord has given to me as a sign and a portent, in Israel, from the Lord of hosts, who lives on Mount Zion.

Darkness and Light

And though they say to you, “Seek from seers and diviners,” they who hiss in their incantations, should not the people seek from their God, for the sake of the living, and not from the dead?(b)

(c)

(d)

And this is, moreover, for the sake of the law and the testimony. But if they do not speak according to this Word, then he will not have the morning light.

And he will pass by it; he will fall and become hungry. And when he is hungry, he will become angry, and he will speak evil against his king and his God, and he will lift himself upward.

And he will gaze downward to the earth, and behold: tribulation and darkness, dissolution and distress, and a pursuing gloom. For he will not be able to fly away from its distress.(e)

Footnotes

(a)8:7 The king of the Assyrians is a figure of the Antichrist.(Conte)

(b)8:19 The term ‘Numquid’ asks a question which expects a negative answer; but when ‘non’ is added, the expectation is of a positive answer. Since the answer to this question is expected to be ‘yes,’ the question refers to the true God (with a capital letter).(Conte)

(d)8:19 Should not the people seek of their God, for the living of the dead?:Here is signified, that it is to God we should pray to be directed, and not to seek of the dead, (that is, of fortune-tellers dead in sin,) for the health of the living.(Challoner)

(e)8:22 The distress referred to is that of the earth (feminine in Latin).(Conte)

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”.