[1] And the Lord said to me, Take a great writing-board, and on it put down
in common letters, Maher-shalal-hash-baz; [2] And take true witnesses to
the writing, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah, the son of Jeberechiah. [3]
And I went in to my wife, and she became with child, and gave birth to a
son. Then the Lord said to me, Give him the name Maher-shalal-hash-baz, [4]
For before the child is able to say, Father, or, Mother, the wealth of
Damascus and the goods of Samaria will be taken away by the king of
Assyria. [5] And the Lord said again to me, [6] Because this people will
have nothing to do with the softly-flowing waters of Shiloah, and have fear
of Rezin and Remaliah's son; [7] For this cause the Lord is sending on them
the waters of the River, deep and strong, even the king of Assyria and all
his glory: and it will come up through all its streams, overflowing all its
edges: [8] And it will come on into Judah; rushing on and overflowing, till
the waters are up to the neck; *** and his outstretched wings will be
covering the land from side to side: for God is with us. [9] Have
knowledge, O peoples, and be in fear; give ear, all you far-off parts of
the earth: [10] Let your designs be formed, and they will come to nothing;
give your orders, and they will not be effected: for God is with us. [11]
For the Lord, controlling me with a strong hand, gave me orders not to go
in the way of this people, saying, [12] Do not say, It is holy, about
everything of which this people says, It is holy; and do not be in fear of
what they go in fear of. [13] But let the Lord of armies be holy to you,
and go in fear of him, giving honour to him. [14] And he will be for a holy
place: but for a stone of falling and a rock of trouble to the two houses
of Israel, and to the men of Jerusalem, for a net in which they may be
taken. [15] And numbers of them, falling on the stone, will be broken, and
will be taken in the net. [16] Let my teaching be kept secret: and my words
be given to my disciples only. [17] And I will be waiting for the Lord,
whose face is veiled from the house of Jacob, and I will be looking for
him. [18] See, I and the children whom the Lord has given me, are for signs
and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of armies, whose resting-place is
in Mount Zion. [19] And when they say to you, Make request for us to those
who have control of spirits, and to those wise in secret arts, who make
hollow bird-like sounds; is it not right for a people to make request to
their gods, to make request for the living to the dead? [20] Then say to
them, Put your faith in the teaching and the witness. ... If they do not
say such things. ... For him there is no dawn. ... [21] And he will go
through the land in bitter trouble and in need of food; and when he is
unable to get food, he will become angry, cursing his king and his God, and
his eyes will be turned to heaven on high; [22] And he will be looking down
on the earth, and there will be trouble and dark clouds, black night where
there is no seeing.
