Font Size
Isaiah 8:1-9:7
New Life Version
Isaiah 8:1-9:7
New Life Version
Assyria Will Take the Land
8 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 And I took men who could be trusted to watch the writing, Uriah the religious leader and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah. 3 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 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 The Lord spoke to me again, saying, 6 “These people have turned away from the gentle, flowing waters of Shiloah, and find joy in Rezin and the son of Remaliah. 7 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 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 “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 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 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 “Do not call holy all that these people call holy. Do not fear what they fear, or be afraid of it. 13 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 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 Many will fall over them. They will fall and be broken. They will be trapped and caught.”
16 Put together what I have said. Hold to my teachings among my followers. 17 I will wait for the Lord Who is hiding His face from the family of Jacob. I trust Him and hope in Him. 18 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 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 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 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 Then they will look to the earth and see trouble and darkness and suffering and will be driven out into darkness.
Birth and Rule of the Prince of Peace
9 But there will be no more heavy hearts for those who were suffering. In the past God allowed the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali to be put to shame. In the future He will honor Galilee where those who are not Jews live and where the road to the sea is. It is on the other side of the Jordan. 2 The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. The light will shine on those living in the land of dark shadows. 3 You will make the nation great. You will give them great joy. They will be glad before You, as with the joy of gathering time, and as men have joy when they divide the riches taken after a battle. 4 For You will break the heavy load from their neck and shoulders. You will break the power of those who made it hard for them, as at the battle of Midian. 5 For every shoe of the soldiers in the battle, and every coat rolled in blood, will be burned in the fire. 6 For to us a Child will be born. To us a Son will be given. And the rule of the nations will be on His shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Teacher, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to His rule and His peace, upon the throne of David and over his nation. He will build it to last and keep it strong with what is right and fair and good from that time and forever. The work of the Lord of All will do this.
Isaiah 8:1-9:7
New International Version
Isaiah 8:1-9:7
New International Version
Isaiah and His Children as Signs
8 The Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll(A) and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.”[a](B) 2 So I called in Uriah(C) the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses(D) for me. 3 Then I made love to the prophetess,(E) and she conceived and gave birth to a son.(F) And the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.(G) 4 For before the boy knows(H) how to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus(I) and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.(J)”
5 The Lord spoke to me again:
6 “Because this people has rejected(K)
the gently flowing waters of Shiloah(L)
and rejoices over Rezin
and the son of Remaliah,(M)
7 therefore the Lord is about to bring against them
the mighty floodwaters(N) of the Euphrates—
the king of Assyria(O) with all his pomp.(P)
It will overflow all its channels,
run over all its banks(Q)
8 and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it,(R)
passing through it and reaching up to the neck.
Its outspread wings(S) will cover the breadth of your land,
Immanuel[b]!”(T)
9 Raise the war cry,[c](U) you nations, and be shattered!(V)
Listen, all you distant lands.
Prepare(W) for battle, and be shattered!
Prepare for battle, and be shattered!
10 Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted;(X)
propose your plan, but it will not stand,(Y)
for God is with us.[d](Z)
11 This is what the Lord says to me with his strong hand upon me,(AA) warning me not to follow(AB) the way of this people:
12 “Do not call conspiracy(AC)
everything this people calls a conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear,(AD)
and do not dread it.(AE)
13 The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,(AF)
he is the one you are to fear,(AG)
he is the one you are to dread.(AH)
14 He will be a holy place;(AI)
for both Israel and Judah he will be
a stone(AJ) that causes people to stumble(AK)
and a rock that makes them fall.(AL)
And for the people of Jerusalem he will be
a trap and a snare.(AM)
15 Many of them will stumble;(AN)
they will fall and be broken,
they will be snared and captured.”
16 Bind up this testimony of warning(AO)
and seal(AP) up God’s instruction among my disciples.
17 I will wait(AQ) for the Lord,
who is hiding(AR) his face from the descendants of Jacob.
I will put my trust in him.(AS)
18 Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me.(AT) We are signs(AU) and symbols(AV) in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.(AW)
The Darkness Turns to Light
19 When someone tells you to consult(AX) mediums and spiritists,(AY) who whisper and mutter,(AZ) should not a people inquire(BA) of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20 Consult God’s instruction(BB) and the testimony of warning.(BC) If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light(BD) of dawn. 21 Distressed and hungry,(BE) they will roam through the land;(BF) when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse(BG) their king and their God. 22 Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom,(BH) and they will be thrust into utter darkness.(BI)
9 [e]Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom(BJ) for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,(BK) but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—
2 The people walking in darkness(BL)
have seen a great light;(BM)
on those living in the land of deep darkness(BN)
a light has dawned.(BO)
3 You have enlarged the nation(BP)
and increased their joy;(BQ)
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.(BR)
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,(BS)
you have shattered(BT)
the yoke(BU) that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,(BV)
the rod of their oppressor.(BW)
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,(BX)
will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,(BY)
to us a son is given,(BZ)
and the government(CA) will be on his shoulders.(CB)
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor,(CC) Mighty God,(CD)
Everlasting(CE) Father,(CF) Prince of Peace.(CG)
7 Of the greatness of his government(CH) and peace(CI)
there will be no end.(CJ)
He will reign(CK) on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice(CL) and righteousness(CM)
from that time on and forever.(CN)
The zeal(CO) of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 8:1 Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz means quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil; also in verse 3.
- Isaiah 8:8 Immanuel means God with us.
- Isaiah 8:9 Or Do your worst
- Isaiah 8:10 Hebrew Immanuel
- Isaiah 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-21 is numbered 9:1-20.
New Life Version (NLV)
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.