1 Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take a great roll and write in it with a man’s pen concerning Mahershalal-hashbaz. {Heb. Hurry to the spoil, make haste to the prey} 2 And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.
3 And I went unto the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz. 4 For before the child shall have knowledge 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.
5 The LORD also spoke unto me again, saying, 6 Forasmuch as this people refused the waters of Shiloah that go softly and rejoiced in Rezin and Remaliah’s son, 7 now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria and all his power, and he shall come up over all his channels and go over all his banks: 8 And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.
9 Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries, prepare yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. 10 Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand, for God is with us.
11 For the LORD spoke thus to me with a strong hand and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, 12 Do not say, A confederacy, to all those to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear their fear, nor be afraid. 13 Sanctify the LORD of the hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 Then he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock to cause a fall to both the houses of Israel, for a snare and for a net to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble and fall and be broken and be snared and be taken.
16 Bind up the testimony; seal the law among my disciples. 17 And I will wait for the LORD, who hid his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of the hosts, who dwells in Mount Zion. 19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto spiritists and unto wizards that peep and that mutter; shall the people not seek unto their God? Shall we appeal for the living unto the dead? 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. 21 Then they shall pass through this land, fatigued and hungry, and it shall come to pass that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves and curse their king and their God. And raising their face high, 22 they shall look upon the earth and behold tribulation and gross darkness, darkness and anguish; and they shall be submerged in gross darkness.