Dual PanelAssyria Is Coming Soon
1The LORD told me, “Get a large scroll, and use an ordinary pen to write these words: ‘This is for Maher Shalal Hash Baz.’”
2I found some men who could be trusted to serve as witnesses: Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah. They watched me write those words.
3Then I went to my wife, the woman prophet. She became pregnant and had a son. The LORD told me, “Name the boy Maher Shalal Hash Baz.”
4He said that because before the boy learns to say “Mama” and “Daddy,” God will take all the wealth and riches from Damascus and Samaria and give them to the king of Assyria.
5The LORD spoke to me again.
6He said, “These people refuse to accept the slow-moving waters of Shiloah. They prefer Rezin and Remaliah’s son.”
7But the Lord will bring the king of Assyria and all his power against them. The Assyrians will come like their swift moving river, like water that rises and spills over its banks.
8This water will be like a flash flood as it passes through Judah. It will rise to Judah’s throat and almost drown him. But he will spread his wings over your whole country, Immanuel.
9All you nations, prepare for war. You will be defeated. Listen, all you faraway countries! Prepare for battle. You will be defeated.
10Make your plans for the fight. Your plans will be defeated. Give orders to your armies, but your orders will be useless, because God is with us!
Warnings to Isaiah
11The LORD spoke to me with his great power and warned me not to be like these people. He said,
12“Don’t think there is a plan against you just because the people say there is. Don’t be afraid of what they fear. Don’t let them frighten you!”
13The LORD All-Powerful is the one you should fear. He is the one you should respect. He is the one who should frighten you.
14If you people would respect him, he would be a safe place for you. But you don’t respect him, so he is like a stone that you stumble over. He is a rock that makes both families of Israel fall. He has become a trap that all the people of Jerusalem will fall into.
15(Many people will trip over this rock. They will fall and be broken. They will be caught in the trap.)
16The Lord said, “Write this agreement. Tie it up and seal it so that it cannot be changed. Give these teachings to my followers for safekeeping.”
17The LORD has turned away from the family of Jacob. But I will wait for him. I trust that he will come to save us.
18Here I am with the children the LORD has given me. We are here as signs from the LORD All-Powerful, who lives on Mount Zion. He is using us to show his plans for the people of Israel.
19The people will say, “Go to the fortunetellers and wizards who mumble and chirp like birds. Ask them what to do.” But I say, “Shouldn’t people go to their God for help? Why go to the dead to get help for the living?”
20You should follow the teachings and the agreement. I swear, if you follow those other things, there is no future for you.
21When the enemy comes, there will be hard times and hunger. And when he becomes hungry, he will become angry. He will say curses in the name of his king and his gods. Then he will lift his head upwards like a roaring lion.
22And when the captives turn their faces to the ground, there is only a depressing darkness closing in—the dark sadness of people forced to leave their country.