TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 8

1Hashem said to me, “Get yourself a large sheet and write on it in common script ‘For Maher-shalal-hash-baz';

אוַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֵלַי קַח־לְךָ גִּלָּיוֹן גָּדוֹל וּכְתֹב עָלָיו בְּחֶרֶט אֱנוֹשׁ לְמַהֵר שָׁלָל חָשׁ בַּז׃

2and call reliable witnesses, the kohen Uriya and Zecharya son of JeBerechiah, to witness for Me.”

בוְאָעִידָה לִּי עֵדִים נֶאֱמָנִים אֵת אוּרִיָּה הַכֹּהֵן וְאֶת־זְכַרְיָהוּ בֶּן יְבֶרֶכְיָהוּ׃

3I was intimate with the Neviah, and she conceived and bore a son; and Hashem said to me, “Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

גוָאֶקְרַב אֶל־הַנְּבִיאָה וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֵלַי קְרָא שְׁמוֹ מַהֵר שָׁלָל חָשׁ בַּז׃

4For before the boy learns to call ‘Father' and ‘Mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoils of Shomron, and the delights of Rezin and of the son of Remaliah,* shall be carried off before the king of Assyria.”

דכִּי בְּטֶרֶם יֵדַע הַנַּעַר קְרֹא אָבִי וְאִמִּי יִשָּׂא אֶת־חֵיל דַּמֶּשֶׂק וְאֵת שְׁלַל שֹׁמְרוֹן לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר׃

5Again Hashem spoke to me, thus:

הוַיֹּסֶף יְהֹוָה דַּבֵּר אֵלַי עוֹד לֵאמֹר׃

6“Because that people has spurned The gently flowing waters of Siloam”—

ויַעַן כִּי מָאַס הָעָם הַזֶּה אֵת מֵי הַשִּׁלֹחַ הַהֹלְכִים לְאַט וּמְשׂוֹשׂ אֶת־רְצִין וּבֶן־רְמַלְיָהוּ׃

7Assuredly, My Lord will bring up against them The mighty, massive waters of the Euphrates, The king of Assyria and all his multitude. It shall rise above all its channels, And flow over all its beds,

זוְלָכֵן הִנֵּה אֲדֹנָי מַעֲלֶה עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת־מֵי הַנָּהָר הָעֲצוּמִים וְהָרַבִּים אֶת־מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וְאֶת־כָּל־כְּבוֹדוֹ וְעָלָה עַל־כָּל־אֲפִיקָיו וְהָלַךְ עַל־כָּל־גְּדוֹתָיו׃

8And swirl through Yehuda like a flash flood Reaching up to the neck. But with us is Hashem, Whose wings are spread As wide as your land is broad!

חוְחָלַף בִּיהוּדָה שָׁטַף וְעָבַר עַד־צַוָּאר יַגִּיעַ וְהָיָה מֻטּוֹת כְּנָפָיו מְלֹא רֹחַב־אַרְצְךָ עִמָּנוּ אֵל׃

9Band together, O peoples—you shall be broken! Listen to this, you remotest parts of the earth: Gird yourselves—you shall be broken; Gird yourselves—you shall be broken!

טרֹעוּ עַמִּים וָחֹתּוּ וְהַאֲזִינוּ כֹּל מֶרְחַקֵּי־אָרֶץ הִתְאַזְּרוּ וָחֹתּוּ הִתְאַזְּרוּ וָחֹתּוּ׃

10Hatch a plot—it shall be foiled; Agree on action—it shall not succeed. For with us is Hashem!

יעֻצוּ עֵצָה וְתֻפָר דַּבְּרוּ דָבָר וְלֹא יָקוּם כִּי עִמָּנוּ אֵל׃

11For this is what Hashem said to me, when He took me by the hand and charged me not to walk in the path of that people:

יאכִּי כֹה אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֵלַי כְּחֶזְקַת הַיָּד וְיִסְּרֵנִי מִלֶּכֶת בְּדֶרֶךְ הָעָם־הַזֶּה לֵאמֹר׃

12“You must not call conspiracy All that that people calls conspiracy, Nor revere what it reveres, Nor hold it in awe.

יבלֹא־תֹאמְרוּן קֶשֶׁר לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמַר הָעָם הַזֶּה קָשֶׁר וְאֶת־מוֹרָאוֹ לֹא־תִירְאוּ וְלֹא תַעֲרִיצוּ׃

13None but the LORD of Hosts Shall you account holy; Give reverence to Him alone, Hold Him alone in awe.

יגאֶת־יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת אֹתוֹ תַקְדִּישׁוּ וְהוּא מוֹרַאֲכֶם וְהוּא מַעֲרִצְכֶם׃

14He shall be for a sanctuary, A stone men strike against: A rock men stumble over For the two Houses of Yisrael, And a trap and a snare for those Who dwell in Yerushalayim.

ידוְהָיָה לְמִקְדָּשׁ וּלְאֶבֶן נֶגֶף וּלְצוּר מִכְשׁוֹל לִשְׁנֵי בָתֵּי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְפַח וּלְמוֹקֵשׁ לְיוֹשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלָ ִם׃

15The masses shall trip over these And shall fall and be injured, Shall be snared and be caught.

טווְכָשְׁלוּ בָם רַבִּים וְנָפְלוּ וְנִשְׁבָּרוּ וְנוֹקְשׁוּ וְנִלְכָּדוּ׃

16Bind up the message, Seal the instruction with My disciples.”

טזצוֹר תְּעוּדָה חֲתוֹם תּוֹרָה בְּלִמֻּדָי׃

17So I will wait for Hashem, who is hiding His face from the House of Yaakov, and I will trust in Him.

יזוְחִכִּיתִי לַיהֹוָה הַמַּסְתִּיר פָּנָיו מִבֵּית יַעֲקֹב וְקִוֵּיתִי־לוֹ׃

18Here stand I and the children Hashem has given me as signs and portents in Yisrael from the LORD of Hosts, who dwells on Mount Tzion.

hi-NAY a-no-KHEE v'-hai-la-DEEM a-SHER na-tan LEE a-do-NAI l'-o-TOT ul-mof-TEEM b'-yis-ra-AYL may-IM a-do-NAI tz'-va-OT ha-sho-KHAYN b'-HAR tzi-YON

יחהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי וְהַיְלָדִים אֲשֶׁר נָתַן־לִי יְהֹוָה לְאֹתוֹת וּלְמוֹפְתִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעִם יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת הַשֹּׁכֵן בְּהַר צִיּוֹן׃

 8:18   God of Hosts, who dwells on Mount Tzion

The Temple Mount, referred to as Mount Tzion in the Bible

After describing the upcoming Assyrian invasion, the prophet takes steps to ensure that a small remnant of believers in Hashem’s salvation will remain. He goes so far as to name his children with names of hope and promise, as signs that the redemption will come. Yeshayahu points to the fact that God’s presence continues to reside on Mount Tzion. Regarding the Beit Hamikdash and Yerushalayim, the Rambam states, “even though it is destroyed, it still possesses its holiness.” This means that Hashem will never abandon His land or His people. Instead, He remains with His children even while they are in exile, and guarantees that He will redeem them at the right time (Deuteronomy 30:3-5).

19Now, should people say to you, “Inquire of the ghosts and familiar spirits that chirp and moan; for a people may inquire of its divine beings—of the dead on behalf of the living—

יטוְכִי־יֹאמְרוּ אֲלֵיכֶם דִּרְשׁוּ אֶל־הָאֹבוֹת וְאֶל־הַיִּדְּעֹנִים הַמְצַפְצְפִים וְהַמַּהְגִּים הֲלוֹא־עַם אֶל־אֱלֹהָיו יִדְרֹשׁ בְּעַד הַחַיִּים אֶל־הַמֵּתִים׃

20for instruction and message,” surely, for one who speaks thus there shall be no dawn.

כלְתוֹרָה וְלִתְעוּדָה אִם־לֹא יֹאמְרוּ כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר אֵין־לוֹ שָׁחַר׃

21And he shall go about in it wretched and hungry; and when he is hungry, he shall rage and revolt against his king and his divine beings. He may turn his face upward

כאוְעָבַר בָּהּ נִקְשֶׁה וְרָעֵב וְהָיָה כִי־יִרְעַב וְהִתְקַצַּף וְקִלֵּל בְּמַלְכּוֹ וּבֵאלֹהָיו וּפָנָה לְמָעְלָה׃

22or he may look below, but behold, Distress and darkness, with no daybreak; Straitness and gloom, with no dawn.

כבוְאֶל־אֶרֶץ יַבִּיט וְהִנֵּה צָרָה וַחֲשֵׁכָה מְעוּף צוּקָה וַאֲפֵלָה מְנֻדָּח׃

23For if there were to be any break of day for that [land] which is in straits, only the former [king] would have brought abasement to the land of Zevulun and the land of Naftali—while the later one would have brought honor to the Way of the Sea, the other side of the Yarden, and Galilee of the Nations.

כגכִּי לֹא מוּעָף לַאֲשֶׁר מוּצָק לָהּ כָּעֵת הָרִאשׁוֹן הֵקַל אַרְצָה זְבֻלוּן וְאַרְצָה נַפְתָּלִי וְהָאַחֲרוֹן הִכְבִּיד דֶּרֶךְ הַיָּם עֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן גְּלִיל הַגּוֹיִם׃