Isaiah 8:9-16

9Be broken, you people. Be terrified. Listen, all you distant parts of the earth. Prepare for battle, but be terrified. Prepare for battle, but be terrified.

10Make plans for battle, but they will never succeed. Give orders, but they won’t be carried out, because God is with us!

11This is what the Lord said with his powerful hand on me. He warned me not to follow the ways of these people:

12“Don’t say that everything these people call a conspiracy is a conspiracy. Don’t fear what they fear. Don’t let it terrify you.”

13Remember that the Lord of Armies is holy. He is the one you should fear and the one you should be terrified of.

14He will be a place of safety for you. But he will be a rock that makes people trip and a stumbling block for both kingdoms of Israel. He will be a trap and a snare for those who live in Jerusalem.

15Many will stumble. They will fall and be broken. They will be trapped and caught.

16Tie up the written instructions. Seal the teachings among my disciples.