but within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people. If ye will not hold fast to Jehovah, assuredly ye shall not be held fast by Him." (Ch. vii. 1-9.)

A second message to Ahaz.

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The Immanuel Prophecy.-The Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying: “Ask from the Lord thy God a sign. Ask it either in the depth beneath or in the height above." But Ahaz said, "I will not ask a sign, neither will I test the Lord." Then said the prophet: "Hear ye now, O House of David! It is a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord shall give you a sign Himself. See! A young damsel has conceived, and will bear a son, and his name shall be Immanuel. Before he is able to discern between the evil and the good, to refuse the one, and to choose the other, he shall eat butter, and honey for before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land, whose two kings thou fearest, shall be forsaken. And the Lord shall bring upon thee, and upon thy father's house, days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah, even the king of Assyria. It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria : and they shall come, and shall settle all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all the thorn trees, and upon all the shrubs. In that same day shall the Lord shave with a hired razor, even with those who are beyond the River (Euphrates), i.e. the king of Assyria, both head and foot, and the beard also shall be cut off. Then it shall come to pass that a man shall keep a young cow, and two sheep and it shall come to pass that because

of the quantity of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter -butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land. Then every piece of land where there used to be a thousand vines worth a thousand pieces of silver, shall be for briers and thorns. Men shall go there with arrows and bows, for all the land shall be covered with briers and thorns. And upon all the hillsides that used to be cultivated shall no one come for fear of briers and thorns; but they shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of sheep. (Ch. vii. 10-25.)

A third message to Ahaz.

me,

Destruction of Ephraim.—Further, the Lord said unto

"Take thee a large roll, and write on it with an ordinary pen these words, 'Concerning Maher-Shalal-HashBaz.'" I then took with me trustworthy witnesses to write this, viz., Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah. (I had gone unto the prophetess, and she had conceived, and borne a son.) Then the Lord said unto me, "Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz: for before the boy shall know how to say, 'My father, and my mother,' the riches of Damascus and the booty of Samaria shall be carried away before the king of Assyria. (Ch. viii. 1-4.)

A fourth message to Ahaz.

An alliance with Syria and Samaria condemned. Again the Lord spake unto me, saying:

"Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that flow softly, and put their trust in Rezin and Remaliah's son: now, therefore, the Lord bringeth up upon them the water of the River, strong, and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his might. He shall come up over all his

channels, and go over all his banks, and pass through Judah he shall overflow, and go over: he shall reach even unto the neck. Then the stretching out of his wings shall cover the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel!" (Ch. viii. 5-8.) The True Trust.

Form alliances, O ye people, but ye shall be broken to pieces! Listen to me, all ye of far lands, gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces: gird yourselves and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, yet it shall come to nought! Issue your command, but it shall not stand! God is with us." Thus the Lord spake to me with a strong Hand, thus He has instructed me that I should not walk in the way this people goes, saying to me, "Call not that an alliance, which the people shall call an alliance. Fear ye not what they fear, nor be afraid. Regard the Lord of Hosts Himself as the Holy One. Make Him the object of your fear, and your awe. Then He shall be a sanctuary unto you: but a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence to both the Houses of Israel—a gin and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem-this also, for many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken!" (Ch. viii. 9-15.)

The Prophet's Retirement.

Bind up the Testimony: seal the Instruction among those who are my disciples. And I will wait upon the Lord, Who is hiding His Face from the House of Jacob: yea, I will look for Him. Behold! I and the children, whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and omens unto Israel, from the Lord of Hosts, who dwelleth in Mount Zion. When they shall say unto you, "" Consult those that have familiar spirits and wizards that peep and that mutter: should not

C

the people consult their God? For the living should they consult the dead? To the Instruction, and to the Testimony.' If they say not this, then no morning shall ever dawn upon them: but they shall pass through the land hardly bestead, 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 look upward. For they shall look unto the earth, and behold trouble, and darkness, with dimness of anguish, and banishment into darkness." (Ch. viii. 16-22.)

A Brighter Day Dawning.

But the gloom shall be no more as it was in her trouble. In the former time He has afflicted the land of Zebulon, and the land of Naphtali: but in the latter time He will gloriously advance the country by the way of the Sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

For the people that walked in darkness shall see a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them shall the light shine. Thou hast multiplied the nation. Thou hast increased their joy. They joy before Thee according as they joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. The yoke that burdened them, the stick of their shoulder, and the rod of their driver, Thou hast broken in pieces as in the day of vengeance on Midian ! Every weapon of the warrior in the battle, and all the bloodstained garments are now for burning and fuel of fire. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given! The government shall be upon his shoulder. His name shall be "the Wonderful Counsellor," "The Hero God," "The Everlasting Father," ," "The Prince of Peace." Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end.

He shall sit upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with justice and righteousness, from henceforth even for ever. The Zeal of the Lord of

Hosts will perform this.

(Ch. ix. 1-7.)

PART VI.

MESSAGES TO ADJOINING PEOPLES-THE PHILISTINES, MOAB, EDOM, ARABIA, AND SAMARIA.

In the year that king Ahaz died was this oracle (722 B.C.). 1. Isaiah to the Philistines.

Rejoice not thou, thou whole district of the Philistines! For though the rod of him that smote thee is broken: yet out of the serpent's root shall come forth a viper, and its seed shall be a fiery flying serpent. The first-born of the poor, however, shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety. But I shall destroy thy root with famine and I will slay thy remnant. Howl, O gate! Cry, O city! Thou art wholly destroyed, O Philistia! For there is coming from the north a smoke, and a thoroughly disciplined army. What shall be the answer to the messengers of the nation? This, that the Lord hath founded Zion, and that the poor of His people shall find refuge in it. (Ch. xiv. 28-32.)

2. The Prophetic message to Moab.

The oracle concerning Moab.-In a night Ar of Moab is laid waste! It is brought to silence! In a night Kir of Moab is laid waste! It is brought to silence!

Moab is gone up to his temple, even to Dibon, to the high places to weep. He mourns on Nebo, and on Medeba. On