“Yahweh spoke thus to me.

His hand was strong upon me.

He warned me

Not to walk

In the way of this people.

He said.

‘Do not call conspiracy

All that this people call conspiracy!

Do not fear

What they fear!

Do not be in dread!

You shall regard as holy

Yahweh of hosts!

Let him be your fear!

Let him be your dread!

He will become a sanctuary.

He will become a stone

That one strikes against.

For both houses of Israel,

He will become a rock

That one stumbles over.

He will become a trap.

He will become a snare

For the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Many among them shall stumble.

They shall fall.

They shall be broken.

They shall be snared.

They shall be taken.’”

Once again, we have an oracle from Yahweh directly to Isaiah. This time Yahweh also puts his hand on him with a warning not to fall into conspiracy theories. Does that sound familiar? Isaiah was not to fear what most people feared and dreaded. Only Yahweh, the Lord of hosts, is holy. He is the only one that you should fear and dread. Yahweh can, however, become either a sanctuary or a stumbling block. Both houses of Israel, north and south, find that Yahweh is a stumbling block, a trap and a snare. Many of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will stumble and fall. They will be taken and broken, as they will get caught in this trap or snare.