Isaiah 7

1 Now in the days that Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, Rezin king of Aram marched up to wage war against Jerusalem. He was accompanied by Pekah son of Remaliah the king of Israel, but he could not overpower the city.

In the time of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up against Jerusalem to besiege it; but he could not prevail against it.

2 When it was reported to the house of David that Aram was in league with Ephraim, the hearts of Ahaz and his people trembled like trees in the forest shaken by the wind.

And when it was told the house of David, that the Syrians had encamped in Ephraim, his heart was moved, and the hearts of his people, as the trees of the forest are moved with the wind.

3 Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct that feeds the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field,

Then said Jehovah to Isaiah, Go forth to meet Ahaz, thou and Shear-Jashub thy son, at the end of the aqueduct of the upper pool, in the way to the fuller's field;

4 and say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Do not be afraid or disheartened over these two smoldering stubs of firewood—over the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.

and say to him: Take heed, and be quiet! Fear not, neither let thy heart he faint On account of the two tails of these smoking firebrands, On account of the fierce wrath of Rezin with the Syrians, and of the son of Remaliah,

5 For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted your ruin, saying:

Because Syria deviseth evil against thee, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, saying,

6 ‘Let us invade Judah, terrorize it, and divide it among ourselves. Then we can install the son of Tabeal over it as king.’

“Let us go up against Judah, and besiege the city, And take it, And set a king in the midst of it, Even the son of Tabeal.”

7 But this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘It will not arise; it will not happen.

Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: “It shall not stand, neither shall it be;

8 For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered as a people.

But the head of Syria shall still be Damascus, And the head of Damascus, Rezin; [[And within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that he be no more a people.]]

9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not stand firm in your faith, then you will not stand at all.’”

And the head of Ephraim shall still be Samaria, And the head of Samaria, the son of Remaliah. If ye will not believe, neither shall ye thrive.”

10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying,

Jehovah spake also again to Ahaz:

11 “Ask for a sign from the LORD your God, whether from the depths of Sheol or the heights of heaven.” (Sheol h7585)

“Ask thee a sign of Jehovah, thy God; Ask it from below, or in the height above!” (Sheol h7585)

12 But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask; I will not test the LORD.”

And Ahaz said, I will not ask; I will not tempt Jehovah!

13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God as well?

Then he said, Hear ye now, O house of David! Is it too small a thing for you to weary men, That ye should weary my God also?

14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.

Therefore shall Jehovah himself give you a sign: Behold, the damsel shall conceive, and bear a son, And she shall call his name Immanuel.

15 By the time He knows enough to reject evil and choose good, He will be eating curds and honey.

Milk and honey shall he eat, Until he learn to refuse the evil, and choose the good;

16 For before the boy knows enough to reject evil and choose good, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.

For before this child shall have learned to refuse the evil and choose the good, The land shall become desolate, On account of whose two kings thou art in terror.

17 The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since the day Ephraim separated from Judah—He will bring the king of Assyria.”

Yet Jehovah shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father's house, Days such as have not been Since Ephraim revolted from Judah. [[Even the king of Assyria.]]

18 On that day the LORD will whistle to the flies at the farthest streams of the Nile and to the bees in the land of Assyria.

And it shall come to pass in that day That Jehovah shall whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, And the bee that is in the land of Assyria,

19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines and clefts of the rocks, in all the thornbushes and watering holes.

And they shall come, and light all of them In the desolate valleys, and fissures of the rocks, And upon all hedges, and upon all pastures.

20 On that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates —the king of Assyria—to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to remove your beard as well.

In that day shall Jehovah shave, with a razor hired beyond the river, [[with the king of Assyria, ]] The head, and the hair of the feet; Yea, even the beard shall he take away.

21 On that day a man will raise a young cow and two sheep,

And it shall come to pass in that day, That a man shall keep a young cow, and two sheep;

22 and from the abundance of milk they give, he will eat curds; for all who remain in the land will eat curds and honey.

And for the abundance of milk which they produce, shall he eat cheese; For milk and honey shall all eat Who are left in the land,

23 And on that day, in every place that had a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels of silver, only briers and thorns will be found.

And it shall come to pass in that day, That every place where stood a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels of silver, Shall be covered with briers and thorns.

24 Men will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns.

With arrows and with bows shall men go thither; For all the land shall become briers and thorns.

25 For fear of the briers and thorns, you will no longer traverse the hills once tilled by the hoe; they will become places for oxen to graze and sheep to trample.

All the hills that were digged with the mattock Shall no one approach through fear of briers and thorns; They shall be for the pasturage of oxen, And the trampling of sheep.