Isaiah 7

1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

It was during the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin, king of Aram, marched to attack Jerusalem. Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, joined in the attack, but they couldn't conquer the city.

2 And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.

When the royal family of Judah was told, “Aram and Ephraim have an alliance,” Ahaz and his people were terrified and they shook like trees in the forest tossed about by the wind.

3 Then said Yhwh unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear–jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field;

Then the Lord told Isaiah, “Take your son Shear-jashub with you and go and meet Ahaz. He'll be at the end of the aqueduct of the upper pool, by the road to the laundry field.

4 And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

Tell him, ‘Calm down and keep quiet. Don't be afraid or scared over a couple of smoldering bits of firewood, over the burning anger of Rezin and Aram, and of Remaliah's son.

5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,

Aram has plotted to destroy you together with Ephraim and Remaliah's son saying,

6 Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:

Let's go and attack Judah! We'll terrorize it and conquer it for ourselves, and make Tabeel's son its king.”

7 Thus saith the Lord Yhwh, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.

But this is what the Lord God says, “This plan won't materialize—it just won't happen!

8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.

For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. In addition, within sixty-five years Israel as a nation will be destroyed.

9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.

The head of Israel is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If you don't trust in me, then you won't survive.”

10 Moreover Yhwh spake again unto Ahaz, saying,

Later the Lord sent another message to Ahaz,

11 Ask thee a sign of Yhwh thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. (Sheol h7585)

“Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether as deep as where people are buried or as high as heaven.” (Sheol h7585)

12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt Yhwh.

“No, I'm not going to ask,” Ahaz replied. “I refuse to put the Lord to the test.”

13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?

Then Isaiah said, “Listen, royal family of Judah! Isn't it enough for you to wear people out? Do you have to wear my God out too?

14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

This is why the Lord himself is going to give you a sign. Look! The virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and she will call him Immanuel.

15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

He will eat curds and honey until the time he knows to refuse evil and choose the good.

16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.

For before the boy knows to refuse evil and choose the good, the land of the two kings you're afraid of will be deserted.

17 Yhwh shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father’s house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.

The Lord will make you, your people, and the royal family experience a time unlike anything since the day Ephraim split from Judah. He will bring the king of Assyria to attack you!”

18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Yhwh 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.

At that time the Lord will whistle to call flies from the distant rivers of Egypt and bees from the country of Assyria.

19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.

They will all come and descend on the steep valleys and rock crevices, on all the thorn bushes and waterholes.

20 In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.

At that time the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River, the king of Assyria, to shave you from head to toe, including your beards.

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

At that time a someone who manages to keep a young cow and two sheep alive

22 And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.

will eat curds, because they produce so much milk—for everyone who survives in the land will eat curds and honey.

23 And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns.

At that time everywhere that once had a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels will only have brambles and thorns.

24 With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns.

People will go hunting there with bows and arrows because the land will be covered with brambles and thorns.

25 And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.

In fact, all the hills that were once tilled by the hoe you won't want to go to because you'll worry about the brambles and thorns there. They'll just be where cattle are let loose and where sheep roam.