< Isaiah 7 >

1 It happened in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aram, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it, but they could not prevail against it.
And it came to pass in the days of Achaz the son of Jotham, the son of 'Uzziyahu, the king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekach the son of Remalyahu, the king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it; but were not able to make an attack upon it.
2 It was told the house of David, saying, "Aram is allied with Ephraim." His heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind.
And it was told unto the house of David, saying, Syria is encamped with Ephraim; and his heart trembled, with the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest are shaken before the wind.
3 Then YHWH said to Isaiah, "Go out now to meet Ahaz, you, and Shearjashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway of the Launderers' Field.
And the Lord said unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Achaz, thou with Shear-yashub thy son, to the end of the aqueduct of the upper pool, on the highway of the washer's field;
4 Tell him, 'Be careful, and keep calm. Do not be afraid, neither let your heart be faint because of these two tails of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram, and of the son of Remaliah.
And thou shalt say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, and let thy heart not become faint because of these two stumps of smoking firebrands, before the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remalyahu.
5 Because Aram, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have plotted evil against you, saying,
Forasmuch as Syria, [with] Ephraim and the son of Remalyahu, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,
6 "Let's go up against Judah, and tear it apart, and let's divide it among ourselves, and set up a king in its midst, even the son of Tabeel."
Let us go up against Judah, and besiege it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set up as king in the midst of it the son of Tabeal:
7 This is what YHWH says: "It shall not stand, neither shall it happen."
Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, It shall not succeed, and it shall not come to pass.
8 For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within sixty-five years Ephraim shall be broken in pieces, so that it shall not be a people;
For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin: and within sixty and five years shall Ephraim be broken, to be no more a people.
9 and the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.'"
And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remalyahu's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not have permanence.
10 YHWH spoke again to Ahaz, saying,
And the Lord continued to speak unto Achaz, saying,
11 "Ask a sign of YHWH your God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above." (Sheol h7585)
Ask thee a sign from the Lord thy God; ask it in the depth, or high up above. (Sheol h7585)
12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, neither will I tempt YHWH."
But Achaz said, I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord.
13 He said, "Listen now, house of David: Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God also?
And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that ye will weary also my God?
14 Therefore YHWH himself will give you a sign. Look, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and they will call his name Immanuel.
Therefore will the Lord himself give you a sign: behold, this young woman shall conceive, and bear a son, and she shall call his name 'Immanu-el, [God with us].
15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
Cream and honey shall he eat, so soon as he knoweth to refuse the evil, and to choose the good.
16 For before the child knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land whose two kings you abhor shall be forsaken.
For before yet the child shall know to refuse the evil, and to choose the good, shall be forsaken the land, of the kings of which thou feelest dread.
17 YHWH will bring on you, on your people, and on your father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.
The Lord will bring over thee, and over thy people, and over thy father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim withdrew from Judah, —the king of Assyria.
18 It will happen in that day that YHWH will whistle 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 it shall come to pass on that day, that the Lord will call for the fly that is in the uttermost end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
19 They shall come, and shall all rest in the desolate valleys, in the clefts of the rocks, on all thorn hedges, and on all pastures.
And they shall come, and shall encamp, all of them, in the desolate valleys, and in the clefts of the rocks, and upon all thorn-hedges, and upon all bushes.
20 In that day YHWH will shave with a razor that is hired in the parts beyond the River, even with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet; and it shall also consume the beard.
On the same day will the Lord shave with the razor that is hired, from among those on the other side of the river, with the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and also the beard shall it entirely remove.
21 It shall happen in that day that a man shall keep alive a young cow, and two sheep;
And it shall come to pass on that day, that a man shall nourish [but] one young cow, and two sheep;
22 and it shall happen, that because of the abundance of milk which they shall give he shall eat butter: for everyone will eat butter and honey that is left in the midst of the land.
And it shall happen, that for the abundance of milk which they shall give he shall eat cream; for cream and honey shall eat every one that is left in the midst of the land.
23 It will happen in that day that every place where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silver shekels, shall be for briers and thorns.
And it shall come to pass on that day, that every place, where there are [now] a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels, shall be, —yea, this shall be [given up] to briers and thorns.
24 People will go there with arrows and with bow, because all the land will be briers and thorns.
With arrows and with bows shall men enter thither; because all the land shall become [covered with] briers and thorns.
25 All the hills that were cultivated with the hoe, you shall not come there for fear of briers and thorns; but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of sheep."
And all mountains that are worked with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: and they shall serve for the pasture of oxen, and for the treading of sheep.

< Isaiah 7 >