Isaiah 7
1 During the days of Ahaz son of Jotham son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Aram, and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it, but they could not prevail against it.
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.
2 It was reported to the house of David that Aram was allied with Ephraim. His heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest shake in the wind.
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.
3 Then Yahweh said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-Jashub to meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the road to Launderer's Field.
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,
4 Tell him, 'Be careful, remain calm, do not be afraid or intimidated by these two smoldering firebrands, by the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram, and of Pekah son of Remaliah.
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.
5 Aram, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have planned evil against you; they have said,
For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted your ruin, saying:
6 “Let us attack Judah and terrify her, and let us break into her and set up our king there, the son of Tabeel.”
‘Let us invade Judah, terrorize it, and divide it among ourselves. Then we can install the son of Tabeal over it as king.’
7 The Lord Yahweh says, “It will not take place; it will not happen,
But this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘It will not arise; it will not happen.
8 because the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years, Ephraim will be shattered and will no longer be a people.
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.
9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If you do not remain firm in faith, surely you will not remain secure.”'”
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.’”
10 The Lord spoke again to Ahaz,
Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying,
“Ask for a sign from the LORD your God, whether from the depths of Sheol or the heights of heaven.” (Sheol h7585)
12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test Yahweh.”
But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask; I will not test the LORD.”
13 So Isaiah replied, “Listen, house of David. Is it not enough for you people to test the patience of people? Must you also test the patience of my God?
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?
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you people a sign: See, the young woman will conceive, bear a son, and will call his name Immanuel.
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.
15 He will eat curds and honey when he knows to refuse the evil and choose the good.
By the time He knows enough to reject evil and choose good, He will be eating curds and honey.
16 For before the child knows to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be desolate.
For before the boy knows enough to reject evil and choose good, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.
17 Yahweh will bring on you, on your people, and on your father's house days unlike any since Ephraim seceded from Judah—he will bring on you the king of Assyria.”
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.”
18 At that time Yahweh will whistle for a fly from the distant streams of Egypt, and for a bee from the land of Assyria.
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.
19 They will all come and settle down into all the gorges, into the clefts of the rocks, on all the thornbushes, and onto all the pastures.
And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines and clefts of the rocks, in all the thornbushes and watering holes.
20 At that time the Lord will shave with a razor that was hired beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria— the head and the hair of the legs; it will also sweep away the beard.
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.
21 On that day, a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep,
On that day a man will raise a young cow and two sheep,
22 and because of the abundance of milk which they shall give, he will eat curds, for everyone left in the land will eat curds and honey.
and from the abundance of milk they give, he will eat curds; for all who remain in the land will eat curds and honey.
23 At that time, where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels, there will be nothing but briers and thorns.
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.
24 Men will go there to hunt with bows, because all the land will be briers and thorns.
Men will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns.
25 They will stay away from all the hills that were cultivated with the hoe, for fear of the briers and thorns; but it will be a place where cattle and sheep graze.
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.
