Isaiah 7

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

And it comes to pass in the days of Ahaz, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, [that] Rezin king of Aram, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, have gone up to Jerusalem, to battle against it, and he is not able to fight against it.

2 David’s house was told, “Syria 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 is declared to the house of David, saying, “Aram has been led toward Ephraim,” and his heart and the heart of his people is moved, like the moving of trees of a forest by the presence of wind.

3 Then the LORD 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 fuller’s field.

And YHWH says to Isaiah, “Now go forth to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to the end of the conduit of the upper pool, to the highway of the fuller’s field,

4 Tell him, ‘Be careful, and keep calm. Don’t be afraid, neither let your heart be faint because of these two tails of smoking torches, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

and you have said to him: Take heed, and be quiet, do not fear, And do not let your heart be timid, Because of these two tails of smoking brands, For the fierceness of the anger of Rezin and Aram, And the son of Remaliah.

5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have plotted evil against you, saying,

Because that Aram counseled evil against you, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, saying,

6 “Let’s go up against Judah, and tear it apart, and let’s divide it amongst ourselves, and set up a king within it, even the son of Tabeel.”

We go up into Judah, and we distress it, And we divide it to ourselves, And we cause a king to reign in its midst—The son of Tabeal.

7 This is what the Lord GOD says: “It shall not stand, neither shall it happen.”

Thus said Lord YHWH: It does not stand, nor will it be!

8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim shall be broken in pieces, so that it shall not be a people.

For the head of Aram [is] Damascus, And the head of Damascus [is] Rezin, And within sixty-five years Is Ephraim broken from [being] a people.

9 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] the son of Remaliah. If you do not give credence, Surely you are not steadfast.”

10 The LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying,

And YHWH adds to speak to Ahaz, saying,

11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.” (Sheol h7585)

“Ask for a sign from your God YHWH, Make the request deep, or make [it] high upwards.” (Sheol h7585)

12 But Ahaz said, “I won’t ask. I won’t tempt the LORD.”

And Ahaz says, “I do not ask nor try YHWH.”

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 says, “Now hear, O house of David, Is it a little thing for you to weary men, That you also weary my God?

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

Therefore the Lord Himself gives a sign to you, Behold, the virgin is conceiving, And is bringing forth a Son, And has called His Name Immanuel,

15 He shall eat butter and honey when he knows to refuse the evil and choose the good.

He eats butter and honey, When He knows to refuse evil, and to fix on 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 the youth knows To refuse evil, and to fix on good, The land you are distressed with is forsaken, because of her two kings.

17 The LORD 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.

YHWH brings on you, and on your people, And on the house of your father, Days that have not come, Even from the day of the turning aside of Ephraim from Judah, By the king of Asshur.”

18 It will happen in that day that the LORD 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 has come to pass in that day, YHWH hisses for a fly that [is] in the extremity of the brooks of Egypt, And for a bee that [is] in the land of Asshur.

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 have come, and all of them rested in the desolate valleys, And in holes of the rocks, and on all the thorns, And on all the commendable things.

20 In that day the Lord 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.

In that day the Lord shaves, By a razor that is hired beyond the river, By the king of Asshur, The head, and the hair of the feet, Indeed, it also consumes the beard.

21 It shall happen in that day that a man shall keep alive a young cow, and two sheep.

And it has come to pass in that day, A man keeps alive a heifer of the herd, And two of the flock,

22 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 within the land.

And it has come to pass, He eats butter from the abundance of the yielding of milk, For everyone who is left in the heart of the land eats butter and honey.

23 It will happen in that day that every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels, will be for briers and thorns.

And it has come to pass in that day, Every place where there are one thousand vines, At one thousand pieces of silver, Is for briers and for thorns.

24 People will go there with arrows and with bow, because all the land will be briers and thorns.

He comes there with arrows and with bow, Because all the land is brier and thorn.

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 out of oxen, and for sheep to tread on.”

And all the hills that are kept in order with a mattock, There does not come [for] fear of brier and thorn, And it has been for the sending forth of ox, And for the treading of sheep!