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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 Tell him, ‘Be careful, and keep calm. Do not 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.
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 plotted evil against you, saying,
Aram has plotted to destroy you together with Ephraim and Remaliah's son saying,
6 “Let’s go up against Judah, and tear it apart, and let’s divide it among ourselves, and set up a king within it, even the son of Tabeel.”
Let's go and attack Judah! We'll terrorize it and conquer it for ourselves, and make Tabeel's son its king.”
7 This is what the Lord GOD says: “It shall not stand, neither shall it happen.”
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. 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. In addition, within sixty-five years Israel as a nation will be destroyed.
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.’”
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 The LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying,
Later the Lord sent another message to Ahaz,
“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. I will not tempt the LORD.”
“No, I'm not going to ask,” Ahaz replied. “I refuse to put the Lord to the test.”
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?
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 will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will 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 He shall eat butter and honey when he knows 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 knows to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you abhor shall be forsaken.
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 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.
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 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.
At that time the Lord will whistle to call flies from the distant rivers of Egypt and bees from the country 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.
They will all come and descend on the steep valleys and rock crevices, on all the thorn bushes and waterholes.
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.
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 It shall happen in that day that a man shall keep alive a young cow, and two sheep.
At that time a someone who manages to keep a young cow and two sheep alive
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.
will eat curds, because they produce so much milk—for everyone who survives in the land will eat curds 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.
At that time everywhere that once had a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels will only have brambles and thorns.
24 People will go there with arrows and with bow, because all the land will be briers and thorns.
People will go hunting there with bows and arrows because the land will be covered with brambles 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 out of oxen, and for sheep to tread on.”
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.
