Isaiah 7
7
The Sign of Immanuel
1Ahaz was king of Judah. Rezin was king of Aram. And Pekah was king of Israel. Rezin and Pekah marched up to fight against Jerusalem. But they couldn’t overpower it. Ahaz was the son of Jotham and the grandson of Uzziah. Pekah was the son of Remaliah.
2The royal family of Ahaz was told, “The army of Aram has joined forces with Ephraim’s army.” So the hearts of Ahaz and his people trembled with fear. They shook just as trees in the forest shake when the wind blows through them.
3The Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out and see Ahaz. Take your son Shear-Jashub with you. Meet Ahaz at the end of the channel that brings water from the Upper Pool. It is on the road to the Washerman’s Field. 4Tell Ahaz, ‘Be careful. Stay calm. Do not be afraid. Do not lose hope because of the great anger of Rezin, Aram and the son of Remaliah. After all, they are nothing but two pieces of smoking firewood. 5Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have planned to destroy you. They said, 6“Let’s march into Judah and attack it. Let’s tear everything down. Then we can share the land among ourselves. And we can make Tabeel’s son king over it.” 7But I am the Lord and King. I say,
“ ‘ “That will not happen.
It will not take place.
8The capital of Aram is Damascus.
And the ruler of Damascus is only Rezin.
Do not worry about the people of Ephraim.
They will be too crushed to be considered a people.
That will happen before 65 years are over.
9The capital of Ephraim is Samaria.
And the ruler of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.
If you do not stand firm in your faith,
you will not stand at all.” ’ ”
10The Lord spoke to Ahaz through Isaiah again. He said, 11“I am the Lord your God. Ask me to give you a sign. It can be anything in the deepest grave or in the highest heaven.”
12But Ahaz said, “I won’t ask. I won’t test the Lord.”
13Then Isaiah said, “Listen, you members of the royal family of David! Isn’t it enough for you to test the patience of human beings? Are you also going to test the patience of my God? 14The Lord himself will give you a sign. The virgin is going to have a baby. She will give birth to a son. And he will be called Immanuel. 15He will still be very young when he can decide between right and wrong. 16Even before then, the lands of the two kings you fear will be ruined. 17The Lord will also bring the king of Assyria against you. And he will bring him against your people and the whole royal family. That will be a time of trouble. It will be unlike any since the people of Ephraim broke away from Judah.”
The Lord Uses Assyria to Judge Judah
18At that time the Lord will whistle for the Egyptians. They will come like flies from the Nile River in Egypt. He will also whistle for the Assyrians. They will come from their country like bees. 19All of them will come and camp in the deep valleys. They will camp in caves in the rocks. And they’ll camp near bushes and water holes. 20At that time the Lord will use the Assyrians to punish you. Ahaz had hired them earlier from east of the Euphrates River. Now their king will be like a razor in the Lord’s hand. He will shave the hair from your head and private parts. He will also shave off your beards. 21At that time a person may only be able to keep alive one young cow and two goats. 22But they will give plenty of milk to live on. In fact, everyone left in the land will only have milk curds and honey to eat. 23The land used to have vineyards with 1,000 vines worth 25 pounds of silver. But soon the whole land will be covered with thorns and bushes. 24Hunters will go there with bows and arrows. That’s because it will be covered with bushes and thorns. 25All the hills used to be plowed with hoes. But you won’t go there anymore. That’s because you will be afraid of the thorns and bushes. Cattle will be turned loose on those hills. Sheep will also run there.
Currently Selected:
Isaiah 7: NIrV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Isaiah 7
7
The Message to Ahaz
1This took place during the reign of Ahaz, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah king of Judah:#Is 1:1 Aram’s King Rezin and Israel’s King Pekah son of Remaliah went to fight against Jerusalem,#2Kg 15:25,37; 16:5 but they were not able to conquer it.
2When it became known to the house of David#Is 7:13; 9:7; 16:5; 22:9,22; 29:1; 37:35; 38:5; 55:3 that Aram had occupied Ephraim,#Is 8:12; 9:9 the heart of Ahaz#7:2 Lit Aram has rested upon Ephraim, his heart and the hearts of his people trembled like trees of a forest shaking in the wind.
3The Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub#7:3 = A Remnant Will Return#Is 8:3,18 to meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool,#2Kg 18:17; Is 36:2 by the road to the Launderer’s Field. 4Say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Don’t be afraid or cowardly#Gn 15:1; Ex 14:13; 20:20; Nm 14:9; Dt 20:3; 31:6; Jos 10:8,25; Is 10:24; 35:4; 41:14 because of these two smoldering sticks, the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram, and the son of Remaliah. 5For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted harm against you. They say, 6‘Let’s go up against Judah, terrorize it, and conquer it for ourselves. Then we can install Tabeel’s son as king in it.’”
7This is what the Lord God says:
It will not happen; it will not occur.#Is 8:10
8The chief city of Aram is Damascus,
the chief of Damascus is Rezin
(within sixty-five years
Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people),
9the chief city of Ephraim is Samaria,
and the chief of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.
If you do not stand firm in your faith,
then you will not stand at all.
The Immanuel Prophecy
10Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz: 11“Ask for a sign#2Kg 19:29; Is 37:30; 38:7–8; 55:13 from the Lord your God — it can be as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven.”
12But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask. I will not test the Lord.”
13Isaiah#Mt 3:3; 12:17 said, “Listen, house of David! Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men? Will you also try the patience of my God?#Is 1:14; 43:24; Jr 15:6; 20:9; Mal 2:17 14Therefore, the Lord himself will give you#7:14 In Hb, the word you is pl a sign: See, the virgin will conceive,#7:14 Or virgin is pregnant, will have a son, and name him Immanuel.#7:14 = God With Us#Is 8:8,10; Mt 1:23; Lk 1:31 15By the time he learns to reject what is bad and choose what is good,#Dt 1:39 he will be eating curds#7:15 Or sour milk and honey.#Ex 3:8; 2Sm 17:29; Is 7:22; 8:15 16For before the boy knows to reject what is bad and choose what is good, the land of the two kings you dread will be abandoned. 17The Lord will bring on you, your people, and your father’s house such a time as has never been since Ephraim separated from Judah:#1Kg 12:16 He will bring the king of Assyria.”#2Ch 28:20; Is 8:7–8; 10:5–6
18On that day#Is 27:12
the Lord will whistle#Is 5:25 to flies
at the farthest streams of the Nile
and to bees in the land of Assyria.
19All of them will come and settle
in the steep ravines, in the clefts of the rocks,#Is 2:19; Jr 16:16
in all the thornbushes, and in all the water holes.
20On that day the Lord will use a razor#2Kg 18:13–16; Is 24:1; Ezk 5:1–4 hired from beyond the Euphrates River — the king of Assyria#Is 8:7; 11:15; Jr 2:18 — to shave the hair on your heads, the hair on your legs, and even your beards.
21On that day
a man will raise a young cow and two sheep,
22and from the abundant milk they give
he will eat curds,
for every survivor in the land will eat curds and honey.#Is 8:15
23And on that day
every place where there were a thousand vines,
worth a thousand pieces of silver,
will become thorns and briers.#Is 5:6
24A man will go there with bow and arrows
because the whole land will be thorns and briers.
25You will not go to all the hills
that were once tilled with a hoe,
for fear of the thorns and briers.
Those hills will be places for oxen to graze
and for sheep to trample.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers