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.
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Isaiah 7: NIrV
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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
A Message for King Ahaz
1 #
2 Kgs 16.5; 2 Chr 28.5–6 When King Ahaz, the son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah, ruled Judah, war broke out. Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, attacked Jerusalem, but were unable to capture it.
2When word reached the king of Judah that the armies of Syria were already in the territory of Israel, he and all his people were so terrified that they trembled like trees shaking in the wind.
3The LORD said to Isaiah, “Take your son Shear Jashub,#7.3 Shear Jashub: This name in Hebrew means “A few will come back” (see 10.20–22). and go to meet King Ahaz. You will find him on the road where the cloth makers work, at the end of the ditch that brings water from the upper pool. 4Tell him to keep alert, to stay calm, and not to be frightened or disturbed. The anger of King Rezin and his Syrians and of King Pekah is no more dangerous than the smoke from two smouldering sticks. 5Syria, together with Israel and its king, has made a plot. 6They intend to invade Judah, terrify the people into joining their side, and then put Tabeel's son on the throne.
7“But I, the LORD, declare that this will never happen. 8Why? Because Syria is no stronger than Damascus, its capital city, and Damascus is no stronger than King Rezin. As for Israel, within 65 years it will be too shattered to survive as a nation. 9Israel is no stronger than Samaria, its capital city, and Samaria is no stronger than King Pekah.
“If your faith is not enduring, you will not endure.”
The Sign of Immanuel
10The LORD sent another message to Ahaz: 11“Ask the LORD your God to give you a sign. It can be from deep in the world of the dead or from high up in heaven.”
12Ahaz answered, “I will not ask for a sign. I refuse to put the LORD to the test.”
13To that Isaiah replied, “Listen, now, descendants of King David. It's bad enough for you to wear out the patience of people — must you wear out God's patience too? 14#Mt 1.23Well then, the Lord himself will give you a sign: a young woman#7.14 young woman: The Hebrew word here translated “young woman” is not the specific term for “virgin”, but refers to any young woman of marriageable age. The use of “virgin” in Mt 1.23 reflects a Greek translation of the Old Testament, made some 500 years after Isaiah. who is pregnant will have a son and will name him ‘Immanuel.’#7.14 Immanuel: This name in Hebrew means “God is with us”. 15By the time he is old enough to make his own decisions, people will be drinking milk and eating honey.#7.15 milk and honey: These foods were associated with the earlier days of Israel's history. 16Even before that time comes, the lands of those two kings who terrify you will be deserted.
17“The LORD is going to bring on you, on your people, and on the whole royal family, days of trouble worse than any that have come since the kingdom of Israel separated from Judah — he is going to bring the king of Assyria.
18“When that time comes, the LORD will whistle as a signal for the Egyptians to come like flies from the farthest branches of the Nile, and for the Assyrians to come from their land like bees. 19They will swarm in the rugged valleys and in the caves in the rocks, and they will cover every thorn bush and every pasture.
20“When that time comes, the Lord will hire a barber from across the Euphrates — the emperor of Assyria! — and he will shave off your beards, and the hair on your heads and your bodies.
21“When that time comes, even if a farmer has been able to save only one young cow and two goats, 22they will give so much milk that he will have all he needs. Yes, the few survivors left in the land will have milk and honey to eat.
23“When that time comes, the fine vineyards, each with a thousand vines and each worth a thousand pieces of silver, will be overgrown with thorn bushes and briars. 24People will go hunting there with bows and arrows. Yes, the whole country will be full of briars and thorn bushes. 25All the hills where crops used to grow will be so overgrown with thorns that no one will go there. It will be a place where cattle and sheep graze.”
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.