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.
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Isaiah 7: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Isaiah 7
7
Isaiah Offers Hope to King Ahaz
1 #
2 K 16.5,6; 2 Ch 28.5,6. Ahaz, the son of Jotham and the grandson of Uzziah, was king of Judah when King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel went to attack Jerusalem. But they were not able to do what they had planned.#7.1 went … had planned: Or “attacked Jerusalem, but could not capture it.” 2When news reached the royal palace that Syria had joined forces with Israel, King Ahaz and everyone in Judah were so terrified that they shook like trees in a windstorm.
3Then the Lord said to me:
Take your son Shearjashub#7.3 Shearjashub: In Hebrew “Shearjashub” means “a few will return.” and go see King Ahaz. You will find him on the road near the cloth makers' shops at the end of the canal that brings water from the upper pool. 4Tell Ahaz to stop worrying. There's no need for him to be afraid of King Rezin and King Pekah. They are very angry, but they are nothing more than a dying fire. Ahaz doesn't need to fear 5their evil threats 6to invade and defeat Judah and Jerusalem and to let the son of Tabeel be king in his place.
7I, the Lord, promise that this will never happen. 8-9Damascus is just the capital of Syria, and King Rezin rules only in Damascus. Samaria is just the capital of Israel, and King Pekah rules only in Samaria. But in less than 65 years, Israel will be destroyed. And if Ahaz and his officials don't trust me, they will be defeated.
A Son Named Immanuel
10Once again the Lord God spoke to King Ahaz. This time he said, 11“Ask me for proof that my promise will come true. Ask for something to happen deep in the world of the dead or high in the heavens above.”
12“No, Lord,” Ahaz answered. “I won't test you!”
13Then I said:
Listen, every one of you in the royal family of David. You have already tried my patience. Now you are trying God's patience by refusing to ask for proof. 14#Mt 1.23. But the Lord will still give you proof. A virgin#7.14 virgin: Or “young woman.” In this context the difficult Hebrew word did not imply a virgin birth. However, in the Greek translation made about 200 b.c. and used by the early Christians, the word parthenos had a double meaning. While the translator took it to mean “young woman,” Matthew understood it to mean “virgin” and quoted the passage (Matthew 1.23) because it was the appropriate description of Mary, the mother of Jesus. is pregnant; she will have a son and will name him Immanuel.#7.14 Immanuel: In Hebrew “Immanuel” means “God is with us.” 15-16Even before the boy is old enough to know how to choose between right and wrong, he will eat yogurt and honey,#7.15,16 yogurt and honey: This may refer either to expensive foods eaten in a time of plenty or to a limited diet eaten in times of a food shortage. and the countries of the two kings you fear will be destroyed. 17But the Lord will make more trouble for your people and your kingdom than any of you have known since Israel broke away from Judah. He will even bring the king of Assyria to attack you.
The Threat of an Invasion
18When that time comes, the Lord will whistle, and armies will come from Egypt like flies and from Assyria like bees. 19They will settle everywhere—in the deep valleys and between the rocks, on every thornbush and all over the pastureland.
20The Lord will pay the king of Assyria to bring a razor from across the Euphrates River and shave your head and every hair on your body, including your beard.#7.20 shave … head … body … beard: This would have been a terrible insult.
21Anyone who is able to save only one young cow and two sheep, 22will have enough milk to make yogurt. In fact, everyone left in the land will eat yogurt and honey.#7.22 yogurt and honey: See the note at 7.15,16.
23Vineyards that had 1,000 vines and were worth 1,000 pieces of silver will turn into thorn patches. 24You will go there to hunt with your bow and arrows, because the whole country will be covered with thornbushes. 25The hills where you once planted crops will be overgrown with thorns and thistles. You will be afraid to go there, and your cattle, sheep, and goats will be turned loose on those hills.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.