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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Isaiah 7: GNBUK
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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.
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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