Isaiah 7
7
Trouble With Aram
1Ahaz was the son of Jotham, who was the son of Uzziah. Rezin was the king of Aram, Pekah son of Remaliah#7:1 Pekah son of Remaliah A king of northern Israel. He ruled about 740-731 B.C. was the king of Israel. When Ahaz was king of Judah, Rezin and Pekah went up to Jerusalem to attack it, but they were not able to defeat the city.#7:1 Rezin and Pekah … the city Or “Rezin and Pekah went up to attack Jerusalem, but they were not able to fight.”
2The family of David received a message that said, “The armies of Aram and Ephraim have joined together in one camp.” When King Ahaz heard this message, he and the people became frightened. They shook with fear like trees of the forest blowing in the wind.
3Then the Lord told Isaiah, “You and your son Shear Jashub#7:3 Shear Jashub This is a name that means “a few people will come back.” should go out and talk to Ahaz. Go to the place where the water flows into the Upper Pool,#7:3 Upper Pool Probably the Pool of Siloam at the southern tip of the City of David, just above the older pool now called the Red Pool. on the street that leads up to Laundryman’s Field.
4“Tell Ahaz, ‘Be careful, but be calm. Don’t be afraid. Don’t let those two men, Rezin and Remaliah’s son,#7:4 Remaliah’s son Pekah, the king of northern Israel. He ruled about 740–731 B.C. frighten you! They are like two burning sticks. They might be hot now, but soon they will be nothing but smoke. Rezin, Aram, and Remaliah’s son became angry 5and made plans against you. They said, 6“Let’s go fight against Judah and divide it among ourselves. Then we will make Tabeel’s son the new king of Judah.”’”
7But the Lord GOD says, “Their plan will not succeed. It will not happen 8because Aram depends on its capital Damascus, and Damascus is led by its weak king Rezin. And don’t worry about Ephraim. Within 65 years it will be crushed, no longer a nation. 9Ephraim depends on its capital Samaria, and Samaria is led by Remaliah’s son. So you have no reason to fear. Believe this, or you will not survive.”
Immanuel—God Is With Us
10Then the Lord spoke to Ahaz again 11and said, “Ask for a sign from the Lord your God to prove to yourself that this is true. You can ask for any sign you want. The sign can come from a place as deep as Sheol#7:11 The sign … Sheol Or “Make your request deep.” The Hebrew word for “question” is like the word for Sheol. or as high as the skies.#7:11 The sign … skies Literally, “make your request very high.””
12But Ahaz said, “I will not ask for a sign as proof. I will not test the Lord.”
13Then Isaiah said, “Family of David, listen very carefully! Is it not enough that you would test the patience of humans? Will you now test the patience of my God? 14But the Lord will still show you this sign:
The young woman is pregnant#7:14 The young woman is pregnant Or “Look at this young woman. She is pregnant.” The ancient Greek version (quoted in Mt. 1:23) translates “young woman” here with a word meaning “virgin” and has “Look! The virgin will become pregnant.”
and will give birth to a son.
She will name him Immanuel.#7:14 Immanuel This name means “God is with us.”
15He will eat milk curds and honey#7:15 milk curds and honey This refers to some of the first solid foods, something like yogurt, that were fed to a baby. This is also the food that even the poor can find to eat. Also in verse 22.
as he learns to choose good and refuse evil.
16But before he is old enough to make that choice,
the land of the two kings you fear will be empty.
17“But the Lord will bring troubled times to you. These troubles will be worse than anything that has happened since the time Israel separated from Judah. This will happen to your people and to your father’s family when God brings the king of Assyria to fight against you.
18“At that time the Lord will call for the ‘Fly’ that is now near the streams of Egypt, and he will call for the ‘Bee’ that is now in the country of Assyria. Those enemies will come to your country. 19They will settle in the deep valleys and in the caves, by the thornbushes and watering holes. 20The Lord will use Assyria to punish Judah. Assyria will be hired and used like a razor to shave off Judah’s beard and to remove the hair from his head and body.#7:20 shave … body This means that the people of Judah would be humiliated and treated like slaves.
21“At that time someone might keep only one young cow and two sheep alive. 22But there will be enough milk for them to eat milk curds. In fact, everyone left in the country will eat milk curds and honey. 23There are now fields that have 1000 grapevines, and each grapevine is worth 1000 pieces of silver. But those fields will be covered with weeds and thorns. 24That land will be wild and used only as a hunting ground where people go with bows and arrows. 25People once worked the soil and grew food on these hills, but at that time they will not go there, because the fields will be covered with weeds and thorns. It will be a place where cattle graze and sheep wander.”
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Isaiah 7
7
A Message for Ahaz
1When Ahaz, son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria#7:1 Hebrew Aram; also in 7:2, 4, 5, 8. and Pekah son of Remaliah, the king of Israel, set out to attack Jerusalem. However, they were unable to carry out their plan.
2The news had come to the royal court of Judah: “Syria is allied with Israel#7:2 Hebrew Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel; also in 7:5, 8, 9, 17. against us!” So the hearts of the king and his people trembled with fear, like trees shaking in a storm.
3Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Take your son Shear-jashub#7:3a Shear-jashub means “A remnant will return.” and go out to meet King Ahaz. You will find him at the end of the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed.#7:3b Or bleached. 4Tell him to stop worrying. Tell him he doesn’t need to fear the fierce anger of those two burned-out embers, King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah. 5Yes, the kings of Syria and Israel are plotting against him, saying, 6‘We will attack Judah and capture it for ourselves. Then we will install the son of Tabeel as Judah’s king.’ 7But this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“This invasion will never happen;
it will never take place;
8for Syria is no stronger than its capital, Damascus,
and Damascus is no stronger than its king, Rezin.
As for Israel, within sixty-five years
it will be crushed and completely destroyed.
9Israel is no stronger than its capital, Samaria,
and Samaria is no stronger than its king, Pekah son of Remaliah.
Unless your faith is firm,
I cannot make you stand firm.”
The Sign of Immanuel
10Later, the Lord sent this message to King Ahaz: 11“Ask the Lord your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want—as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead.#7:11 Hebrew as deep as Sheol.”
12But the king refused. “No,” he said, “I will not test the Lord like that.”
13Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well? 14All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin#7:14 Or young woman. will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). 15By the time this child is old enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong, he will be eating yogurt#7:15 Or curds; also in 7:22. and honey. 16For before the child is that old, the lands of the two kings you fear so much will both be deserted.
17“Then the Lord will bring things on you, your nation, and your family unlike anything since Israel broke away from Judah. He will bring the king of Assyria upon you!”
18In that day the Lord will whistle for the army of southern Egypt and for the army of Assyria. They will swarm around you like flies and bees. 19They will come in vast hordes and settle in the fertile areas and also in the desolate valleys, caves, and thorny places. 20In that day the Lord will hire a “razor” from beyond the Euphrates River#7:20a Hebrew the river.—the king of Assyria—and use it to shave off everything: your land, your crops, and your people.#7:20b Hebrew shave off the head, the hair of the legs, and the beard.
21In that day a farmer will be fortunate to have a cow and two sheep or goats left. 22Nevertheless, there will be enough milk for everyone because so few people will be left in the land. They will eat their fill of yogurt and honey. 23In that day the lush vineyards, now worth 1,000 pieces of silver,#7:23 Hebrew 1,000 [shekels] of silver, about 25 pounds or 11.4 kilograms in weight. will become patches of briers and thorns. 24The entire land will become a vast expanse of briers and thorns, a hunting ground overrun by wildlife. 25No one will go to the fertile hillsides where the gardens once grew, for briers and thorns will cover them. Cattle, sheep, and goats will graze there.
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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