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New International Version

A Message for Ahaz

When Ahaz, son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Syriaa and Pekah son of Remaliah, the king of Israel, set out to attack Jerusalem. However, they were unable to carry out their plan.

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The Sign of Immanuel

When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.

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The news had come to the royal court of Judah: “Syria is allied with Israelb against us!” So the hearts of the king and his people trembled with fear, like trees shaking in a storm.

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Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself witha Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

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Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Take your son Shear-jashubc 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.d

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Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub,b to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.

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Tell 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.

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Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood — because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.

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Yes, the kings of Syria and Israel are plotting against him, saying,

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Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying,

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‘We will attack Judah and capture it for ourselves. Then we will install the son of Tabeel as Judah’s king.’

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“Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.”

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But this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
“This invasion will never happen;
it will never take place;

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Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“ ‘It will not take place,
it will not happen,

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for 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.

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for the head of Aram is Damascus,
and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.
Within sixty-five years
Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.

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Israel 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.”

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The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.
If you do not stand firm in your faith,
you will not stand at all.’ ”

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The Sign of Immanuel

Later, the LORD sent this message to King Ahaz:

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Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz,

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“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.e”

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“Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”

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But the king refused. “No,” he said, “I will not test the LORD like that.”

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But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”

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Then 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?

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Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also?

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All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virginf will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).

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Therefore the Lord himself will give youc a sign: The virgind will conceive and give birth to a son, ande will call him Immanuel.f

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By the time this child is old enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong, he will be eating yogurtg and honey.

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He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right,

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For before the child is that old, the lands of the two kings you fear so much will both be deserted.

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for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.

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“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!”

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The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah — he will bring the king of Assyria.”

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In 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.

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Assyria, the Lord’s Instrument

In that day the Lord will whistle for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.

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They will come in vast hordes and settle in the fertile areas and also in the desolate valleys, caves, and thorny places.

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They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices in the rocks, on all the thornbushes and at all the water holes.

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In that day the Lord will hire a “razor” from beyond the Euphrates Riverh — the king of Assyria — and use it to shave off everything: your land, your crops, and your people.i

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In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River — the king of Assyria — to shave your heads and private parts, and to cut off your beards also.

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In that day a farmer will be fortunate to have a cow and two sheep or goats left.

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In that day, a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats.

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Nevertheless, 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.

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And because of the abundance of the milk they give, there will be curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds and honey.

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In that day the lush vineyards, now worth 1,000 pieces of silver,j will become patches of briers and thorns.

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In that day, in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels,g there will be only briers and thorns.

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The entire land will become a vast expanse of briers and thorns, a hunting ground overrun by wildlife.

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Hunters will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns.

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No 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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As for all the hills once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns; they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.

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New Living Translation

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Isaiah 7

Isaiah 7