New Living Translation

New King James 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.

1

Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz

Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not [a]prevail against it.

2

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.

2

And it was told to the house of David, saying, “Syria’s forces are [b]deployed in Ephraim.” So his heart and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind.

3

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

3

Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and [c]Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller’s Field,

4

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.

4

and say to him: [d]‘Take heed, and [e]be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah.

5

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

5

Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have plotted evil against you, saying,

6

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

6

“Let us go up against Judah and [f]trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them, the son of Tabel” —

7

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

7

thus says the Lord God:
“It shall not stand,
Nor shall it come to pass.

8

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.

8

For the head of Syria is Damascus,
And the head of Damascus is Rezin.
Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be [g]broken,
So that it will not be a people.

9

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.”

9

The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
And the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son.
If you will not believe,
Surely you shall not be established.” ’ ”

10

The Sign of Immanuel

Later, the LORD sent this message to King Ahaz:

10

The Immanuel Prophecy

Moreover the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying,

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.e”

11

“Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; [h]ask it either in the depth or in the height above.”

12

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

12

But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!”

13

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?

13

Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also?

14

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’).

14

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.[i]

15

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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Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.

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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.

16

For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings.

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!”

17

The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father’s house — days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah.”

18

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.

18

And it shall come to pass in that day
That the Lord will whistle for the fly
That is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt,
And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

19

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

19

They will come, and all of them will rest
In the desolate valleys and in the clefts of the rocks,
And on all thorns and in all pastures.

20

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

20

In the same day the Lord will shave with a hired razor,
With those from beyond [j]the River, with the king of Assyria,
The head and the hair of the legs,
And will also remove the beard.

21

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

21

It shall be in that day
That a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep;

22

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.

22

So it shall be, from the abundance of milk they give,
That he will eat curds;
For curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land.

23

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

23

It shall happen in that day,
That wherever there could be a thousand vines
Worth a thousand shekels of silver,
It will be for briers and thorns.

24

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

24

With arrows and bows men will come there,
Because all the land will become briers and thorns.

25

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.

25

And to any hill which could be dug with the hoe,
You will not go there for fear of briers and thorns;
But it will become a range for oxen
And a place for sheep to roam.

Parallel

New Living Translation

New King James Version

Isaiah 7

Isaiah 7