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IS A IA H 7
But as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump
when it is cut down,
so Israel’s stump will be a holy seed.”
A Message for Ahaz
When Ahaz, son of Jotham and grandson
of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of
Syria* and Pekah son of Remaliah, the king of
Israel, set out to attack Jerusalem. However, they
were unable to carry out their plan.
2 The news had come to the royal court of Judah: “Syria is allied with Israel* against us!” So
the hearts of the king and his people trembled
with fear, like trees shaking in a storm.
3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Take your son
Shear-jashub* 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.* 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. 5 Yes, 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.’ 7 But
this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
7
8
9
“This invasion will never happen;
it will never take place;
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.
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.”
The Sign of Immanuel
10 Later, 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.*”
12 But the king refused. “No,” he said, “I will
not test the Lord like that.”
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? 14 All right then, the
Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The
virgin* will conceive a child! She will give birth
to a son and will call him Immanuel (which
means ‘God is with us’). 15 By the time this child
is old enough to choose what is right and reject
what is wrong, he will be eating yogurt* and
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honey. 16 For 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!”
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. 19 They will come in vast hordes and
settle in the fertile areas and also in the desolate
valleys, caves, and thorny places. 20 In that day
the Lord will hire a “razor” from beyond the Euphrates River*—the king of Assyria—and use it
to shave off everything: your land, your crops,
and your people.*
21 In that day a farmer will be fortunate to
have a cow and two sheep or goats left. 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. 23 In
that day the lush vineyards, now worth 1,000
pieces of silver,* will become patches of briers
and thorns. 24 The entire land will become a vast
expanse of briers and thorns, a hunting ground
overrun by wildlife. 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.
The Coming Assyrian Invasion
Then the Lord said to me, “Make a large
signboard and clearly write this name on
it: Maher-shalal-hash-baz.*” 2 I asked Uriah the
priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah, both
known as honest men, to witness my doing this.
3 Then I slept with my wife, and she became
pregnant and gave birth to a son. And the Lord
said, “Call him Maher-shalal-hash-baz. 4 For
before this child is old enough to say ‘Papa’ or
‘Mama,’ the king of Assyria will carry away both
the abundance of Damascus and the riches of
Samaria.”
5 Then the Lord spoke to me again and
said, 6 “My care for the people of Judah is like
the gently flowing waters of Shiloah, but they
have rejected it. They are rejoicing over what
will happen to* King Rezin and King Pekah.*
7 Therefore, the Lord will overwhelm them with
a mighty flood from the Euphrates River*—the
king of Assyria and all his glory. This flood will
overflow all its channels 8 and sweep into Judah
8
7:1 Hebrew Aram; also in 7:2, 4, 5, 8. 7:2 Hebrew Ephraim,
referring to the northern kingdom of Israel; also in 7:5, 8, 9, 17.
7:3a Shear-jashub means “A remnant will return.” 7:3b Or
bleached. 7:11 Hebrew as deep as Sheol. 7:14 Or young
woman. 7:15 Or curds; also in 7:22. 7:20a Hebrew the river.
7:20b Hebrew shave off the head, the hair of the legs, and the
beard. 7:23 Hebrew 1,000 [shekels] of silver, about 25 pounds
or 11.4 kilograms in weight. 8:1 Maher-shalal-hash-baz
means “Swift to plunder and quick to carry away.” 8:6a Or
They are rejoicing because of. 8:6b Hebrew and the son of
Remaliah. 8:7 Hebrew the river.