Isaiah
7
- 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.
- Now the house of David was told, "Aram
has allied itself with Ephraim"; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people
were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.
- Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out,
you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of
the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman's Field.
- 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.
- Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah's son have plotted
your ruin, saying,
- "Let us invade Judah; let us tear it
apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over
it."
- Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
"'It will not take place, it will not happen,
- 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.
- 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.'"
- Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz,
- "Ask the LORD your God for a sign,
whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights."
- But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will
not put the LORD to the test."
- Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house
of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience
of my God also ?
- Therefore the Lord himself will give you
a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will
call him Immanuel.
- He will eat curds and honey when he knows
enough to reject the wrong and choose the right.
- But 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.
- 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."
- In that day the LORD will whistle for flies
from the distant streams of Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.
- 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.
- In that day the Lord will use a razor hired
from beyond the River--the king of Assyria--to shave your head and the hair
of your legs, and to take off your beards also.
- In that day, a man will keep alive a young
cow and two goats.
- And because of the abundance of the milk
they give, he will have curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat
curds and honey.
- In that day, in every place where there
were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels, there will be only
briers and thorns.
- Men will go there with bow and arrow, for
the land will be covered with briers and thorns.
- 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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