7This took place during the reign of Ahaz, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah king of Judah:^c Aram’s King Rezin and Israel’s King Pekah son of Remaliah went to fight against Jerusalem,^d but they were not able to conquer it.

²When it became known to the house of David^e that Aram had occupied Ephraim,^f the heart of Ahaz^A and the hearts of his people trembled like trees of a forest shaking in the wind.

³The Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub^B^g to meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool,^h by the road to the Launderer’s Field. ⁴Say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Don’t be afraid or cowardlyⁱ because of these two smoldering sticks, the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram, and the son of Remaliah. ⁵For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted harm against you. They say, ⁶‘Let’s go up against Judah, terrorize it, and conquer it for ourselves. Then we can install Tabeel’s son as king in it.’ ”

⁷This is what the Lord God says:

It will not happen; it will not occur.^j

⁸The chief city of Aram is Damascus,

the chief of Damascus is Rezin

(within sixty-five years

Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people),

⁹the chief city of Ephraim is Samaria,

and the chief of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.

If you do not stand firm in your faith,

then you will not stand at all.

THE IMMANUEL PROPHECY

¹⁰Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz: ¹¹“Ask for a sign^k from the Lord your God—it can be as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven.”

¹²But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask. I will not test the Lord.”

¹³Isaiah^l said, “Listen, house of David! Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men? Will you also try the patience of my God?^m ¹⁴Therefore, the Lord himself will give you^C a sign: See, the virgin will conceive,^D have a son, and name him Immanuel.^Eⁿ ¹⁵By the time he learns to reject what is bad and choose what is good,^o he will be eating curds^F and honey.^p ¹⁶For before the boy knows to reject what is bad and choose what is good, the land of the two kings you dread will be abandoned. ¹⁷The Lord will bring on you, your people, and your father’s house such a time as has never been since Ephraim separated from Judah:^q He will bring the king of Assyria.”^r

Read in Logos

Isaiah 7:14: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Footnotes

A Aram has rested upon Ephraim, his heart
B A Remnant Will Return
CIn , the word you is
DOr virgin is pregnant, will
E God With Us
FOr sour milk

Cross references

c Is 1:1
d 2Kg 15:25,37; 16:5
e Is 7:13; 9:7; 16:5; 22:9,22; 29:1; 37:35; 38:5; 55:3
f Is 8:12; 9:9
g Is 8:3,18
h 2Kg 18:17; Is 36:2
i Gn 15:1; Ex 14:13; 20:20; Nm 14:9; Dt 20:3; 31:6; Jos 10:8,25; Is 10:24; 35:4; 41:14
j Is 8:10
k 2Kg 19:29; Is 37:30; 38:7–8; 55:13
l Mt 3:3; 12:17
m Is 1:14; 43:24; Jr 15:6; 20:9; Mal 2:17
n Is 8:8,10; Mt 1:23; Lk 1:31
o Dt 1:39
p Ex 3:8; 2Sm 17:29; Is 7:22; 8:15
q 1Kg 12:16
r 2Ch 28:20; Is 8:7–8; 10:5–6