Isaiah 7:10–17

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father’s house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!”

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 humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 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. 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.”

Later, the Lord sent this message to King Ahaz: “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.”

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

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? 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’). By the time this child is old enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong, he will be eating yogurt and honey. For before the child is that old, the lands of the two kings you fear so much will both be deserted.

“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!”

And Yahweh continued to speak to Ahaz, saying, “Ask for a sign for yourself from Yahweh God; make it deep as Sheol or make it high as above.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put Yahweh to the test.”

Then he said, “Hear, house of David! Is it too little for you to make men weary, that you should also make my God weary? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look! the virgin is with child and she is about to give birth to a son, and she shall call his name ‘God with us.’ He shall eat curds and honey until he knows to reject the evil and to choose the good. For before the boy knows to reject the evil and to choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be abandoned.

“Yahweh will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your ancestor days that have not come since the day Ephraim departed from Judah: the king of Assyria.”

Moreover the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying,

Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God;

Ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.

But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord. And he said,

Hear ye now, O house of David;

Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign;

Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,

And shall call his name Immanuel.

Butter and honey shall he eat,

That he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good,

The land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.

The Lord shall bring upon thee,

And upon thy people, and upon thy father’s house,

Days that have not come,

From the day that Ephraim departed from Judah;

Even the king of Assyria.