^7:19All of them will come and make their home³⁹ in the ravines between the cliffs, and in the crevices of the cliffs, in all the thorn bushes, and in all the watering holes.⁴⁰^7:20At that time⁴¹ the sovereign master will use a razor hired from the banks of the Euphrates River,⁴² the king of Assyria, to shave the head and the pubic hair;⁴³ it will also shave off the beard. ^7:21At that time⁴⁴ a man will keep alive a young cow from the herd and a couple of goats. ^7:22From the abundance of milk they produce,⁴⁵ he will have sour milk for his meals. Indeed, everyone left in the heart of the land will eat sour milk and honey. ^7:23At that time⁴⁶ every place where there had been a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels will be overrun⁴⁷ with thorns and briers. ^7:24With bow and arrow⁴⁸ men will hunt⁴⁹ there, for the whole land will be covered⁵⁰ with thorns and briers. ^7:25They will stay away from all the hills that were cultivated, for fear of the thorns and briers.⁵¹ Cattle will graze there and sheep will trample on them.⁵²

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Footnotes

39 Heb “and shall rest” (so , ); , , “and settle.”
40 The meaning of this word (נַהֲלֹל, nahalol) is uncertain; some understand this as referring to another type of thorn bush. For bibliography, see I *נַהֲלֹל.
41 Heb “in that day” (so , ); “In the same day.”
42 Heb “the river” (so ); “the Euphrates.” The name of the river has been supplied in the present translation for clarity.
43 Heb “the hair of the feet.” The translation assumes that the word “feet” is used here as a euphemism for the genitals. See 920 רֶגֶל.
44 Heb “in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in .
45 The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated, see note on .
46 Heb “in that day.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in .
47 Heb “will become” (so ); “shall be turned to.”
48 Heb “with arrows and a bow.” The more common English idiom is “bow[s] and arrow[s].”
49 Heb “go” (so , , ); “go hunting.”
50 Heb “will be” (so , ).
51 Heb “and all the hills which were hoed with a hoe, you will not go there [for] fear of the thorns and briers.”
52 Heb “and it will become a pasture for cattle and a trampling place for sheep.” At this point one is able to summarize the content of the “sign” (vv. 14–15) as follows: A young woman known to be present when Isaiah delivered this message to Ahaz (perhaps a member of the royal family or the prophetess mentioned in 8:3) would soon give birth to a boy whom the mother would name Immanuel, “God is with us.” Eventually Immanuel would be forced to eat sour milk and honey, which would enable him to make correct moral decisions. How would this situation come about and how would it constitute a sign? Before this situation developed, the Israelites and Syrians would be defeated. But then the Lord would usher in a period of time unlike any since the division of the kingdom almost 200 years before. The Assyrians would overrun the land, destroy the crops, and force the people to subsist on goats’ milk and honey. At that time, as the people saw Immanuel eating his sour milk and honey, the Davidic family would be forced to acknowledge that God was indeed with them. He was present with them in the Syrian-Israelite crisis, fully capable of rescuing them; but he was also present with them in judgment, disciplining them for their lack of trust. The moral of the story is quite clear: Failure to appropriate God’s promises by faith can turn potential blessing into disciplinary judgment.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.

In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also.

In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey.

In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels of silver, will become briers and thorns. With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

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 Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your beard also. In that day, a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats. And because of the abundance of the milk they give, there will be 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. Hunters 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.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

All of them will come and settle

in the steep ravines, in the clefts of the rocks,

in all the thornbushes, and in all the water holes.

On that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—to shave the hair on your heads, the hair on your legs, and even your beards.

On that day

a man will raise a young cow and two sheep,

and from the abundant milk they give

he will eat curds,

for every survivor in the land will eat curds and honey.

And on that day

every place where there were a thousand vines,

worth a thousand pieces of silver,

will become thorns and briers.

A man will go there with bow and arrows

because the whole land will be thorns and briers.

You will not go to all the hills

that were once tilled with a hoe,

for fear of the thorns and briers.

Those hills will be places for oxen to graze

and for sheep to trample.

NLTNew Living Translation

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

In that day a farmer will be fortunate to have a cow and two sheep or goats left. 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. In that day the lush vineyards, now worth 1,000 pieces of silver, will become patches of briers and thorns. The entire land will become a vast expanse of briers and thorns, a hunting ground overrun by wildlife. 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.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And all of them will come and settle in the rivers of the cliffs and in the clefts of the rocks and on all of the thornbushes and watering places. On that day, the Lord will shave the head and the hair of the feet with a razor of the one hired from beyond the river—with the king of Assyria—and it will even take off the beard. And this shall happen: on that day, a young man will keep a young cow of the herd and two sheep alive. And this shall happen: because of the abundance of milk production, he will eat curds, for every one that is left in the midst of the land will eat curds and honey. And this shall happen on that day: Every place where there are a thousand vines for a thousand silver pieces will become briers, and it will be thornbushes. One will go there with arrows and bow, for all of the land will be briers and thornbushes. And as for all of the hills that they hoed with the hoe, you will not go there, for fear of briers and thornbushes. And it will become like pastureland for cattle and overtrodden land for sheep.

KJV 1900King James Version

And they shall come, and shall rest all of them

In the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks,

And upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.

In the same day shall the Lord shave with a rasor that is hired,

Namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria,

The head, and the hair of the feet:

And it shall also consume the beard.

And it shall come to pass in that day,

That a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;

And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter:

For butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.

And it shall come to pass in that day,

That every place shall be,

Where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings,

It shall even be for briers and thorns.

With arrows and with bows shall men come thither;

Because all the land shall become briers and thorns.

And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock,

There shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns:

But it shall be for the sending forth of oxen,

And for the treading of lesser cattle.

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