The Sign of Immanuel

7 When Ahazy son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezinz of Arama and Pekahb son of Remaliahc king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.

2 Now the house of Davidd was told, “Aram has allied itself witha Ephraime”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken,f as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub,b g to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.h 4 Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calmi and don’t be afraid.j Do not lose heartk because of these two smoldering stubsl of firewood—because of the fierce angerm of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.n 5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’so son have plottedp your ruin, saying, 6 “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” 7 Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:q

“ ‘It will not take place,

it will not happen,r

8 for the head of Aram is Damascus,s

and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.t

Within sixty-five years

Ephraim will be too shatteredu to be a people.

9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria,v

and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.

If you do not standw firm in your faith,x

you will not stand at all.’ ”y

10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the Lord your God for a sign,z whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.a”

12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.b”

13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David!c Is it not enoughd to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patiencee of my Godf also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give youc a sign:g The virgind h will conceive and give birth to a son,i ande will call him Immanuel.f j 15 He will be eating curdsk and honeyl when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 16 for before the boy knowsm enough to reject the wrong and choose the right,n the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.o 17 The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke awayp from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.q”

Assyria, the Lord’s Instrument

18 In that dayr the Lord will whistles for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.t 19 They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevicesu in the rocks, on all the thornbushesv and at all the water holes. 20 In that dayw the Lord will usex a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates Rivery—the king of Assyriaz—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your bearda also.b 21 In that day,c a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats.d 22 And because of the abundance of the milk they give, there will be curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curdse and honey.f 23 In that day,g in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels,g h there will be only briers and thorns.i 24 Hunters will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briersj and thorns. 25 As for all the hillsk once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns;l they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.m