Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz

1Now it happened in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not [†]conquer it. 2When it was told to the house of David, saying, “[†]The Arameans have camped in Ephraim,” his heart and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.

3Then Yahweh said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son [†]Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, to the highway of the [†]fuller’s field, 4and say to him, ‘Take care and stay quiet, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands, on account of the burning anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah. 5Because Aram, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has counseled evil against you, saying, 6“Let us go up against Judah and [†]terrorize it, and make for ourselves a breach in [†]its walls and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7thus says Lord Yahweh: “It shall not stand, nor shall it happen. 8For the head of Aram is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin (now within another sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered, so that it is no longer a people), 9and the head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not [†]establish your faith in Yahweh, you surely shall not [†]be established.”’”

The Sign of Immanuel

10Then Yahweh spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11“Ask a sign for yourself from Yahweh your God; [†]make it deep as Sheol or high as [†]heaven.” 12But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not test Yahweh!” 13Then he said, “[†]Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? 14Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the [†]virgin [†]will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name [†]Immanuel. 15He will eat curds and honey [†]in order that He will know to refuse evil and choose good. 16For before the boy will know to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken. 17Yahweh will bring on you, on your people, and on your father’s house days which have never come since the day that Ephraim separated from Judah—the king of Assyria!”

Trials to Come for Judah

18And it will be in that day, that Yahweh will whistle for the fly that is in the [†]remotest part of the rivers of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19And they will all come and rest upon the steep [†]ravines, on the crevices of the cliffs, on all the thorn bushes, and on all the [†]watering places.

20In that day, the Lord will shave with a razor—one hired from regions beyond the [†]River (that is, the king of Assyria)—the head and the hair of the legs; and it will also remove the beard.

21And it will be in that day, that a man may keep alive a heifer and a pair of sheep; 22and because of the abundance of the milk produced, he will eat curds, for everyone that is left within the land will eat curds and honey.

23And it will be in that day, that every place where there used to be one thousand vines, valued at [†]one thousand shekels of silver, will become briars and thorns. 24People will come there with bows and arrows because all the land will be briars and thorns. 25As for all the hills which used to be cultivated with the hoe, you will not go there for fear of briars and thorns; but they will become a place for [†]pasturing oxen and for sheep to trample.