Isaiah 7

The Threat Against Judah

1 When Ahaz, son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah, son of Remaliah from Israel, teamed up to fight Jerusalem, but they could not break through.

2 When David’s family heard that Aram and Israel had joined forces, their hearts shook like trees in a storm.

3 Then the Lord told Isaiah, “Go meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-Jashub, at the end of the aqueduct near the road to the Washer’s Field.”

4 “Tell him, ‘Calm down. Do not be scared. Do not lose your cool over those two burned-out firebrands, Rezin and Pekah. Their anger’s all smoke, no flame.’”

5 “Yeah, Aram, Ephraim, and Remaliah’s boy plotting evil against you.”

6 “They saying, ‘Let us invade Judah, tear it apart, and put our own man, Tabeel’s son, on the throne.’”

7 But the Lord God says, “That plan is not happening. It will not stand.”

8 “The head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years, Ephraim is going to be shattered and no longer a nation.”

9 “The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If you do not stand firm in faith, you will not stand at all.”

The Sign of Immanuel

10 Then the Lord spoke to Ahaz again.

11 He said, “Ask for a sign from the Lord your God, make it as deep as the grave or as high as heaven.”

12 But Ahaz said, “Nah, I will not ask. I do not want to test the Lord like that.”

13 Then Isaiah said, “Listen up, house of David! You all trying the patience of people, now you are going to test God’s patience too?”

14 “So the Lord Himself is going to give you a sign: the virgin will get pregnant and have a son, and she will name Him Immanuel, ‘God with us.’”

15 “Before He is old enough to know right from wrong, He will eat curds and honey.”

16 “But before that child grows up, the land of those two kings you fear will be nothing but dust.”

Judgment Coming from Assyria

17 The Lord’s bringing a time of trouble for you, your people, and your father’s house, worse than anything since Israel split from Judah. He is bringing the king of Assyria.

18 On that day, the Lord is going to whistle, and the flies from Egypt and bees from Assyria are going to swarm in.

19 They will come and settle in every crack, thornbush, and valley, nowhere to hide.

20 The Lord will hire the king of Assyria to shave everything clean, your head, your beard, even your feet, nothing left.

21 In that day, a man might have one young cow and two sheep left.

22 And from all that milk he will have curds to eat, because everybody still left in the land will be living off curds and honey.

23 Every place that used to have a thousand vines worth silver is going to turn into land of thorns and weeds.

24 People will only go there with bows and arrows, because it will be dangerous with all the thorns.

25 And all the hills that used to be worked with hoes, no one’s touching them anymore. They will be full of weeds and overgrowth, and only cattle and sheep will roam there.