Now the house of David(A) was told, “Aram has allied itself with[a] Ephraim(B)”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken,(C) as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub,[b](D) to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.(E) Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm(F) and don’t be afraid.(G) Do not lose heart(H) because of these two smoldering stubs(I) of firewood—because of the fierce anger(J) of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.(K) Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s(L) son have plotted(M) your ruin, saying, “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:(N)

“‘It will not take place,
    it will not happen,(O)
for the head of Aram is Damascus,(P)
    and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.(Q)
Within sixty-five years
    Ephraim will be too shattered(R) to be a people.
The head of Ephraim is Samaria,(S)
    and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.
If you do not stand(T) firm in your faith,(U)
    you will not stand at all.’”(V)

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

12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.(Y)

13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David!(Z) Is it not enough(AA) to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience(AB) of my God(AC) also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you[c] a sign:(AD) The virgin[d](AE) will conceive and give birth to a son,(AF) and[e] will call him Immanuel.[f](AG) 15 He will be eating curds(AH) and honey(AI) when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 16 for before the boy knows(AJ) enough to reject the wrong and choose the right,(AK) the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.(AL) 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 away(AM) from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.(AN)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 7:2 Or has set up camp in
  2. Isaiah 7:3 Shear-Jashub means a remnant will return.
  3. Isaiah 7:14 The Hebrew is plural.
  4. Isaiah 7:14 Or young woman
  5. Isaiah 7:14 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls son, and he or son, and they
  6. Isaiah 7:14 Immanuel means God with us.

They will come with weeping;(A)
    they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead(B) them beside streams of water(C)
    on a level(D) path where they will not stumble,
because I am Israel’s father,(E)
    and Ephraim is my firstborn son.

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20 Is not Ephraim my dear son,
    the child(A) in whom I delight?
Though I often speak against him,
    I still remember(B) him.
Therefore my heart yearns for him;
    I have great compassion(C) for him,”
declares the Lord.

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