1 I n the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to make war against Jerusalem. But they could not win the battle.

2 D avid’s house was told, “Syria is allied with Ephraim.” His heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind.

When the family of David was told, “Syria has joined with Ephraim,” his heart and the hearts of his people shook as trees shake with the wind.

3 T hen Yahweh said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you, and Shearjashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway of the fuller’s field.

Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Now you and your son Shear-jashub go out to meet Ahaz at the end of the ditch of the upper pool on the road to the Fuller’s Field.

4 T ell him, ‘Be careful, and keep calm. Don’t be afraid, neither let your heart be faint because of these two tails of smoking torches, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

Say to him, ‘Be careful and quiet. Do not be afraid or weak in your heart because of these two pieces of burnt and smoking wood. Do not be afraid of the burning anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah.

5 B ecause Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have plotted evil against you, saying,

Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, have made sinful plans against you, saying,

6 “ Let’s go up against Judah, and tear it apart, and let’s divide it among ourselves, and set up a king within it, even the son of Tabeel.”

“Let us go up against Judah and make the people very afraid. Let us break open its walls, and make the son of Tabeel its king.”

7 T his is what the Lord Yahweh says: “It shall not stand, neither shall it happen.”

But the Lord God says, “This plan will not work. It will not happen.

8 F or the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within sixty-five years Ephraim shall be broken in pieces, so that it shall not be a people;

For the head of Syria is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin. (Within another sixty-five years Ephraim will be destroyed so that it is no longer a people.)

9 a nd the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.’”

The head of Ephraim is Samaria. And the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, for sure you will not last.”’” Word about Immanuel

10 Y ahweh spoke again to Ahaz, saying,

Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying,

11 “ Ask a sign of Yahweh your God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.”

“Ask for something special to see from the Lord your God. Ask for it to be as deep as the place of the dead or as high as heaven.”

12 B ut Ahaz said, “I will not ask, neither will I tempt Yahweh.”

But Ahaz said, “I will not ask. I will not test the Lord.”

13 H e said, “Listen now, house of David. Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God also?

Then Isaiah said, “Listen now, O people of David! Is it too small a thing for you to test men, that you will test my God as well?

14 T herefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

So the Lord Himself will give you a special thing to see: A young woman, who has never had a man, will give birth to a son. She will give Him the name Immanuel.

15 H e shall eat butter and honey when he knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

He will eat milk and honey when He knows enough to have nothing to do with wrong-doing and chooses good.

16 F or before the child knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land whose two kings you abhor shall be forsaken.

For before the boy knows to turn away from what is bad and choose good, the land whose two kings you are afraid of will be left empty.”

17 Y ahweh will bring on you, on your people, and on your father’s house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.

The Lord will bring upon you and your people and your father’s house such days as have never come since the day that Ephraim was divided from Judah. He is going to bring the king of Assyria on you.

18 I t will happen in that day that Yahweh will whistle for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

In that day the Lord will call for flies that are in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, and for bees that are in the land of Assyria.

19 T hey shall come, and shall all rest in the desolate valleys, in the clefts of the rocks, on all thorn hedges, and on all pastures.

They will all come and stay in the narrow valleys, on the hill-sides, on the thorn bushes, and in the fields.

20 I n that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired in the parts beyond the River, even with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet; and it shall also consume the beard.

In that day the Lord will use the king of Assyria from the other side of the Euphrates to cut off the hair from your head, your legs, and your face.

21 I t shall happen in that day that a man shall keep alive a young cow, and two sheep;

In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep.

22 a nd it shall happen, that because of the abundance of milk which they shall give he shall eat butter: for everyone will eat butter and honey that is left within the land.

And because they give much milk, he will have all he can use. For everyone who is left in the land will have milk and honey to eat.

23 I t will happen in that day that every place where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silver shekels, shall be for briers and thorns.

In that day, every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand pieces of silver, will be thistles and thorns.

24 P eople will go there with arrows and with bow, because all the land will be briers and thorns.

Men will go there with bows and arrows because all the land will be covered with thistles and thorns.

25 A ll the hills that were cultivated with the hoe, you shall not come there for fear of briers and thorns; but it shall be for the sending out of oxen, and for the treading of sheep.”

As for all the hills which used to be cared for as a garden, you will not go there for fear of thistles and thorns. They will become a place where cattle feed and where sheep will run.