Isaiah 7

1In the days of Ahaz son of Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah, Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel advanced against Jerusalem for battle against it, but they could not fight against it.

2It was reported to the house of David that Syria had allied with Ephraim, and his heart trembled along with the heart of his people, like the trees of the forest before the wind.

3Yahweh said to Isaiah, "Go now to meet Ahaz—you and Shear-jashub your son—at the end of the upper pool's conduit, on the highway of the fuller's field."

4Say to him, "Be watchful and stay calm. Do not fear, nor let your heart grow faint because of these two tails of smoking firebrands, on account of the blazing anger of Rezin and Syria, and of Remaliah's son."

5Because Syria, Ephraim, and Remaliah's son have devised evil against you, saying,

6Let us go up against Judah, dismay it, and split it for us, and appoint the son of Tabeel king in its midst.

7Thus says the Lord Yahweh: It will not stand, nor will it happen.

8For Damascus is the head of Syria, and Rezin the head of Damascus; within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken from being a people.

9Samaria is the head of Ephraim, and Remaliah's son is the head of Samaria. If you do not believe, surely you will not be established.

10Yahweh continued speaking to Ahaz, saying,

11Ask a sign for yourself from Yahweh your God, whether as deep as Sheol or as high above.

12Ahaz said, "I will not ask, nor will I test Yahweh."

13He said, "House of David, listen now: is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also?"

14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, the virgin is pregnant and will bear a son, and she will call his name Immanuel.

15He will eat butter and honey when he knows to refuse evil and choose good.

16For before the boy knows to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken.

17Yahweh will bring upon you, upon your people, and upon your father's house days unlike any since the day Ephraim withdrew from Judah—even the king of Assyria.

18In that day Yahweh will whistle for the fly at the ends of Egypt's rivers and for the bee in Assyria's land.

19They will come and settle, all of them, in the barren ravines, in the crevices of the rocks, on every thornbush, and on every shrub.

20On that day the Lord will shave the head and the hair of the feet with a razor hired beyond the River—with the king of Assyria—and it will also sweep away the beard.

21In that day a man will sustain a heifer and two sheep.

22Because of the abundance of milk produced he will eat butter, for everyone who remains in the midst of the land will eat butter and honey.

23On that day every place where there had stood a thousand vines at a thousand silver shekels will become briers and thorns.

24They will come there with arrows and bows because all the land will be briers and thorns.

25All the hills that will be hoed with a mattock, you will not go there out of dread of briers and thorns, but it will become a place for releasing oxen and for sheep to tread.