The Message to Ahaz
1This took place during the reign of Ahaz, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah king of Judah: Is 1:1 Rezin king of Aram, along with Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, waged war against Jerusalem, 2Kg 15:25,37; 16:5 but he could not succeed.
2When it became known to the house of David Is 7:13; 9:7; 16:5; 22:9,22; 29:1; 37:35; 38:5; 55:3 that Aram had occupied Ephraim, Is 8:12; 9:9 the heart of Ahaz Lit Aram has rested upon Ephraim, his heart and the hearts of his people trembled like trees of a forest shaking in the wind.
3Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub Is 8:3,18 to meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, 2Kg 18:17; Is 36:2 by the road to the Fuller’s Field.
4Say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Don’t be afraid or cowardly Gn 15:1; Ex 14:13; 20:20; Nm 14:9; Dt 20:3; 31:6; Jos 10:8,25; Is 10:24; 35:4; 41:14 because of these two smoldering stubs of firebrands, the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram, and the son of Remaliah.
5For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted harm against you. They say,
6‘Let us go up against Judah, terrorize it, and conquer it for ourselves. Then we can install Tabeel’s son as king in it.’ ”
7This is what the Lord God says:
It will not happen; it will not occur. Is 8:10
8The Lit For the head of Aram is Damascus,
the head of Damascus is Rezin
(within 65 years
Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people),
9the head of Ephraim is Samaria,
and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.
If you do not stand firm in your faith,
then you will not stand at all.
The Immanuel Prophecy
10Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz:
11“Ask for a sign 2Kg 19:29; Is 37:30; 38:7-8; 55:13 from the Lord your God — from the depths of Sheol to the heights of heaven.”
12But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask. I will not test the Lord.”
13Isaiah Mt 3:3; 12:17 said, “Listen, house of David! Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men? Will you also try the patience of my God? Is 1:14; 43:24; Jr 15:6; 20:9; Mal 2:17
14Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you In Hb, the word you is pl a sign: The virgin will conceive, Or virgin is pregnant, will have a son, and name him Immanuel. = God With Us Is 8:8,10; Mt 1:23; Lk 1:31
15By the time he learns to reject what is bad and choose what is good, Dt 1:39 he will be eating butter Or sour milk and honey. Ex 3:8; 2Sm 17:29; Is 7:22; 8:15
16For before the boy knows to reject what is bad and choose what is good, the land of the two kings you dread will be abandoned.
17The Lord will bring on you, your people, and the house of your father, such a time as has never been since Ephraim separated from Judah 1Kg 12:16 — the king of Assyria 2Ch 28:20; Is 8:7-8; 10:5-6 is coming.”
18On that day Is 27:12
the Lord will whistle Is 5:25 to the fly
that is at the farthest streams of the Nile
and to the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
19All of them will come and settle
in the steep ravines, in the clefts of the rocks, Is 2:19; Jr 16:16
in all the thornbushes, and in all the water holes.
20On that day the Lord will use a razor 2Kg 18:13-16; Is 24:1; Ezk 5:1-4 hired from beyond the Euphrates River — the king of Assyria Is 8:7; 11:15; Jr 2:18 — to shave the head, the hair on the legs, and to remove the beard as well.
21On that day
a man will raise a young cow and two sheep,
22and from the abundant milk they give
he will eat butter,
for every survivor in the land will eat butter and honey. Is 8:15
23And on that day
every place where there were 1,000 vines,
worth 1,000 pieces of silver,
will become thorns and briers. Is 5:6
24A man will go there with bow and arrows
because the whole land will be thorns and briers.
25You will not go to all the hills
that were once tilled with a hoe,
for fear of the thorns and briers.
Those hills will be places for oxen to graze
and for sheep to trample.
Holman Christian Standard Bible®
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by Holman Bible Publishers