UST ISA Chapter 7

◄ ISA 7 ► ║ ═ ©

7 When Ahaz son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah was the king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel marched with their armies to attack Jerusalem. However, they were not able to conquer it. 2 Someone reported to David’s descendant Ahaz that the army of Aram had joined forces with the army of Israel. This terrified Ahaz and his people. They were trembling the way trees shake when a wind blows through a forest.

3 Then Yahweh said to Isaiah, “Take your son Shear-Jashub and go out to meet Ahaz. You will find him on the road that leads to the field where people wash their clothes. He will be at the end of the channel that brings water to the upper pool. 4 Tell him, ‘Stay in control of yourself and do not panic. Do not be afraid, and do not lose your resolve. Rezin, the Aramean king, and Pekah son of Remaliah, the Israelite king, are attacking you violently. But they will not be able to harm you, any more than the ends of two logs that had mostly burned up and were just smoking could start a fire. 5 It is true that the king of Aram has made a plan with the king of Israel to attack you. They have agreed, 6 “Let us go attack the people of Judah and terrify them. We will break through their defenses, and we will make the son of Tabeel their king.”

7 But this is what I, Yahweh, the Lord, say: “Their plan will not succeed. What they are saying will not happen.8-9 8-9That is because the kingdom of Aram is no stronger than its capital city, Damascus. The city of Damascus is no stronger than its king, Rezin, and he is a mere human being. The kingdom of Israel is no stronger than its capital city, Samaria. The city of Samaria is no stronger than its king, Pekah son of Remaliah , and he is a mere human being. Within 65 years, enemies will completely destroy Israel so that it no longer exists as a nation. But you people must trust me if you want your kingdom to survive.” ’ ”

10 Yahweh spoke again to Ahaz through Isaiah and said, 11 “Ask Yahweh your God to do something to show you that what he is saying is true. You may ask him to do something anywhere in his entire creation.” 12 Ahaz replied, “No, I will not ask for anything. I will not challenge Yahweh to prove that what he is saying is true.”

13 Then Isaiah said, “Listen, you descendant of David! People are already tired of you for being afraid and not showing any resolve. Now you are also making my God tired of you! 14 Therefore, the Lord himself will do something to show all of you that what he is saying is true. Listen! A young woman will become pregnant, and she will give birth to a son. She will name him Immanuel. 15 Before that child is old enough to know right from wrong, he will be eating curds and honey. 16 That will happen because, before that boy is old enough to know right from wrong, no one will live anymore in the lands of the two kings whom you fear so much.

17 Yahweh is going to make a disaster happen to you, your family, and the whole nation that will be worse than anything that has happened since the time when Israel separated from Judah. The king of Assyria is going to attack you.”

18 At that time, Yahweh will cause the army of Egypt to come and invade this land. The Egyptian leaders will be from the Upper Nile region. He will also cause the army of Assyria to come from its land. Those armies will be like swarms of flies and bees. 19 They will come and occupy every part of this land, as if those flies and bees had settled in the steep valleys and in the cracks of the rocks, on all the thorn bushes, and at all the places where people get water.

20 At that time, the Lord will allow the Assyrian army to come from the other side of the Euphrates River. They will take away your crops and valuable possessions. They will leave the land empty, as if someone had used a razor to shave off someone’s beard and remove the hair from his entire body.

21 After that, a person will only be able to keep alive a young cow and two sheep. 22 However, those animals will produce enough milk that their owner will have curds to eat. In fact, everyone who remains in the land will eat curds and honey.

23 At that time, in the places where people once had a thousand grape vines worth a thousand pieces of silver, only briars and thorn bushes will grow. 24 Briars and thorn bushes will cover the whole land, so people will go to those places not to grow crops but to hunt with bows and arrows. 25 Briars and thorn bushes will grow on the hillsides that farmers once cultivated with hoes. So people will not go there, because they will be afraid that the briars and thorns will cut them. Instead, those hills will become places where people let their cattle roam and where sheep trample the ground.