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Isaiah 7:8-8:4
New American Standard Bible
Isaiah 7:8-8:4
New American Standard Bible
8 For the head of Aram is (A)Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin (now within another sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken to pieces, so that it is no longer a people), 9 and the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. (B)If you will not believe, you certainly shall not [a]last.”’”
The Child Immanuel
10 Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 “Ask for a (C)sign for yourself from the Lord your God; [b]make it deep as Sheol or high as [c]heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I put the Lord to the test!” 13 Then he said, “Listen now, (D)house of David! Is it too trivial a thing for you to [d]try the patience of men, that you will [e](E)try the patience of (F)my God as well? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, (G)the [f]virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him [g](H)Immanuel. 15 He will eat [h](I)curds and honey [i]at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. 16 (J)For before the boy knows enough to refuse evil and choose good, (K)the land whose two kings you dread will be abandoned.
Trials to Come for Judah
17 The Lord will bring on you, on your people, and on your father’s house such days as have not come since the day that (L)Ephraim separated from Judah—the days of the (M)king of Assyria.”
18 On that day the Lord will (N)whistle for the fly that is in the [j](O)remotest part of the canals of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 They will all come and settle on the steep [k]ravines, on the (P)ledges of the cliffs, (Q)on all the thorn bushes, and on all the watering places.
20 On that day the Lord will (R)shave with a (S)razor, (T)hired from regions beyond (U)the Euphrates River (that is, with the king of Assyria), the head and the hair of the legs; and it will also remove the beard.
21 Now on that day a person may keep alive only a (V)heifer and a pair of sheep; 22 and because of the abundance of the milk produced he will eat [l]curds, for everyone who is left within the land will eat [m](W)curds and honey.
23 And it will come about on that day, (X)that every place where there used to be a thousand vines, valued at a thousand shekels of silver, will become (Y)briars and thorns. 24 People will come there with bows and arrows, because all the land will be briars and thorns. 25 As for all the hills which used to be cultivated with the plow, you will not go there for fear of briars and thorns; but they will become a place for [n](Z)pasturing oxen and for sheep to trample.
Damascus and Samaria Fall
8 Then the Lord said to me, “Take for yourself a large tablet and (AA)write on it [o]in ordinary letters: [p](AB)Maher-shalal-hash-baz. 2 And [q]I will take to Myself faithful witnesses for testimony, (AC)Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.” 3 So I approached the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Name him [r](AD)Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for (AE)before the boy knows how to cry out ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of (AF)Damascus and the spoils of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 7:9 Or endure
- Isaiah 7:11 As in most ancient versions; MT make the request deep or high
- Isaiah 7:11 Lit heights
- Isaiah 7:13 Lit make men weary
- Isaiah 7:13 Lit make my God weary
- Isaiah 7:14 As in LXX; MT young unmarried woman
- Isaiah 7:14 I.e., God is with us
- Isaiah 7:15 Possibly butter
- Isaiah 7:15 Lit with respect to his knowing
- Isaiah 7:18 Or mouth of the rivers; i.e., the Nile Delta
- Isaiah 7:19 Or wadis
- Isaiah 7:22 Possibly butter
- Isaiah 7:22 Possibly butter
- Isaiah 7:25 Lit pastureland of
- Isaiah 8:1 Lit with the stylus of man
- Isaiah 8:1 I.e., swift is the plunder, speedy is the prey
- Isaiah 8:2 Another reading is take for me
- Isaiah 8:3 I.e., swift is the plunder, speedy is the prey
Isaiah 7:8-8:4
New International Version
Isaiah 7:8-8:4
New International Version
8 for the head of Aram is Damascus,(A)
and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.(B)
Within sixty-five years
Ephraim will be too shattered(C) to be a people.
9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria,(D)
and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.
If you do not stand(E) firm in your faith,(F)
you will not stand at all.’”(G)
10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the Lord your God for a sign,(H) whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.(I)”
12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.(J)”
13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David!(K) Is it not enough(L) to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience(M) of my God(N) also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you[a] a sign:(O) The virgin[b](P) will conceive and give birth to a son,(Q) and[c] will call him Immanuel.[d](R) 15 He will be eating curds(S) and honey(T) when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 16 for before the boy knows(U) enough to reject the wrong and choose the right,(V) the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.(W) 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(X) from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.(Y)”
Assyria, the Lord’s Instrument
18 In that day(Z) the Lord will whistle(AA) for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.(AB) 19 They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices(AC) in the rocks, on all the thornbushes(AD) and at all the water holes. 20 In that day(AE) the Lord will use(AF) a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River(AG)—the king of Assyria(AH)—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your beard(AI) also.(AJ) 21 In that day,(AK) a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats.(AL) 22 And because of the abundance of the milk they give, there will be curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds(AM) and honey.(AN) 23 In that day,(AO) in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels,[e](AP) there will be only briers and thorns.(AQ) 24 Hunters will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers(AR) and thorns. 25 As for all the hills(AS) once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns;(AT) they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.(AU)
Isaiah and His Children as Signs
8 The Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll(AV) and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.”[f](AW) 2 So I called in Uriah(AX) the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses(AY) for me. 3 Then I made love to the prophetess,(AZ) and she conceived and gave birth to a son.(BA) And the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.(BB) 4 For before the boy knows(BC) how to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus(BD) and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.(BE)”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 7:14 The Hebrew is plural.
- Isaiah 7:14 Or young woman
- Isaiah 7:14 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls son, and he or son, and they
- Isaiah 7:14 Immanuel means God with us.
- Isaiah 7:23 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms
- Isaiah 8:1 Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz means quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil; also in verse 3.
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