¹⁰ Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, ¹¹ “Ask the Lord your God for a sign,^(A) whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.^(B)”

¹² But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.^(C)”

¹³ Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David!^(D) Is it not enough^(E) to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience^(F) of my God^(G) also? ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you^[a] a sign:^(H) The virgin^[b](I) will conceive and give birth to a son,^(J) and^[c] will call him Immanuel.^{[d](K) 15} He will be eating curds^(L) and honey^(M) when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, ¹⁶ for before the boy knows^(N) enough to reject the wrong and choose the right,^(O) the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.^{(P) 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^(Q) from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.^(R)”

Assyria, the Lord’s Instrument

¹⁸ In that day^(S) the Lord will whistle^(T) for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.^{(U) 19} They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices^(V) in the rocks, on all the thornbushes^(W) and at all the water holes. ²⁰ In that day^(X) the Lord will use^(Y) a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River^(Z)—the king of Assyria^(AA)—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your beard^(AB) also.^{(AC) 21} In that day,^(AD) a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats.^{(AE) 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^(AF) and honey.^{(AG) 23} In that day,^(AH) in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels,^[e](AI) there will be only briers and thorns.^{(AJ) 24} Hunters will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers^(AK) and thorns. ²⁵ As for all the hills^(AL) once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns;^(AM) they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.^(AN)

Isaiah and His Children as Signs

8 The Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll^(AO) and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.”^{[f](AP) 2} So I called in Uriah^(AQ) the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses^(AR) for me. ³ Then I made love to the prophetess,^(AS) and she conceived and gave birth to a son.^(AT) And the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.^{(AU) 4} For before the boy knows^(AV) how to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus^(AW) and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.^(AX)”

⁵ The Lord spoke to me again:

The Law and the Promise

¹⁵ Brothers and sisters,^(A) let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. ¹⁶ The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.^(B) Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”^[a](C) meaning one person, who is Christ. ¹⁷ What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years^(D) later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise;^(E) but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

¹⁹ Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions^(F) until the Seed^(G) to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels^(H) and entrusted to a mediator.^{(I) 20} A mediator,^(J) however, implies more than one party; but God is one.

²¹ Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not!^(K) For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.^{(L) 22} But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin,^(M) so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Children of God

²³ Before the coming of this faith,^[b] we were held in custody^(N) under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.^{(O) 24} So the law was our guardian until Christ came^(P) that we might be justified by faith.^{(Q) 25} Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.^(R)

²⁶ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God^(S) through faith, ²⁷ for all of you who were baptized into Christ^(T) have clothed yourselves with Christ.^{(U) 28} There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,^(V) nor is there male and female,^(W) for you are all one in Christ Jesus.^{(X) 29} If you belong to Christ,^(Y) then you are Abraham’s seed,^(Z) and heirs^(AA) according to the promise.^(AB)