² When the house of David was told, ^(A)“Syria is in league with^{[a] (B)}Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz^[b] and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.

¹² “Do not call ^(A)conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and ^(B)do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread.

¹³ And he^[a] said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you ^(A)weary my God also?

³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;

^16 (A)“Son of man, ^(B)take a stick^[a] and write on it, ‘For ^(C)Judah, and ^(D)the people of Israel associated with him’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For ^(E)Joseph (the stick of ^(F)Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him.’ ¹⁷ And ^(G)join them one to another into one stick, that ^(H)they may become ^(I)one in your hand. ¹⁸ And when ^(J)your people say to you, ^(K)‘Will you not tell us what you mean by these?’ ¹⁹ say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am about to take ^(L)the stick of Joseph (that is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him. And I will join with it the ^(M)stick of Judah,^[b] and ^(N)make them one stick, ^(O)that they may be one in my hand.

¹² O house of David! Thus says the Lord: