Isaiah 7:2-11
Expanded Bible
2 ·Ahaz king of Judah received a message [L It was reported to the house of David; C the reigning dynasty] saying, “The armies of ·Aram [Syria] and ·Israel [L Ephraim; C influential northern tribe of Israel, used here to refer to the whole northern kingdom] have joined together [C in an alliance against the Assyrian empire].”
When Ahaz heard this, ·he [L his heart] and the ·people [L heart of his people] were ·frightened [L shaken]. They shook with fear like trees of the forest blown by the wind.
3 Then the Lord told Isaiah, “You and your son Shear-Jashub [C the name means “a remnant will return”] should go and meet Ahaz at the ·place where the water flows into [end of the aqueduct/conduit of] the upper pool, on the road ·to the field where people do their laundry [or that goes to Launderer’s Field/T the fuller’s field]. 4 Tell Ahaz, ‘Be careful. Be ·calm [quiet] and don’t ·worry [fear]. Don’t be afraid of the ·fierce [burning] anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah [C Pekah; v. 1], because they are like two ·barely burning sticks that are ready to go out [L smoldering stubs of firewood; C their power would soon be extinguished; Damascus and Israel suffered defeat by the Assyrians in 732 bc; Israel went into exile in 722 bc]. 5 [L Because] Aram has ·plotted [planned evil] with ·Israel [L Ephraim; v. 2] and the son of Remaliah against you, saying, 6 “Let’s ·fight against [invade; attack] Judah and ·tear it apart [or terrorize it]. We will ·divide the land [or conquer it; or breach its walls; L break it open] for ourselves and make the son of Tabeel the new king of Judah [C replacing the legitimate king from David’s dynasty with a usurper].” 7 But I, the Lord God, say,
“‘·Their plan will not succeed [L It will not stand];
it will not happen,
8 because ·Aram is led by the city of Damascus [L the head of Aram/Syria is Damascus; C its capital],
and ·Damascus is led by its weak king, [L the head of Damascus is] Rezin.
Within sixty-five years ·Israel [L Ephraim; v. 2] will no longer be a nation [C probably 670 bc, when Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, brought foreign settlers into Israel; their intermarriage with the remaining Israelites produced the Samaritans].
9 ·Israel is led by the city of Samaria [L The head of Ephraim is Samaria; C its capital],
and ·Samaria is led by its weak king, [L the head of Samaria is] the son of Remaliah [C these human kings were no match for God].
If ·your faith is not strong [you do not stand firm in faith],
you will not ·have strength enough to last [endure/stand firm at all; C the words translated “your faith is strong” and “have strength enough to last” are related in Hebrew].’”
Immanuel—God Is with Us
10 Then the Lord spoke to Ahaz again, saying, 11 “Ask for a sign from the Lord your God [C to confirm the truth of this prophecy; Deut. 18:21–22]. It may be a sign from as deep as ·the place of the dead [or the grave; L Sheol] or ·as high as the heavens [L to the heights above].”
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