Isaiah 7

New International Version

The Sign of Immanuel

7 When Ahaz^(A) son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin^(B) of Aram^(C) and Pekah^(D) son of Remaliah^(E) king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.

²Now the house of David^(F) was told, “Aram has allied itself with^[a] Ephraim^(G)”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken,^(H) as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

³Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub,^[b]^(I) to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.^(J) ⁴Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm^(K) and don’t be afraid.^(L) Do not lose heart^(M) because of these two smoldering stubs^(N) of firewood—because of the fierce anger^(O) of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.^(P) ⁵Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s^(Q) son have plotted^(R) your ruin, saying, ⁶“Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” ⁷Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:^(S)

“‘It will not take place,
    it will not happen,^(T)
⁸for the head of Aram is Damascus,^(U)
    and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.^(V)
Within sixty-five years
    Ephraim will be too shattered^(W) to be a people.
⁹The head of Ephraim is Samaria,^(X)
    and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.
If you do not stand^(Y) firm in your faith,^(Z)
    you will not stand at all.’”^(AA)

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

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

¹³Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David!^(AE) Is it not enough^(AF) to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience^(AG) of my God^(AH) also? ¹⁴Therefore the Lord himself will give you^[c] a sign:^(AI) The virgin^[d]^(AJ) will conceive and give birth to a son,^(AK) and^[e] will call him Immanuel.^[f]^(AL) ¹⁵He will be eating curds^(AM) and honey^(AN) when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, ¹⁶for before the boy knows^(AO) enough to reject the wrong and choose the right,^(AP) the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.^(AQ) ¹⁷The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away^(AR) from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.^(AS)”

Assyria, the Lord’s Instrument

¹⁸In that day^(AT) the Lord will whistle^(AU) for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.^(AV) ¹⁹They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices^(AW) in the rocks, on all the thornbushes^(AX) and at all the water holes. ²⁰In that day^(AY) the Lord will use^(AZ) a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River^(BA)—the king of Assyria^(BB)—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your beard^(BC) also.^(BD) ²¹In that day,^(BE) a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats.^(BF) ²²And because of the abundance of the milk they give, there will be curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds^(BG) and honey.^(BH) ²³In that day,^(BI) in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels,^[g]^(BJ) there will be only briers and thorns.^(BK) ²⁴Hunters will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers^(BL) and thorns. ²⁵As for all the hills^(BM) once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns;^(BN) they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.^(BO)

Footnotes

Isaiah 7:2 Or has set up camp in
Isaiah 7:3 Shear-Jashub means a remnant will return.
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 9

New International Version

9 ^[a]Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom^(A) for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,^(B) but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

²The people walking in darkness^(C)
    have seen a great light;^(D)
on those living in the land of deep darkness^(E)
    a light has dawned.^(F)
³You have enlarged the nation^(G)
    and increased their joy;^(H)
they rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
    when dividing the plunder.^(I)
⁴For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,^(J)
    you have shattered^(K)
the yoke^(L) that burdens them,
    the bar across their shoulders,^(M)
    the rod of their oppressor.^(N)
⁵Every warrior’s boot used in battle
    and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,^(O)
    will be fuel for the fire.
⁶For to us a child is born,^(P)
    to us a son is given,^(Q)
    and the government^(R) will be on his shoulders.^(S)
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor,^(T) Mighty God,^(U)
    Everlasting^(V) Father,^(W) Prince of Peace.^(X)
⁷Of the greatness of his government^(Y) and peace^(Z)
    there will be no end.^(AA)
He will reign^(AB) on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice^(AC) and righteousness^(AD)
    from that time on and forever.^(AE)
The zeal^(AF) of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.

The Lord’s Anger Against Israel

⁸The Lord has sent a message^(AG) against Jacob;
    it will fall on Israel.
⁹All the people will know it—
    Ephraim^(AH) and the inhabitants of Samaria^(AI)—
who say with pride
    and arrogance^(AJ) of heart,
¹⁰“The bricks have fallen down,
    but we will rebuild with dressed stone;^(AK)
the fig^(AL) trees have been felled,
    but we will replace them with cedars.^(AM)”
¹¹But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s^(AN) foes against them
    and has spurred their enemies on.
¹²Arameans^(AO) from the east and Philistines^(AP) from the west
    have devoured^(AQ) Israel with open mouth.

Yet for all this, his anger^(AR) is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.^(AS)

¹³But the people have not returned^(AT) to him who struck^(AU) them,
    nor have they sought^(AV) the Lord Almighty.
¹⁴So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
    both palm branch and reed^(AW) in a single day;^(AX)
¹⁵the elders^(AY) and dignitaries^(AZ) are the head,
    the prophets^(BA) who teach lies^(BB) are the tail.
¹⁶Those who guide^(BC) this people mislead them,
    and those who are guided are led astray.^(BD)
¹⁷Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,^(BE)
    nor will he pity^(BF) the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly^(BG) and wicked,^(BH)
    every mouth speaks folly.^(BI)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.^(BJ)

¹⁸Surely wickedness burns like a fire;^(BK)
    it consumes briers and thorns,^(BL)
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,^(BM)
    so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
¹⁹By the wrath^(BN) of the Lord Almighty
    the land will be scorched^(BO)
and the people will be fuel for the fire;^(BP)
    they will not spare one another.^(BQ)
²⁰On the right they will devour,
    but still be hungry;^(BR)
on the left they will eat,^(BS)
    but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring^[b]:
²¹    Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;^(BT)
    together they will turn against Judah.^(BU)