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.

² Now 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.

³ Then 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) 4} Say 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) 5} Aram, 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.” ⁷ Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:^(S)

¹⁰ Again 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)”

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

¹³ Then 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? ¹⁴ Therefore 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) 15} He will be eating curds^(AM) and honey^(AN) when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, ¹⁶ for 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) 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^(AR) from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.^(AS)”

² Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised,^(A) Christ will be of no value to you at all. ³ Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.^{(B) 4} You who are trying to be justified by the law^(C) have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.^{(D) 5} For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.^{(E) 6} For in Christ Jesus^(F) neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.^(G) The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.^(H)

⁷ You were running a good race.^(I) Who cut in on you^(J) to keep you from obeying the truth? ⁸ That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.^{(K) 9} “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”^{(L) 10} I am confident^(M) in the Lord that you will take no other view.^(N) The one who is throwing you into confusion,^(O) whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. ¹¹ Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?^(P) In that case the offense^(Q) of the cross has been abolished. ¹² As for those agitators,^(R) I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Life by the Spirit

¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.^(S) But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh^[a];^(T) rather, serve one another^(U) humbly in love. ¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^{[b](V) 15} If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

¹⁶ So I say, walk by the Spirit,^(W) and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.^{(X) 17} For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.^(Y) They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever^[c] you want.^{(Z) 18} But if you are led by the Spirit,^(AA) you are not under the law.^(AB)

¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality,^(AC) impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.^(AD) I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.^(AE)

²² But the fruit^(AF) of the Spirit is love,^(AG) joy, peace,^(AH) forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control.^(AI) Against such things there is no law.^{(AJ) 24} Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh^(AK) with its passions and desires.^{(AL) 25} Since we live by the Spirit,^(AM) let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited,^(AN) provoking and envying each other.

Isaiah and His Children as Signs

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

⁵ The Lord spoke to me again:

¹¹ This is what the Lord says to me with his strong hand upon me,^(AA) warning me not to follow^(AB) the way of this people:

¹⁸ Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me.^(AT) We are signs^(AU) and symbols^(AV) in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.^(AW)

John Testifies Again About Jesus

²² After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.^{(A) 23} Now John^(B) also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. ²⁴ (This was before John was put in prison.)^{(C) 25} An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.^{(D) 26} They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi,^(E) that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified^(F) about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”

²⁷ To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’^{(G) 29} The bride belongs to the bridegroom.^(H) The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.^{(I) 30} He must become greater; I must become less.”^[a]

³¹ The one who comes from above^(J) is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth.^(K) The one who comes from heaven is above all. ³² He testifies to what he has seen and heard,^(L) but no one accepts his testimony.^{(M) 33} Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. ³⁴ For the one whom God has sent^(N) speaks the words of God, for God^[b] gives the Spirit^(O) without limit. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.^{(P) 36} Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,^(Q) but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.