The Child Immanuel

10 Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 “Ask for a (A)sign for yourself from the Lord your God; [a]make it deep as Sheol or high as [b]heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I put the Lord to the test!” 13 Then he said, “Listen now, (B)house of David! Is it too trivial a thing for you to [c]try the patience of men, that you will [d](C)try the patience of (D)my God as well? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, (E)the [e]virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him [f](F)Immanuel. 15 He will eat [g](G)curds and honey [h]at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. 16 (H)For before the boy knows enough to refuse evil and choose good, (I)the land whose two kings you dread will be abandoned.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 7:11 As in most ancient versions; MT make the request deep or high
  2. Isaiah 7:11 Lit heights
  3. Isaiah 7:13 Lit make men weary
  4. Isaiah 7:13 Lit make my God weary
  5. Isaiah 7:14 As in LXX; MT young unmarried woman
  6. Isaiah 7:14 I.e., God is with us
  7. Isaiah 7:15 Possibly butter
  8. Isaiah 7:15 Lit with respect to his knowing

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)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 7:14 The Hebrew is plural.
  2. Isaiah 7:14 Or young woman
  3. Isaiah 7:14 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls son, and he or son, and they
  4. Isaiah 7:14 Immanuel means God with us.

Damascus and Samaria Fall

Then the Lord said to me, “Take for yourself a large tablet and (A)write on it [a]in ordinary letters: [b](B)Maher-shalal-hash-baz. And [c]I will take to Myself faithful witnesses for testimony, (C)Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.” So I approached the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Name him [d](D)Maher-shalal-hash-baz; for (E)before the boy knows how to cry out ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of (F)Damascus and the spoils of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 8:1 Lit with the stylus of man
  2. Isaiah 8:1 I.e., swift is the plunder, speedy is the prey
  3. Isaiah 8:2 Another reading is take for me
  4. Isaiah 8:3 I.e., swift is the plunder, speedy is the prey

Isaiah and His Children as Signs

The Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll(A) and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.”[a](B) So I called in Uriah(C) the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses(D) for me. 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) 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)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 8:1 Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz means quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil; also in verse 3.

Then (A)it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass through,
It will (B)reach as far as the neck;
And the spread of its wings will [a]fill the expanse of [b]your land, (C)Immanuel.

A Believing Remnant

(D)Be broken, you peoples, and be [c](E)shattered;
And listen, all remote places of the earth.
[d]Get ready, yet be [e]shattered;
[f]Get ready, yet be [g]shattered.
10 (F)Devise a plan, but it will fail;
State a [h]proposal, but (G)it will not stand,
For [i](H)God is with us.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 8:8 Lit be the fullness of
  2. Isaiah 8:8 Or Your
  3. Isaiah 8:9 Or dismayed
  4. Isaiah 8:9 Lit Belt up your waist
  5. Isaiah 8:9 Or dismayed
  6. Isaiah 8:9 Lit Belt up your waist
  7. Isaiah 8:9 Or dismayed
  8. Isaiah 8:10 Lit word
  9. Isaiah 8:10 Heb Immanu-el

and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it,(A)
    passing through it and reaching up to the neck.
Its outspread wings(B) will cover the breadth of your land,
    Immanuel[a]!”(C)

Raise the war cry,[b](D) you nations, and be shattered!(E)
    Listen, all you distant lands.
Prepare(F) for battle, and be shattered!
    Prepare for battle, and be shattered!
10 Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted;(G)
    propose your plan, but it will not stand,(H)
    for God is with us.[c](I)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 8:8 Immanuel means God with us.
  2. Isaiah 8:9 Or Do your worst
  3. Isaiah 8:10 Hebrew Immanuel