¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you^[a] a sign:^(A) The virgin^[b](B) will conceive and give birth to a son,^(C) and^[c] will call him Immanuel.^{[d](D) 15} He will be eating curds^(E) and honey^(F) when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, ¹⁶ for before the boy knows^(G) enough to reject the wrong and choose the right,^(H) the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.^{(I) 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^(J) from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.^(K)”

Assyria, the Lord’s Instrument

¹⁸ In that day^(L) the Lord will whistle^(M) for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.^{(N) 19} They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices^(O) in the rocks, on all the thornbushes^(P) and at all the water holes. ²⁰ In that day^(Q) the Lord will use^(R) a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River^(S)—the king of Assyria^(T)—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your beard^(U) also.^{(V) 21} In that day,^(W) a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats.^(X)