Isaiah 7:3-19

New International Version

³Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub,^[a]^(A) to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.^(B) ⁴Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm^(C) and don’t be afraid.^(D) Do not lose heart^(E) because of these two smoldering stubs^(F) of firewood—because of the fierce anger^(G) of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.^(H) ⁵Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s^(I) son have plotted^(J) 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:^(K)

“‘It will not take place,
    it will not happen,^(L)
⁸for the head of Aram is Damascus,^(M)
    and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.^(N)
Within sixty-five years
    Ephraim will be too shattered^(O) to be a people.
⁹The head of Ephraim is Samaria,^(P)
    and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.
If you do not stand^(Q) firm in your faith,^(R)
    you will not stand at all.’”^(S)

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

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

¹³Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David!^(W) Is it not enough^(X) to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience^(Y) of my God^(Z) also? ¹⁴Therefore the Lord himself will give you^[b] a sign:^(AA) The virgin^[c]^(AB) will conceive and give birth to a son,^(AC) and^[d] will call him Immanuel.^[e]^(AD) ¹⁵He will be eating curds^(AE) and honey^(AF) when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, ¹⁶for before the boy knows^(AG) enough to reject the wrong and choose the right,^(AH) the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.^(AI) 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^(AJ) from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.^(AK)”

Assyria, the Lord’s Instrument

¹⁸In that day^(AL) the Lord will whistle^(AM) for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.^(AN) ¹⁹They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices^(AO) in the rocks, on all the thornbushes^(AP) and at all the water holes.