Isaiah 7
The Voice
The stump remains: a testament to what the people used to be, a promise of what is to come.
7 When Ahaz (Uzziah’s grandson, Jotham’s son) was king here in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, a coalition of two other kings—Pekah (Remaliah’s son) from the Northern Kingdom (also called Israel and Ephraim) and Rezin from Aram (which is Syria)—determined to attack our capital Jerusalem. But they failed to take it. 2 This is what happened: When our royal house (descended from David) heard that Aram was in league with Ephraim against us, the king was terrified. The news shook the hearts of the people like trees in the wind. 3 So the Eternal told Isaiah to get involved.
Eternal One: Catch up with Ahaz at the end of the stream that comes out of the upper pool—you know, the one at the highway where they wash and bleach cloth. And bring your son who’s named Shear-jashub (which means “Returning Remnant”). 4-6 Tell Ahaz, “Keep your wits about you. Stay calm. Don’t panic just because those two angry northerners, Rezin of Aram and Pekah (Remaliah’s son), threaten you and say: ‘Let’s march against Judah, terrorize the people, overthrow it, and set up Tabeel’s son as our puppet king.’”
God promised that David’s dynasty would continue forever. Since Ahaz is of David’s line, he should be confident before the threat. But he needs the support of God’s prophet.
7 Here is what the Eternal Lord has to say.
Eternal One: It’s not going to work;
what they determine is not going to happen.
8-9 The head of Aram is Damascus, and its head is King Rezin;
Ephraim’s head is Samaria, and its king is Remaliah’s son.
Ephraim will fall apart as a nation and as a people within 65 years.
Now then, if you don’t hold firm, if you don’t believe, you will not remain firm.
10 The Eternal One also said this to our king, Ahaz:
Eternal One (to Ahaz): 11 Ask for proof, a sign from the Eternal your God. Go ahead, ask anything, anything at all; it can be high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead.
Ahaz: 12 No way. I wouldn’t dare to ask, to test the Eternal One.
Isaiah: 13 Listen then. You are none other than the house of David, the one who inherited God’s promise of permanent kingship for David’s descendants. Is it so easy to be a bore to people that you would exhaust God’s patience too? 14 Suit yourself. The Lord will give you a proof-sign anyway: See, a young maiden[a] will conceive. She will give birth to a son and name Him Immanuel, that is, “God with us.”[b] 15 There will indeed be something Godlike about Him. He’ll be eating curds and honey when he knows to choose what is right and good and refuse what is not. 16 But before the boy has the wisdom to refuse evil and choose good the territory of the two kings you now dread will be abandoned.
17 But it’s not all rosy for you, either. The Eternal will bring against you, against this population, this blessed kingdom, such trouble as hasn’t been seen since the 10 northern tribes, led by Ephraim, seceded from Judah—trouble in the form of the Assyrian king. 18 At that time, the Eternal will summon the Egyptian flies and the stinging pests of Assyria, calling them 19 to settle into every crack and crevice of the country, every place high and low—mountains, fields, deserts, and cities—every thornbush and watering hole. 20 In that day, the Lord will hire the Assyrian king from beyond the Euphrates River to shave every part of you, humbling you like slaves. 21 Each person will hang onto only what he or she absolutely needs—a heifer and two sheep—in order to survive. 22 But some will survive because those who are left will eat curds and honey, for their animals will produce plenty of milk. 23 They will no longer live off the land because wherever there had been flourishing vineyards with 1,000 vines, worth 1,000 pieces of silver, they will produce nothing but briars and thorns. 24 No one will venture into this wasteland of briars and thorns without bow and arrow. 25 No one will dare to cultivate the hills that once were tilled for fear of what is out there; only the hardiest animals—cattle and sheep—are released to graze the ragged slopes.
Footnotes
- 7:14 Greek manuscripts read, “virgin.”
- 7:14 Matthew 1:23
Isaiah 7
King James Version
7 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.
2 And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.
3 Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field;
4 And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,
6 Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:
7 Thus saith the Lord God, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.
8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.
9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.
10 Moreover the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying,
11 Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.
13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
17 The Lord shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.
18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.
20 In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;
22 And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.
23 And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns.
24 With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns.
25 And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.
Isaiah 7
New King James Version
Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz(A)
7 Now it came to pass in the days of (B)Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against (C)it, but could not [a]prevail against it. 2 And it was told to the house of David, saying, “Syria’s forces are [b]deployed in Ephraim.” So his heart and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind.
3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and [c]Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller’s Field, 4 and say to him: [d]‘Take heed, and [e]be (D)quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have plotted evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and [f]trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them, the son of Tabel”— 7 thus says the Lord God:
(E)“It shall not stand,
Nor shall it come to pass.
8 (F)For the head of Syria is Damascus,
And the head of Damascus is Rezin.
Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be [g]broken,
So that it will not be a people.
9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
And the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son.
(G)If you will not believe,
Surely you shall not be established.” ’ ”
The Immanuel Prophecy
10 Moreover the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 (H)“Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; [h]ask it either in the depth or in the height above.”
12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!”
13 Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: (I)Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear (J)a Son, and shall call His name (K)Immanuel.[i] 15 Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 (L)For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by (M)both her kings. 17 (N)The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father’s house—days that have not come since the day that (O)Ephraim departed from Judah.”
18 And it shall come to pass in that day
That the Lord (P)will whistle for the fly
That is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt,
And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
19 They will come, and all of them will rest
In the desolate valleys and in (Q)the clefts of the rocks,
And on all thorns and in all pastures.
20 In the same day the Lord will shave with a (R)hired (S)razor,
With those from beyond [j]the River, with the king of Assyria,
The head and the hair of the legs,
And will also remove the beard.
21 It shall be in that day
That a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep;
22 So it shall be, from the abundance of milk they give,
That he will eat curds;
For curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land.
23 It shall happen in that day,
That wherever there could be a thousand vines
Worth a thousand shekels of silver,
(T)It will be for briers and thorns.
24 With arrows and bows men will come there,
Because all the land will become briers and thorns.
25 And to any hill which could be dug with the hoe,
You will not go there for fear of briers and thorns;
But it will become a range for oxen
And a place for sheep to roam.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 7:1 conquer it
- Isaiah 7:2 Lit. settled upon
- Isaiah 7:3 Lit. A Remnant Shall Return
- Isaiah 7:4 Be careful
- Isaiah 7:4 be calm
- Isaiah 7:6 cause a sickening dread
- Isaiah 7:8 Lit. shattered
- Isaiah 7:11 Lit. make the request deep or make it high above
- Isaiah 7:14 Lit. God-With-Us
- Isaiah 7:20 The Euphrates
Isaías 7
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Mensaje a Acaz
7 Y aconteció que en los días de Acaz, hijo de Jotam, hijo de Uzías, rey de Judá(A), subió Rezín, rey de Aram(B), con Peka, hijo de Remalías(C), rey de Israel, a Jerusalén para combatir contra ella, pero no pudieron tomarla[a](D). 2 Cuando se dio este aviso a la casa de David(E): «Los arameos han acampado en[b] Efraín(F)», se estremeció el corazón del rey y el corazón de su pueblo como se estremecen los árboles del bosque ante el viento(G).
3 Entonces el Señor dijo a Isaías: «Sal ahora al encuentro de Acaz, tú, y tu hijo Sear Jasub[c], al extremo del acueducto del estanque superior, en la calzada del campo del Batanero[d](H), 4 y dile: “Cuídate y ten calma(I). No temas(J) ni desmaye tu corazón(K) ante estos dos cabos de tizones humeantes(L), a causa de la ira encendida de Rezín de Aram y del hijo de Remalías(M). 5 Porque Aram(N) ha tramado mal contra ti, junto con Efraín y el hijo de Remalías, y han dicho: 6 ‘Subamos contra Judá y aterroricémosla[e], hagamos una brecha en sus murallas[f] y pongamos por rey en medio de ella al hijo de Tabeel’. 7 Por tanto así dice el Señor Dios[g]: ‘No prevalecerá ni se cumplirá(O). 8 Porque la cabeza de Aram es Damasco(P), y la cabeza de Damasco es Rezín (y dentro de otros sesenta y cinco años Efraín será destrozado, dejando de ser pueblo), 9 y la cabeza de Efraín es Samaria, y la cabeza de Samaria es el hijo de Remalías. Si ustedes no lo creen, de cierto no permanecerán[h](Q)’”».
10 El Señor habló de nuevo a Acaz: 11 «Pide para ti una señal(R) del Señor tu Dios que sea tan profunda como el Seol[i] o tan alta[j] como el cielo[k]». 12 Pero Acaz respondió: «No pediré, ni tentaré al Señor».
13 Entonces Isaías dijo: «Oigan ahora, casa de David(S): ¿Les parece poco cansar a los hombres(T), que también cansarán a mi Dios(U)? 14 Por tanto, el Señor mismo les dará esta señal: Miren, una virgen concebirá y dará a luz un hijo, y le pondrá por nombre Emmanuel[l](V). 15 Comerá cuajada y miel(W) hasta que sepa lo suficiente[m] para desechar lo malo y escoger lo bueno. 16 Porque antes que el niño sepa desechar lo malo y escoger lo bueno(X), será abandonada la tierra cuyos dos reyes tú temes(Y).
17 »El Señor hará venir sobre ti, sobre tu pueblo y sobre la casa de tu padre(Z), días como nunca han venido desde el día en que Efraín se apartó de Judá, es decir, al rey de Asiria(AA)». 18 Y sucederá en aquel día que el Señor silbará(AB) a la mosca que está en lo más remoto(AC) de los ríos[n] de Egipto, y a la abeja que está en la tierra de Asiria. 19 Y todas ellas vendrán y se posarán en los precipicios de las barrancas[o], en las hendiduras de las peñas(AD), en todos los espinos(AE) y en todos los abrevaderos[p].
20 En aquel día, con navaja(AF) alquilada(AG) en las regiones más allá del Éufrates[q], es decir, con el rey de Asiria(AH), el Señor afeitará(AI) la cabeza y el pelo de las piernas, y también quitará la barba.
21 En aquel día cada uno criará una novilla y un par de ovejas(AJ). 22 Y por la abundancia de leche que darán, comerá cuajada, porque todo el que quede en[r] la tierra comerá cuajada y miel(AK). 23 En aquel día, en todo lugar donde había 1,000 vides(AL) valoradas en 1,000 siclos (11.4 kilos) de plata, habrá zarzas y espinos(AM). 24 La gente se irá allá con arcos y flechas, porque toda la tierra será zarzas y espinos. 25 Y en cuanto a todas las colinas que eran cultivadas con la azada, no irás allá por temor de las zarzas y espinos; pero se convertirán en lugar para soltar[s] los bueyes y para ser pisoteado por las ovejas(AN).
Footnotes
- 7:1 Lit. pelear contra ella.
- 7:2 Lit. Aram se ha asentado sobre.
- 7:3 I.e. un remanente volverá.
- 7:3 O Lavandero.
- 7:6 Lit. causémosle un terror pánico.
- 7:6 Lit. en ella.
- 7:7 Heb. YHWH, generalmente traducido Señor.
- 7:9 O serán afirmados.
- 7:11 I.e. región de los muertos.
- 7:11 Así en algunas versiones antiguas; en el T.M., haz la petición profunda o alta.
- 7:11 Lit. las alturas.
- 7:14 I.e. Dios con nosotros.
- 7:15 Lit. miel conforme a su conocimiento.
- 7:18 I.e. el delta del Nilo.
- 7:19 O de los torrentes.
- 7:19 O pastos.
- 7:20 Lit. Río.
- 7:22 Lit. en medio de.
- 7:25 Lit. enviar.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Nueva Biblia de las Américas™ NBLA™ Copyright © 2005 por The Lockman Foundation
