Isaiah 7:17-25
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
17 The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on your ancestral house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria.”(A)
18 On that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the sources of the streams of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.(B) 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the clefts of the rocks and on all the thornbushes and on all the watering holes.[a](C)
20 On that day the Lord will shave with a razor hired beyond the River—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will take off the beard as well.(D)
21 On that day one will keep alive a young cow and two sheep 22 and will eat curds because of the abundance of milk that they give, for everyone left in the land shall eat curds and honey.
23 On that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows one will go there, for all the land will be briers and thorns, 25 and as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not go there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 7.19 Meaning of Heb uncertain
Isaiah 7:17-25
International Standard Version
Conquest by Assyria
17 “The Lord will bring to you, to your people, and to your ancestor’s house such a time[a] as has never been since Ephraim broke away from Judah—the king of Assyria will come.[b]
18 “At that time,[c] the Lord will call[d] for flies that will come from far away—from the headwaters of Egypt’s rivers—and for bees that are in the land of Assyria. 19 They will all come and settle in the steep ravines, in the rocky crevices, in all the thorn bushes, and in all the pastures.[e] 20 At that time,[f] the Lord will hire a barber[g] to come[h] from beyond the Euphrates[i] River—that is, the king of Assyria—and he will shave your heads, your leg[j] hair, and your beards, too.
21 “At that time,[k] a man will keep alive a heifer and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will have cheese[l] to eat, since whoever remains in the land will be eating cheese[m] and honey.
23 “At that time,[n] every place where once there were a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels[o] of silver, only briars and thorns will grow.
24 “People will come there armed with bows[p] and arrows, because the entire land will be nothing but briers and thorns. 25 As for all the hills that used to be cultivated with a hoe, you won’t go there, because you’ll fear iron[q] briars and thorns. Nevertheless, those hills[r] will be reserved as a pasture where cattle will feed and where sheep will graze.”[s]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Isaiah 7:17 Lit. such days
- Isaiah 7:17 1QIsaa MT lack will come
- Isaiah 7:18 Lit. On that day
- Isaiah 7:18 Lit. whistle
- Isaiah 7:19 Or the watering places
- Isaiah 7:20 Lit. On that day
- Isaiah 7:20 Lit. razor
- Isaiah 7:20 1QIsaa MT lack to come
- Isaiah 7:20 1QIsaa MT lack Euphrates
- Isaiah 7:20 Or feet
- Isaiah 7:21 Lit. On that day
- Isaiah 7:22 Or curds
- Isaiah 7:22 Or curds
- Isaiah 7:23 Lit. On that day
- Isaiah 7:23 I.e. about 400 ounces; a shekel weighed about 0.4 ounces
- Isaiah 7:24 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read bow
- Isaiah 7:25 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack iron
- Isaiah 7:25 Lit. but they
- Isaiah 7:25 Lit. tread
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.