The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 7 -

Now in the days that Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, Rezin king of Aram (a) marched up to wage war against Jerusalem. He was accompanied by Pekah son of Remaliah the king of Israel, but he could not overpower the city.

When it was reported to the house of David that Aram was in league with Ephraim,(b) the hearts of Ahaz and his people trembled like trees in the forest shaken by the wind.

Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub

(c)

to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct that feeds the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field,

and say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Do not be afraid or disheartened over these two smoldering stubs of firewood—over the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.

For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted your ruin, saying:

‘Let us invade Judah, terrorize it, and divide it

(d)

among ourselves. Then we can install the son of Tabeal over it as king.’

But this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘It will not arise; it will not happen.

For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered as a people.

The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not stand firm in your faith, then you will not stand at all.’”

The Sign of Immanuel

(Matthew 1:18–25)

Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying,

“Ask for a sign from the LORD your God, whether from the depths of Sheol or the heights of heaven.”

But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask; I will not test the LORD.”

Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God as well?

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin

(e)

will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.(f)

By the time He knows enough to reject evil and choose good, He will be eating curds and honey.

For before the boy knows enough to reject evil and choose good, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.

Judgment to Come

(Micah 1:1–7)

The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since the day Ephraim separated from Judah—He will bring the king of Assyria.”

On that day the LORD will whistle to the flies at the farthest streams of the Nile and to the bees in the land of Assyria.

And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines and clefts of the rocks, in all the thornbushes and watering holes.

On that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates (g)—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to remove your beard as well.

On that day a man will raise a young cow and two sheep,

and from the abundance of milk they give, he will eat curds; for all who remain in the land will eat curds and honey.

And on that day, in every place that had a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels of silver,(h) only briers and thorns will be found.

Men will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns.

For fear of the briers and thorns, you will no longer traverse the hills once tilled by the hoe; they will become places for oxen to graze and sheep to trample.

Footnotes

(a)7:1 That is, Syria

(b)7:2 Or had set up camp in Ephraim, that is, the northern kingdom of Israel

(d)7:6 Hebrew split it open

(e)7:14 Or young woman

(f)7:14 Immanuel means God with us; literally and she will call His name Immanuel; DSS and His name will be called Immanuel or and he will call His name Immanuel; LXX you will call His name Immanuel; cited in Matthew 1:23.

(g)7:20 Hebrew the River

(h)7:23 Hebrew a thousand of silver; that is, approximately 25.1 pounds or 11.4 kilograms of silver

In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

David’s house was told, “Syria is allied with Ephraim.” His heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind.

Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you, and Shearjashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway of the fuller’s field.

Tell him, ‘Be careful, and keep calm. Don’t be afraid, neither let your heart be faint because of these two tails of smoking torches, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have plotted evil against you, saying,

“Let’s go up against Judah, and tear it apart, and let’s divide it among ourselves, and set up a king within it, even the son of Tabeel.”

This is what the Lord GOD says: “It shall not stand, neither shall it happen.”

For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim shall be broken in pieces, so that it shall not be a people.

The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.’”

The Sign of Immanuel

(Matthew 1:18–25)

The LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying,

“Ask a sign of the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.”

But Ahaz said, “I won’t ask. I won’t tempt the LORD.”

He said, “Listen now, house of David. Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God also?

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.(a)

He shall eat butter and honey when he knows to refuse the evil and choose the good.

For before the child knows to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you abhor shall be forsaken.

Judgment to Come

(Micah 1:1–7)

The LORD will bring on you, on your people, and on your father’s house days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah, even the king of Assyria.

It will happen in that day that the LORD will whistle 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.

They shall come, and shall all rest in the desolate valleys, in the clefts of the rocks, on all thorn hedges, and on all pastures.

In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired in the parts beyond the River, even with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet; and it shall also consume the beard.

It shall happen in that day that a man shall keep alive a young cow, and two sheep.

It shall happen, that because of the abundance of milk which they shall give he shall eat butter, for everyone will eat butter and honey that is left within the land.

It will happen in that day that every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels,(b) will be for briers and thorns.

People will go there with arrows and with bow, because all the land will be briers and thorns.

All the hills that were cultivated with the hoe, you shall not come there for fear of briers and thorns; but it shall be for the sending out of oxen, and for sheep to tread on.”

Footnotes

(a)7:14 “Immanuel” means “God with us”.

(b)7:23 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces, so 1000 shekels is about 10 kilograms or 22 pounds.