Isaiah 7

1And 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 to Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

1During the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel went up to attack Jerusalem, but they were not able to conquer it.

2And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind.

2When the royal family of David was told, 'Syria has teamed up with Ephraim,' the hearts of the king and his people shook like trees in the forest shaking in the wind.

3Then said Jehovah unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear-jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, in the highway of the fuller’s field;

3Then the LORD said to Isaiah, 'Go out to meet Ahaz—you and your son Shear-jashub—at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field.'

4and say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither let thy heart be faint, because of these two tails of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

4Say to him, 'Be careful, keep calm, and do not be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stumps of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah.'

5Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have purposed evil against thee, saying,

5'Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have plotted your ruin, saying,'

6Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set up a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeel;

6'Let us invade Judah, tear it apart, and divide it among ourselves. We will set up the son of Tabeel as king over it.'

7thus saith the Lord Jehovah, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.

7'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It will not happen; it will not take place.'

8For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken in pieces, so that it shall not be a people:

8'For Damascus is the head of Syria, and Rezin is the head of Damascus. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.'

9and 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.

9'Samaria is the head of Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah is the head of Samaria. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.'

10And Jehovah spake again unto Ahaz, saying,

10The LORD spoke to Ahaz again, saying,

11Ask thee a sign of Jehovah thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.

11'Ask the LORD your God for a sign. Let it be as deep as the world of the dead or as high as the heavens above.'

12But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt Jehovah.

12But Ahaz said, 'I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test.'

13And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to weary men, that ye will weary my God also?

13Then Isaiah said, 'Listen now, you descendants of David! Is it not enough for you to exhaust the patience of men? Will you exhaust the patience of my God as well?'

14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

14'Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will name him Immanuel.'

15Butter and honey shall he eat, when he knoweth to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

15'By the time he knows enough to reject what is wrong and choose what is right, he will be eating curds and honey.'

16For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land whose two kings thou abhorrest shall be forsaken.

16'For before the boy knows enough to reject what is wrong and choose what is right, the land of the two kings you fear will be deserted.'

17Jehovah will 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.

17'The LORD will bring on you, your people, and your father’s family a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.'

18And it shall come to pass in that day, that Jehovah will 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.

18'In that day the LORD will whistle for the flies from the distant streams of Egypt and for the bees from the land of Assyria.'

19And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the clefts of the rocks, and upon all thorn-hedges, and upon all pastures.

19'They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the cracks of the rocks, on all the thornbushes and at all the watering holes.'

20In that day will the Lord 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.

20'In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and the hair on your legs, and to take off your beards as well.'

21And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall keep alive a young cow, and two sheep;

21'In that day, a person will keep alive only a young cow and two sheep.'

22and it shall come to pass, that because of the abundance of milk which they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the midst of the land.

22'Because of the abundance of milk they give, he will have curds to eat. Everyone left in the land will eat curds and honey.'

23And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, shall be for briers and thorns.

23'In that day, every place that used to have a thousand vines worth a thousand pieces of silver will be covered with briers and thorns.'

24With arrows and with bow shall one come thither, because all the land shall be briers and thorns.

24'People will go there with bows and arrows, because the whole land will be overgrown with briers and thorns.'

25And all the hills that were digged with the mattock, thou shalt not come thither for fear of briers and thorns; but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of sheep.

25'As for all the hills once cultivated with a hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns. They will become places where cattle are sent and where sheep roam.'