17 The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away(A) from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.(B)

Assyria, the Lord’s Instrument

18 In that day(C) the Lord will whistle(D) for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.(E) 19 They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices(F) in the rocks, on all the thornbushes(G) and at all the water holes. 20 In that day(H) the Lord will use(I) a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River(J)—the king of Assyria(K)—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your beard(L) also.(M) 21 In that day,(N) a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats.(O) 22 And because of the abundance of the milk they give, there will be curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds(P) and honey.(Q) 23 In that day,(R) in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels,[a](S) there will be only briers and thorns.(T) 24 Hunters will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers(U) and thorns. 25 As for all the hills(V) once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns;(W) they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.(X)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 7:23 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms

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