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Isaiah Offers Hope to King Ahaz

(A) Ahaz, the son of Jotham and the grandson of Uzziah, was king of Judah when King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel went to attack Jerusalem. But they were not able to do what they had planned.[a] When news reached the royal palace that Syria had joined forces with Israel, King Ahaz and everyone in Judah were so terrified that they shook like trees in a windstorm.

Then the Lord said to me:

Take your son Shearjashub[b] and go see King Ahaz. You will find him on the road near the cloth makers' shops at the end of the canal that brings water from the upper pool. Tell Ahaz to stop worrying. There's no need for him to be afraid of King Rezin and King Pekah. They are very angry, but they are nothing more than a dying fire. Ahaz doesn't need to fear their evil threats to invade and defeat Judah and Jerusalem and to let the son of Tabeel be king in his place.

I, the Lord, promise that this will never happen. 8-9 Damascus is just the capital of Syria, and King Rezin rules only in Damascus. Samaria is just the capital of Israel, and King Pekah rules only in Samaria. But in less than 65 years, Israel will be destroyed. And if Ahaz and his officials don't trust me, they will be defeated.

A Son Named Immanuel

10 Once again the Lord God spoke to King Ahaz. This time he said, 11 “Ask me for proof that my promise will come true. Ask for something to happen deep in the world of the dead or high in the heavens above.”

12 “No, Lord,” Ahaz answered. “I won't test you!”

13 Then I said:

Listen, every one of you in the royal family of David. You have already tried my patience. Now you are trying God's patience by refusing to ask for proof. 14 (B) But the Lord will still give you proof. A virgin[c] is pregnant; she will have a son and will name him Immanuel.[d] 15-16 Even before the boy is old enough to know how to choose between right and wrong, he will eat yogurt and honey,[e] and the countries of the two kings you fear will be destroyed. 17 But the Lord will make more trouble for your people and your kingdom than any of you have known since Israel broke away from Judah. He will even bring the king of Assyria to attack you.

The Threat of an Invasion

18 When that time comes, the Lord will whistle, and armies will come from Egypt like flies and from Assyria like bees. 19 They will settle everywhere—in the deep valleys and between the rocks, on every thornbush and all over the pastureland.

20 The Lord will pay the king of Assyria to bring a razor from across the Euphrates River and shave your head and every hair on your body, including your beard.[f]

21 Anyone who is able to save only one young cow and two sheep, 22 will have enough milk to make yogurt. In fact, everyone left in the land will eat yogurt and honey.[g]

23 Vineyards that had 1,000 vines and were worth 1,000 pieces of silver will turn into thorn patches. 24 You will go there to hunt with your bow and arrows, because the whole country will be covered with thornbushes. 25 The hills where you once planted crops will be overgrown with thorns and thistles. You will be afraid to go there, and your cattle, sheep, and goats will be turned loose on those hills.

A Warning and a Hope

The Lord said, “Isaiah, get something to write on. Then write in big clear letters[h] the name, MAHER-SHALAL-HASH-BAZ.[i] I will tell Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah to serve as witnesses to this.”

Sometime later, my wife and I had a son, and the Lord said, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. Because before he can say ‘Mommy’ or ‘Daddy,’ the king of Assyria will attack and take everything of value from Damascus and Samaria.”

The Lord spoke to me again and said:

These people have refused the gentle waters of Shiloah[j] and have gladly gone over to the side of King Rezin and King Pekah. Now I will send the king of Assyria against them with his powerful army, which will attack like the mighty Euphrates River overflowing its banks. Enemy soldiers will cover Judah like a flood reaching up to your neck.

But God is with us.[k]
He will spread his wings
    and protect our land.[l]
All of you foreign nations,
go ahead and prepare for war,
    but you will be crushed.
10 Get together and make plans,
but you will fail
    because God is with us.

11 The Lord took hold of me with his powerful hand and said:

I'm warning you! Don't act like these people. 12 (C) Don't call something a rebellious plot, just because they do, and don't be afraid of something, just because they are. 13 I am the one you should fear and respect. I am the holy God, the Lord All-Powerful! 14-15 (D) Run to me for protection. I am a rock that will make both Judah and Israel stumble and break their bones. I am a trap that will catch the people of Jerusalem—they will be captured and dragged away.

Isaiah and His Followers

16 My message and my teachings are to be sealed and given to my followers. 17 (E) Meanwhile, I patiently trust the Lord, even though he is no longer pleased with Israel. 18 (F) My children and I are warning signs to Israel from the Lord All-Powerful, who lives on Mount Zion.

19 Someone may say to you, “Go to the fortunetellers who make soft chirping sounds or ask the spirits of the dead. After all, a nation ought to be able to ask its own gods 20 what it should do.”

None of those who talk like that will live to see the light of day! 21 They will go around in great pain and will become so hungry that they will angrily curse their king and their gods. And when they try to find help in heaven 22 and on earth, they will find only trouble and darkness, terrible trouble and deepest darkness.

Footnotes

  1. 7.1 went … had planned: Or “attacked Jerusalem, but could not capture it.”
  2. 7.3 Shearjashub: In Hebrew “Shearjashub” means “a few will return.”
  3. 7.14 virgin: Or “young woman.” In this context the difficult Hebrew word did not imply a virgin birth. However, in the Greek translation made about 200 b.c. and used by the early Christians, the word parthenos had a double meaning. While the translator took it to mean “young woman,” Matthew understood it to mean “virgin” and quoted the passage (Matthew 1.23) because it was the appropriate description of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
  4. 7.14 Immanuel: In Hebrew “Immanuel” means “God is with us.”
  5. 7.15,16 yogurt and honey: This may refer either to expensive foods eaten in a time of plenty or to a limited diet eaten in times of a food shortage.
  6. 7.20 shave … head … body … beard: This would have been a terrible insult.
  7. 7.22 yogurt and honey: See the note at 7.15,16.
  8. 8.1 in big clear letters: Or “in letters everyone can understand.”
  9. 8.1 MAHER-SHALAL-HASH-BAZ: In Hebrew “Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz” means “suddenly attacked, quickly taken.”
  10. 8.6 Shiloah: The canal that brought water from Gihon Spring to Jerusalem.
  11. 8.8 God is with us: Here and in verse 10 this translates the Hebrew word “Immanuel” (see 7.14).
  12. 8.8 But … land: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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