| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1This took place during the reign of Ahaz, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah king of Judah: Rezin king of Aram, along with Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, waged war against Jerusalem, but he could not succeed. | 1During the reign of Jotham's son Ahaz, Uzziah's grandson, king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Remaliah's son Pekah, king of Israel, approached Jerusalem and waged war against it, but they could not mount an attack against it. |
| 2When it became known to the house of David that Aram had occupied Ephraim, the heart of Ahaz and the hearts of his people trembled like trees of a forest shaking in the wind. | 2When it was reported to the house of David, "Aram has joined forces with Ephraim!" the heart of the people of Ahaz trembled like forest trees in a windstorm. |
| 3Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out with your son Shear-jashub to meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, by the road to the Fuller's Field. | 3So the LORD told Isaiah, "Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool that proceeds along the highway to Launderer's Field. |
| 4Say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Don't be afraid or cowardly because of these two smoldering stubs of firebrands, the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram, and the son of Remaliah. | 4Tell him, 'Be careful, be calm, don't be afraid, and don't lose heart because of these two smoldering stumps of torches, that is, because of the fierce anger of Rezin, from Aram, and Remaliah's son. |
| 5For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted harm against you. They say, | 5Aram, Ephraim, and Remaliah's son have plotted this evil against you: |
| 6Let us go up against Judah, terrorize it, and conquer it for ourselves. Then we can install Tabeel's son as king in it.'" | 6"Let's go attack Judah, let's terrorize it, and let's conquer it for ourselves. Then we'll install Tabeel's son as king!"' |
| 7This is what the Lord GOD says: It will not happen; it will not occur. | 7But this is what the Lord GOD has to say: "'It won't take place. It won't ever happen. |
| 8The head of Aram is Damascus, the head of Damascus is Rezin (within 65 years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people), | 8Because Aram's head is Damascus, and Rezin is its king, within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered as a people. |
| 9the 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. | 9Furthermore, Ephraim's head is Samaria, and Remaliah's son is its king. If all of you don't keep on believing, you'll never remain loyal.'" |
| 10Then the LORD spoke again to Ahaz: " | 10Later on, the LORD spoke to Ahaz again: |
| 11Ask for a sign from the LORD your God--from the depths of Sheol to the heights of heaven." | 11"Ask a sign from the LORD your God. Make it as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven above." |
| 12But Ahaz replied, "I will not ask. I will not test the LORD." | 12But Ahaz replied, "I won't ask! I won't put the LORD to the test." |
| 13Isaiah said, "Listen, house of David! Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men? Will you also try the patience of my God? | 13In reply, the LORD announced, "Please listen, you household of David. Is it such a minor thing for you to try the patience of men? Must you also try the patience of my God? |
| 14Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel. | 14"Therefore the LORD himself will give you a sign. Watch! The virgin is conceiving a child, and will give birth to a son, and his name will be called Immanuel. |
| 15By the time he learns to reject what is bad and choose what is good, he will be eating butter and honey. | 15He'll eat cheese and honey, when he knows enough to reject what's wrong and choose what's right. |
| 16For before the boy knows to reject what is bad and choose what is good, the land of the two kings you dread will be abandoned. | 16However, before the youth knows enough to reject what's wrong and choose what's right, the land whose two kings you dread will be devastated." |
| 17The LORD will bring on you, your people, and the house of your father, such a time as has never been since Ephraim separated from Judah--the king of Assyria is coming." | 17"The LORD will bring to you, to your people, and to your ancestor's house such a time as has never been since Ephraim broke away from Judah—the king of Assyria will come. |
| 18On that day the LORD will whistle to the fly that is at the farthest streams of the Nile and to the bee that is in the land of Assyria. | 18"At that time, the LORD will call 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. |
| 19All of them will come and settle in the steep ravines, in the clefts of the rocks, in all the thornbushes, and in all the water holes. | 19They will all come and settle in the steep ravines, in the rocky crevices, in all the thorn bushes, and in all the pastures. |
| 20On that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River--the king of Assyria--to shave the head, the hair on the legs, and to remove the beard as well. | 20At that time, the LORD will hire a barber to come from beyond the Euphrates River—that is, the king of Assyria—and he will shave your heads, your leg hair, and your beards, too. |
| 21On that day a man will raise a young cow and two sheep, | 21"At that time, a man will keep alive a heifer and two sheep, |
| 22and from the abundant milk they give he will eat butter, for every survivor in the land will eat butter and honey. | 22and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will have cheese to eat, since whoever remains in the land will be eating cheese and honey. |
| 23And on that day every place where there were 1,000 vines, worth 1,000 pieces of silver, will become thorns and briers. | 23"At that time, every place where once there were a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels of silver, only briars and thorns will grow. |
| 24A man will go there with bow and arrows because the whole land will be thorns and briers. | 24"People will come there armed with bows and arrows, because the entire land will be nothing but briers and thorns. |
| 25You will not go to all the hills that were once tilled with a hoe, for fear of the thorns and briers. Those hills will be places for oxen to graze and for sheep to trample. | 25As for all the hills that used to be cultivated with a hoe, you won't go there, because you'll fear iron briars and thorns. Nevertheless, those hills will be reserved as a pasture where cattle will feed and where sheep will graze." |
|
