[1] In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzzi'ah, king of Judah,
Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remali'ah the king of Israel
came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but they could not conquer it.
[2] When the house of David was told, "Syria is in league with E'phraim,"
his heart and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest
shake before the wind. [3] And the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go forth to meet
Ahaz, you and She'ar-jash'ub your son, at the end of the conduit of the
upper pool on the highway to the Fuller's Field, [4] and say to him, `Take
heed, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of
these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and
Syria and the son of Remali'ah. [5] Because Syria, with E'phraim and the
son of Remali'ah, has devised evil against you, saying, [6] "Let us go up
against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set
up the son of Ta'be-el as king in the midst of it," [7] thus says the Lord
GOD: It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass. [8] For the head of
Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. (Within sixty-five
years E'phraim will be broken to pieces so that it will no longer be a
people.) [9] And the head of E'phraim is Sama'ria, and the head of Sama'ria
is the son of Remali'ah. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be
established.'" [10] Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, [11] "Ask a sign of the
LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven." [12] But Ahaz
said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test." [13] And
he said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary
men, that you weary my God also? [14] Therefore the Lord himself will give
you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall
call his name Imman'u-el. [15] He shall eat curds and honey when he knows
how to refuse the evil and choose the good. [16] For before the child knows
how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings
you are in dread will be deserted. [17] The LORD will bring upon you and
upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come
since the day that E'phraim departed from Judah-- the king of Assyria."
[18] In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly which is at the sources
of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee which is in the land of Assyria.
[19] And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the
clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.
[20] In that day the Lord will shave with a razor which is hired beyond the
River-- with the king of Assyria-- the head and the hair of the feet, and
it will sweep away the beard also. [21] In that day a man will keep alive a
young cow and two sheep; [22] and because of the abundance of milk which
they give, he will eat curds; for every one that is left in the land will
eat curds and honey. [23] In that day every place where there used to be a
thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels of silver, will become briers and
thorns. [24] With bow and arrows men will come there, for all the land will
be briers and thorns; [25] and as for all the hills which used to be hoed
with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns; but they
will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread.