Isaiah, 7

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

1. When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, laid siege to Jerusalem but they were unable to capture it.

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

2. When the news reached the house of David, "Aram's troops are encamped in Ephraim," the heart of the king and the hearts of the people trembled as the trees of the forest tremble before the wind.

3. Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field;

3. Yahweh then said to Isaiah: "Go with your son A-remnant-will-return, and meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman's Field.

4. And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

4. Say to him, Stay calm and fear not; do not lose courage before these two stumps of smoldering firebrands - the fierce anger of Rezin the Aramean and the blazing fury of the son of Remaliah. You know that

5. Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,

5. Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah's son have plotted against Judah, saying:

6. Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, [even] the son of Tabeal:

6. Let us invade and scare it, let us seize it and put the son of Tabeel king over it.

7. Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.

7. But the Lord Yahweh says: It shall not be so, it shall not come to pass.

8. For the head of Syria [is] Damascus, and the head of Damascus [is] Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.

8. Within fifty-six years, Ephraim will be shattered and will no longer be a people.

9. And 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. But if you do not stand firm in faith, you, too, will not stand at all."

10. Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying,

10. Once again Yahweh addressed Ahaz,

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

11. "Ask for a sign from Yahweh your God, let it come either from the deepest depths or from the heights of heaven."

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

12. But Ahaz answered, "I will not ask, I will not put Yahweh to the test."

13. And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; [Is it] a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?

13. Then Isaiah said, "Now listen, descendants of David. Have you not been satisfied trying the patience of people, that you also try the patience of my God?

14. Therefore the Lord himself shall 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: The Virgin is with child and bears a son and calls his name Immanuel.

15. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

15. He will live on curds and honey by the time he learns to refuse evil and choose good.

16. For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.

16. For before the child knows how to reject evil and cherish virtue, the land of the two kings that you abhor will be deserted.

17. The LORD shall 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. Yahweh will bring a time much worse than any since Ephraim broke away from Judah.

18. And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the LORD shall 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. On that day Yahweh will whistle for flies from the farthest streams of Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.

19. And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.

19. They will come and settle in the steep ravines, in the clefts of the rocks, on all the bushes, and on every pasture.

20. In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, [namely], by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.

20. On that day, with a razor hired from beyond the river Yahweh will shave the head and the hair of the legs and the beard as well.

21. And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;

21. On that day a man will raise a heifer and a couple of sheep,

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

22. and from the abundance of milk those who survive in the land will feed on curds and honey.

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

23. On that day every place planted with a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels will be covered with briers and thorns.

24. With arrows and with bows shall [men] come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns.

24. Men will go there armed with bows and arrows, for the whole country will be covered with briers and thorns.

25. And [on] all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.

25. No one will dare come to all the hills which used to be cultivated with hoe, for fear of briers and thorns. There, cattle will be let loose and sheep left to graze.