Isaiah 7:1–16

¹Now in the days that Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, Rezin king of Aram^a marched up to wage war against Jerusalem. He was accompanied by Pekah son of Remaliah the king of Israel, but he could not overpower the city.

²When it was reported to the house of David that Aram was in league with Ephraim,^b the hearts of Ahaz and his people trembled like trees in the forest shaken by the wind.

³Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub^c to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct that feeds the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field, ⁴and say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Do not be afraid or disheartened over these two smoldering stubs of firewood— over the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. ⁵For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted your ruin, saying: ⁶‘Let us invade Judah, terrorize it, and divide it^d among ourselves. Then we can install the son of Tabeal over it as king.’ ⁷But this is what the Lord GOD says:

‘It will not arise;

it will not happen.

⁸For the head of Aram is Damascus,

and the head of Damascus is Rezin.

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.’”

¹⁰Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, ¹¹“Ask for a sign from the LORD your God, whether from the depths of Sheol or the heights of heaven.”

¹²But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask; I will not test the LORD.”

¹³Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God as well? ¹⁴Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin^e will be with child and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.^{f 15}By the time He knows enough to reject evil and choose good, He will be eating curds and honey. ¹⁶For before the boy knows enough to reject evil and choose good, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.