6 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
² Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
³ And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
⁴ And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
⁵ Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
⁶ Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
⁷ And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
⁸ Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
⁹ And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
¹⁰ Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
¹¹ Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
¹² And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
¹³ But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

Isaiah Called to Be a Prophet

6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. ² Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³ And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”

⁴ And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

⁵ So I said:

“Woe is me, for I am ^[a]undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of hosts.”

⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. ⁷ And he touched my mouth with it, and said:

“Behold, this has touched your lips;
Your iniquity is taken away,
And your sin ^[b]purged.”

⁸ Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

⁹ And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

¹⁰ “Make the heart of this people dull,
And their ears heavy,
And shut their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And return and be healed.”

¹¹ Then I said, “Lord, how long?”

And He answered:

“Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant,
The houses are without a man,
The land is utterly desolate,
¹² The Lord has removed men far away,
And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
¹³ But yet a tenth will be in it,
And will return and be for consuming,
As a terebinth tree or as an oak,
Whose stump remains when it is cut down.
So the holy seed shall be its stump.”

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 6:5 destroyed, cut off
b. Isaiah 6:7 atoned for

Isaiah’s Commission

6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
    the whole earth is full of his glory.”

⁴ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

⁵ “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

⁹ He said, “Go and tell this people:

“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
    be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
¹⁰ Make the heart of this people calloused;
    make their ears dull
    and close their eyes.^[a]
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”

¹¹ Then I said, “For how long, Lord?”

And he answered:

“Until the cities lie ruined
    and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted
    and the fields ruined and ravaged,
¹² until the Lord has sent everyone far away
    and the land is utterly forsaken.
¹³ And though a tenth remains in the land,
    it will again be laid waste.
But as the terebinth and oak
    leave stumps when they are cut down,
    so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.”

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 6:10 Hebrew; Septuagint ‘You will be ever hearing, but never understanding; / you will be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / ¹⁰ This people’s heart has become calloused; / they hardly hear with their ears, / and they have closed their eyes

Isaiah’s Cleansing and Call

6 It was in the year King Uzziah died^[a] that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. ² Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. ³ They were calling out to each other,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!
    The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

⁴ Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.

⁵ Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”

⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. ⁷ He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”

⁸ Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”

I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

⁹ And he said, “Yes, go, and say to this people,

‘Listen carefully, but do not understand.
    Watch closely, but learn nothing.’
¹⁰ Harden the hearts of these people.
    Plug their ears and shut their eyes.
That way, they will not see with their eyes,
    nor hear with their ears,
nor understand with their hearts
    and turn to me for healing.”^[b]

¹¹ Then I said, “Lord, how long will this go on?”

And he replied,

“Until their towns are empty,
    their houses are deserted,
    and the whole country is a wasteland;
¹² until the Lord has sent everyone away,
    and the entire land of Israel lies deserted.
¹³ If even a tenth—a remnant—survive,
    it will be invaded again and burned.
But as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down,
    so Israel’s stump will be a holy seed.”

Footnotes:
a. 6:1 King Uzziah died in 740 B.c.
b. 6:9-10 Greek version reads And he said, “Go and say to this people, / ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. / When you see what I do, you will not comprehend.’ / For the hearts of these people are hardened, / and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— / so their eyes cannot see, / and their ears cannot hear, / and their hearts cannot understand, / and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.” Compare Matt 13:14-15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; Acts 28:26-27.

The Commission of Isaiah

6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. ² Above it stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings. With two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³ One cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts;
    the whole earth is full of His glory.”

⁴ The posts of the door moved at the voice of him who cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

⁵ And I said: “Woe is me! For I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.”

⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar in his hand. ⁷ And he laid it on my mouth, and said, “This has touched your lips, and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.”

⁸ Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”

Then I said, “Here am I. Send me.”

⁹ He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
    keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
¹⁰ Make the heart of this people dull,
    and their ears heavy,
    and shut their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
    and hear with their ears,
    and understand with their heart,
and turn and be healed.”

¹¹ Then I said, “Lord, how long?”

And He answered:

“Until the cities are laid waste
    without inhabitants,
and the houses without man,
    and the land is utterly desolate,
¹² and the Lord has removed men far away,
    and there is a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
¹³ But yet in it shall be a tenth,
    and it shall return, and shall be burned,
as a terebinth tree or as an oak,
    whose stump remains when it is cut down,
    so the holy seed is its stump.”

7 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.
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.
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;
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.
⁵ Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, 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:
⁷ Thus saith the Lord God, It shall not stand, neither shall it 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.
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.

Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz

7 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not ^[a]prevail against it. ² And it was told to the house of David, saying, “Syria’s forces are ^[b]deployed in Ephraim.” So his heart and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind.

³ Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and ^[c]Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller’s Field, ⁴ and say to him: ^[d]‘Take heed, and ^[e]be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah. ⁵ Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have plotted evil against you, saying, ⁶ “Let us go up against Judah and ^[f]trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them, the son of Tabel”— ⁷ thus says the Lord God:

“It shall not stand,
Nor shall it come to pass.
⁸ For the head of Syria is Damascus,
And the head of Damascus is Rezin.
Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be ^[g]broken,
So that it will not be a people.
⁹ The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
And the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son.
If you will not believe,
Surely you shall not be established.” ’ ”

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 7:1 conquer it
b. Isaiah 7:2 Lit. settled upon
c. Isaiah 7:3 Lit. A Remnant Shall Return
d. Isaiah 7:4 Be careful
e. Isaiah 7:4 be calm
f. Isaiah 7:6 cause a sickening dread
g. Isaiah 7:8 Lit. shattered

The Sign of Immanuel

7 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 marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.

² Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with^[a] Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

³ Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub,^[b] to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. ⁴ Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. ⁵ Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, ⁶ “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” ⁷ Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘It will not take place,
    it will not happen,
⁸ for the head of Aram is Damascus,
    and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.
Within sixty-five years
    Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.
⁹ The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
    and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.
If you do not stand firm in your faith,
    you will not stand at all.’”

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 7:2 Or has set up camp in
b. Isaiah 7:3 Shear-Jashub means a remnant will return.

A Message for Ahaz

7 When Ahaz, son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria^[a] and Pekah son of Remaliah, the king of Israel, set out to attack Jerusalem. However, they were unable to carry out their plan.

² The news had come to the royal court of Judah: “Syria is allied with Israel^[b] against us!” So the hearts of the king and his people trembled with fear, like trees shaking in a storm.

³ Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Take your son Shear-jashub^[c] and go out to meet King Ahaz. You will find him at the end of the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed.^{[d] 4} Tell him to stop worrying. Tell him he doesn’t need to fear the fierce anger of those two burned-out embers, King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah. ⁵ Yes, the kings of Syria and Israel are plotting against him, saying, ⁶ ‘We will attack Judah and capture it for ourselves. Then we will install the son of Tabeel as Judah’s king.’ ⁷ But this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“This invasion will never happen;
    it will never take place;
⁸ for Syria is no stronger than its capital, Damascus,
    and Damascus is no stronger than its king, Rezin.
As for Israel, within sixty-five years
    it will be crushed and completely destroyed.
⁹ Israel is no stronger than its capital, Samaria,
    and Samaria is no stronger than its king, Pekah son of Remaliah.
Unless your faith is firm,
    I cannot make you stand firm.”

Footnotes:
a. 7:1 Hebrew Aram; also in 7:2, 4, 5, 8.
b. 7:2 Hebrew Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel; also in 7:5, 8, 9, 17.
c. 7:3a Shear-jashub means “A remnant will return.”
d. 7:3b Or bleached.

Isaiah Reassures King Ahaz

7 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 Aram, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

² It was said to the house of David, “Aram is allied with Ephraim.” Then his heart trembled and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood tremble with the wind.

³ Then the Lord said to Isaiah: Go out now to meet Ahaz, you, and Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field, ⁴ and say to him, Take heed, and be quiet. Do not fear nor be fainthearted because of the two tails of these smoking firebrands, because of the fierce anger of Rezin with Aram and of the son of Remaliah, ⁵ because Aram, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have taken evil counsel against you, saying, ⁶ Let us go up against Judah, and trouble it, and let us make a breach there for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeel. ⁷ Thus says the Lord God:

It shall not stand,
    nor shall it come to pass.
⁸ For the head of Aram is Damascus,
    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.
Now within sixty-five years
    Ephraim shall be broken so that it is not a people.
⁹ The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.
If you will not believe,
    surely you shall not be established.

¹⁰ Moreover the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying,
¹¹ Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
¹² But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.
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?
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.
¹⁵ Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
²¹ And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two 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.
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.
²⁴ With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become 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.

The Immanuel Prophecy

¹⁰ Moreover the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, ¹¹ “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; ^[a]ask it either in the depth or in the height above.”

¹² But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!”

¹³ Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.^{[b] 15} Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. ¹⁶ For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings. ¹⁷ The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father’s house—days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah.”

¹⁸ And it shall come to pass in that day
That the Lord will whistle for the fly
That is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt,
And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
¹⁹ They will come, and all of them will rest
In the desolate valleys and in the clefts of the rocks,
And on all thorns and in all pastures.

²⁰ In the same day the Lord will shave with a hired razor,
With those from beyond ^[c]the River, with the king of Assyria,
The head and the hair of the legs,
And will also remove the beard.

²¹ It shall be in that day
That a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep;
²² So it shall be, from the abundance of milk they give,
That he will eat curds;
For curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land.

²³ It shall happen in that day,
That wherever there could be a thousand vines
Worth a thousand shekels of silver,
It will be for briers and thorns.
²⁴ With arrows and bows men will come there,
Because all the land will become briers and thorns.

²⁵ And to any hill which could be dug with the hoe,
You will not go there for fear of briers and thorns;
But it will become a range for oxen
And a place for sheep to roam.

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 7:11 Lit. make the request deep or make it high above
b. Isaiah 7:14 Lit. God-With-Us
c. Isaiah 7:20 The Euphrates

¹⁰ Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, ¹¹ “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”

¹² But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”

¹³ Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you^[a] a sign: The virgin^[b] will conceive and give birth to a son, and^[c] will call him Immanuel.^{[d] 15} He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, ¹⁶ for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. ¹⁷ The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.”

Assyria, the Lord’s Instrument

¹⁸ In that day the Lord will whistle for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. ¹⁹ They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices in the rocks, on all the thornbushes and at all the water holes. ²⁰ In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your beard also. ²¹ In that day, a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats. ²² And because of the abundance of the milk they give, there will be curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds and honey. ²³ In that day, in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels,^[e] there will be only briers and thorns. ²⁴ Hunters will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns. ²⁵ As for all the hills once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns; they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 7:14 The Hebrew is plural.
b. Isaiah 7:14 Or young woman
c. Isaiah 7:14 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls son, and he or son, and they
d. Isaiah 7:14 Immanuel means God with us.
e. Isaiah 7:23 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms

The Sign of Immanuel

¹⁰ Later, the Lord sent this message to King Ahaz: ¹¹ “Ask the Lord your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want—as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead.^[a]”

¹² But the king refused. “No,” he said, “I will not test the Lord like that.”

¹³ Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well? ¹⁴ All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin^[b] will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). ¹⁵ By the time this child is old enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong, he will be eating yogurt^[c] and honey. ¹⁶ For before the child is that old, the lands of the two kings you fear so much will both be deserted.

¹⁷ “Then the Lord will bring things on you, your nation, and your family unlike anything since Israel broke away from Judah. He will bring the king of Assyria upon you!”

¹⁸ In that day the Lord will whistle for the army of southern Egypt and for the army of Assyria. They will swarm around you like flies and bees. ¹⁹ They will come in vast hordes and settle in the fertile areas and also in the desolate valleys, caves, and thorny places. ²⁰ In that day the Lord will hire a “razor” from beyond the Euphrates River^[d]—the king of Assyria—and use it to shave off everything: your land, your crops, and your people.^[e]

²¹ In that day a farmer will be fortunate to have a cow and two sheep or goats left. ²² Nevertheless, there will be enough milk for everyone because so few people will be left in the land. They will eat their fill of yogurt and honey. ²³ In that day the lush vineyards, now worth 1,000 pieces of silver,^[f] will become patches of briers and thorns. ²⁴ The entire land will become a vast expanse of briers and thorns, a hunting ground overrun by wildlife. ²⁵ No one will go to the fertile hillsides where the gardens once grew, for briers and thorns will cover them. Cattle, sheep, and goats will graze there.

Footnotes:
a. 7:11 Hebrew as deep as Sheol.
b. 7:14 Or young woman.
c. 7:15 Or curds; also in 7:22.
d. 7:20a Hebrew the river.
e. 7:20b Hebrew shave off the head, the hair of the legs, and the beard.
f. 7:23 Hebrew 1,000 [shekels] of silver, about 25 pounds or 11.4 kilograms in weight.

The Sign of Immanuel

¹⁰ Moreover the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying: ¹¹ Ask for a sign from the Lord your God. Make it either as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven.

¹² But Ahaz said, I will not ask, nor will I tempt the Lord.

¹³ Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David. Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: The virgin^[a] shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.^{[b] 15} Curds and honey he shall eat at the time that he knows enough to refuse the evil and choose the good. ¹⁶ For before the child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread shall be forsaken of both her kings. ¹⁷ The Lord shall bring upon you, and upon your people, and upon your father’s house, days that have not come from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah, even the king of Assyria.”

¹⁸ In that day the Lord shall whistle 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. ¹⁹ They shall come, and all of them shall rest in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and on all thorns, and on all bushes. ²⁰ In that same day the Lord shall shave with a hired razor, from regions beyond the River,^[c] with the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the legs, and it shall also remove the beard. ²¹ In that day a man shall nourish a young cow and two sheep, ²² and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he shall eat curds; for everyone who is left in the land shall eat curds and honey. ²³ In that day every place where there were a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels^[d] of silver, shall become briers and thorns. ²⁴ With arrows and with bows shall men come there because all the land shall become briers and thorns. ²⁵ On all hills that used to be cultivated with the hoe, you will not go there for fear of briers and thorns. But it shall be for pasturing oxen and for sheep to tread.

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 7:14 Heb. young woman.
b. Isaiah 7:14 Or God with us.
c. Isaiah 7:20 Euphrates River.
d. Isaiah 7:23 About 25 pounds, or 12 kilograms.

8 Moreover the Lord said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man’s pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.
² And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.
³ And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the Lord to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.
⁴ For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.
⁵ The Lord spake also unto me again, saying,
⁶ Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son;
⁷ Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:
⁸ And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.
⁹ Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.
¹⁰ Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

Assyria Will Invade the Land

8 Moreover the Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll, and write on it with a man’s pen concerning ^[a]Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. ² And I will take for Myself faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.”

³ Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz; ⁴ for before the child ^[b]shall have knowledge to cry ‘My father’ and ‘My mother,’ the riches of Damascus and the ^[c]spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria.”

⁵ The Lord also spoke to me again, saying:

⁶ “Inasmuch as these people refused
The waters of Shiloah that flow softly,
And rejoice in Rezin and in Remaliah’s son;
⁷ Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them
The waters of ^[d]the River, strong and mighty—
The king of Assyria and all his glory;
He will ^[e]go up over all his channels
And go over all his banks.
⁸ He will pass through Judah,
He will overflow and pass over,
He will reach up to the neck;
And the stretching out of his wings
Will ^[f]fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel.^[g]

⁹ “Be shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces!
Give ear, all you from far countries.
Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces;
Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces.
¹⁰ Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;
Speak the word, but it will not stand,
For ^[h]God is with us.”

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 8:1 Lit. Speed the Spoil, Hasten the Booty
b. Isaiah 8:4 knows how
c. Isaiah 8:4 plunder
d. Isaiah 8:7 The Euphrates
e. Isaiah 8:7 Overflow
f. Isaiah 8:8 Lit. be the fullness of
g. Isaiah 8:8 Lit. God-With-Us
h. Isaiah 8:10 Heb. Immanuel

Isaiah and His Children as Signs

8 The Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.”^{[a] 2} So I called in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses for me. ³ Then I made love to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. ⁴ For before the boy knows how to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.”

⁵ The Lord spoke to me again:

⁶ “Because this people has rejected
    the gently flowing waters of Shiloah
and rejoices over Rezin
    and the son of Remaliah,
⁷ therefore the Lord is about to bring against them
    the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates—
    the king of Assyria with all his pomp.
It will overflow all its channels,
    run over all its banks
⁸ and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it,
    passing through it and reaching up to the neck.
Its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land,
    Immanuel^[b]!”

⁹ Raise the war cry,^[c] you nations, and be shattered!
    Listen, all you distant lands.
Prepare for battle, and be shattered!
    Prepare for battle, and be shattered!
¹⁰ Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted;
    propose your plan, but it will not stand,
    for God is with us.^[d]

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 8:1 Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz means quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil; also in verse 3.
b. Isaiah 8:8 Immanuel means God with us.
c. Isaiah 8:9 Or Do your worst
d. Isaiah 8:10 Hebrew Immanuel

The Coming Assyrian Invasion

8 Then the Lord said to me, “Make a large signboard and clearly write this name on it: Maher-shalal-hash-baz.^[a]” ² I asked Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah, both known as honest men, to witness my doing this.

³ Then I slept with my wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said, “Call him Maher-shalal-hash-baz. ⁴ For before this child is old enough to say ‘Papa’ or ‘Mama,’ the king of Assyria will carry away both the abundance of Damascus and the riches of Samaria.”

⁵ Then the Lord spoke to me again and said, ⁶ “My care for the people of Judah is like the gently flowing waters of Shiloah, but they have rejected it. They are rejoicing over what will happen to^[b] King Rezin and King Pekah.^{[c] 7} Therefore, the Lord will overwhelm them with a mighty flood from the Euphrates River^[d]—the king of Assyria and all his glory. This flood will overflow all its channels ⁸ and sweep into Judah until it is chin deep. It will spread its wings, submerging your land from one end to the other, O Immanuel.

⁹ “Huddle together, you nations, and be terrified.
    Listen, all you distant lands.
Prepare for battle, but you will be crushed!
    Yes, prepare for battle, but you will be crushed!
¹⁰ Call your councils of war, but they will be worthless.
    Develop your strategies, but they will not succeed.
    For God is with us!^[e]”

Footnotes:
a. 8:1 Maher-shalal-hash-baz means “Swift to plunder and quick to carry away.”
b. 8:6a Or They are rejoicing because of.
c. 8:6b Hebrew and the son of Remaliah.
d. 8:7 Hebrew the river.
e. 8:10 Hebrew Immanuel!

The Coming Assyrian Invasion

8 Moreover the Lord said to me, Take for yourself a large book and write in it with a man’s pen: “Swift is the booty, speedy is the prey.”^{[a] 2} I will take to Myself faithful witnesses for testimony, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberekiah. ³ So I went in to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.^{[b] 4} For before the child knows how to cry “My father” and “My mother,” the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.

⁵ The Lord spoke to me again, saying:

⁶ Because this people refuses
    the gently flowing waters of Shiloah
and rejoices in Rezin
    and the son of Remaliah,
⁷ now therefore the Lord certainly is about to bring upon them
    the strong and plentiful waters of the River,^[c]
    even the king of Assyria and all his glory;
and he shall come up over all his channels
    and go over all his banks.
⁸ And he shall pass through Judah, he shall overflow and go over,
    he shall reach even to the neck,
and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of your land,
    O Immanuel.

⁹ Be broken, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces.
    And give ear, all you from far countries.
Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces;
    gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces.
¹⁰ Take counsel together, but it shall come to nothing;
    speak the word, but it shall not stand
    for God is with us.

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 8:1 See v. 3.
b. Isaiah 8:3 See v. 1.
c. Isaiah 8:7 Euphrates River.

¹¹ For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,
¹² Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.

Fear God, Heed His Word

¹¹ For the Lord spoke thus to me with ^[a]a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying:

¹² “Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’
Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy,
Nor be afraid of their ^[b]threats, nor be ^[c]troubled.

Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 8:11 Mighty power
b. Isaiah 8:12 Lit. fear or terror
c. Isaiah 8:12 Lit. in dread

¹¹ This is what the Lord says to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people:

¹² “Do not call conspiracy
    everything this people calls a conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear,
    and do not dread it.

A Call to Trust the Lord

¹¹ The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said,

¹² “Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do,
    and don’t live in dread of what frightens them.

Fear God

¹¹ For the Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying:

¹² You should not say, “It is a conspiracy,”
    concerning all that this people calls a conspiracy,
neither fear their threats
    nor be afraid of them.