The Sign of Immanuel

When Ahaz(A) son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin(B) of Aram(C) and Pekah(D) son of Remaliah(E) king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.

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

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

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

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Footnotes

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

For before the boy knows(A) how to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus(B) and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.(C)

The Lord spoke to me again:

“Because this people has rejected(D)
    the gently flowing waters of Shiloah(E)
and rejoices over Rezin
    and the son of Remaliah,(F)
therefore the Lord is about to bring against them
    the mighty floodwaters(G) of the Euphrates—
    the king of Assyria(H) with all his pomp.(I)
It will overflow all its channels,
    run over all its banks(J)
and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it,(K)
    passing through it and reaching up to the neck.
Its outspread wings(L) will cover the breadth of your land,
    Immanuel[a]!”(M)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 8:8 Immanuel means God with us.

11 But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s(A) foes against them
    and has spurred their enemies on.

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