English Standard Version ESV
Common English Bible CEB
1 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it.
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In the days of Ahaz (Jotham's son and grandson of Judah's King Uzziah), Aram's King Rezin and Israel's King Pekah (Remaliah's son) came up to attack Jerusalem, but they couldn't overpower it.
2 When the house of David was told, "Syria is in league withEphraim," the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.
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When the house of David was told that Aram had become allies with Ephraim, their hearts and the hearts of their people shook as the trees of a forest shake when there is a wind.
3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field.
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But the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the channel of the Upper Pool, by the road to the field where laundry is washed,
4 And say to him, 'Be careful, 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 Remaliah.
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and say to him, ‘Be careful and stay calm. Don't fear, and don't lose heart over these two pieces of smoking torches, over the burning anger of Rezin, Aram, and Remaliah's son.
5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying,
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Aram has planned evil against you with Ephraim and Remaliah's son, saying,
6 "Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,"
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“Let's march up against Judah, tear it apart, capture it for ourselves, and install Tabeel's son as its king.”
7 thus says the Lord GOD: "'It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass.
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But the LORD God says: It won't happen; it won't take place.
8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. And within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.
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The chief of Aram is Damascus; the chief of Damascus is Rezin (in sixty-five more years Ephraim will be shattered as a nation);
9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.'"
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the chief of Ephraim is Samaria; and the chief of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you don't believe this, you can't be trusted.'”
10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz,
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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."
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"Ask a sign from the LORD your God. Make it as deep as the grave or as high as heaven."
12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test."
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But Ahaz said, "I won't ask; I won't test the LORD."
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?
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Then Isaiah said, "Listen, house of David! Isn't it enough for you to be tiresome for people that you are also tiresome before my God?
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.
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Therefore, the Lord will give you a sign. The young woman is pregnant and is about to give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel.
15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.
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He will eat butter and honey, and learn to reject evil and choose good.
16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted.
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Before the boy learns to reject evil and choose good, the land of the two kings you dread will be abandoned.
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 Ephraim departed from Judah--the king of Assyria."
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The LORD will bring upon you, upon your people, and upon your families days unlike any that have come since the day Ephraim broke away from Judah—the king of Assyria."
18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
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On that day, the LORD will whistle for the flies from the remotest streams of Egypt and for the bees that are 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.
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They will come and settle in the steep ravines, in the cracks of the cliffs, in all the thornbushes, and in all the watering holes.
20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that 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.
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On that day, the Lord will shave with a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates—with the king of Assyria—the head and the pubic hair, and will cut off the beard as well.
21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep,
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On that day, one will raise a young cow and two sheep
22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey.
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and will eat butter because of the abundance of milk, for all who remain in the land will eat butter 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.
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On that day, there will be thorns and thistles in every place where a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels once grew.
24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns.
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Only those with bows and arrows will go there, because the entire land will become thorns and thistles.
25 And as for all the hills that 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.
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As for the hills that were once farmed with hoes, you won't go there for fear of the thorns and thistles. They will become places where cattle are turned loose and sheep wander.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible