Isaiah

Prophecies about judgment and salvation, promising hope and a savior.

Chapter 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.

*In Ahaz's time, who was Jotham's son and Uzziah's grandson, kings Rezin and Pekah from Syria and Israel attacked Jerusalem for a battle. But they couldn't win over the city.

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.

*The people of David were told that Syria had joined forces with Ephraim. This made their hearts, along with the hearts of their people, feel like the trees in the forest swaying in 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;

*Then God told Isaiah, "Go find Ahaz and your son Shearjashub at the end of the upper pool on the road by 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.

*And tell him, Be careful and don't talk; don't be afraid or scared about the two burning sticks, because of the strong anger of Rezin against Syria and the son of Remaliah.

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

*Because Syria, also called Ephraim, and the descendant of Remaliah, planned bad advice against you, they said,

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:

*Let's attack Judah, cause trouble for them, create an opening, and put a new king in place, from the family of Tabeal.

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

*So says the Lord God, it won't happen and it won't come true.

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.

*The leader of Syria is in a city called Damascus. The leader of Damascus is a person named Rezin. In about 65 years, the area called Ephraim will be destroyed and won't have people living there anymore.

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.

*The leader of Ephraim is Samaria, and the leader of Samaria is a son of Remaliah. If you don't believe, you won't be stable.

10 Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying,

*Additionally, the LORD spoke to Ahaz once more, saying,

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

*Ask the Lord for a sign; you can request it from deep below or high above.

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

*But Ahaz replied, "I won't question, and I won't test God."

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?

*He said, "Listen, House of David! Is it not enough for you to tire people, but will you also tire 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.

*So God will provide a sign himself; Look, a young woman will become pregnant and have a baby, and she will name him Immanuel.

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

*He should eat butter and honey so he can tell the difference between bad and good things.

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.

*Before a child can tell right from wrong, the disliked land will be abandoned by its two rulers.

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.

*God will bring difficult times to you, your people, and your family that haven't happened since Ephraim left Judah, also affecting you, 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.

*In that day, the Lord will call for a fly from the farthest part of Egypt's rivers and for a bee 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.

*They will arrive and relax everywhere, in empty valleys, in rock crevices, on prickly plants, and on 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.

*On the same day, the Lord will trim their hair using a rented razor by the king of Assyria, cutting both their head and foot hair. It will also remove their beards.

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

*On that day, a person will take care of a baby 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.

*Then, when there's lots of milk, people will have butter to eat. Everyone still living in the area will also have butter 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.

*In that day, every area will change so much that instead of having a thousand vines worth a thousand silver coins, it will become filled with weeds and prickly plants.

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

*Men will arrive carrying bows and arrows, because the land will be filled with prickly plants 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.

*On all hills dug with a tool called a mattock, there will be no scary prickly plants. Instead, they will be used for farming big animals like oxen and for smaller animals to walk on.

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