Is 7:1-15

Crisis in Judah. 1In the days of Ahaz,^* king of Judah, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, Rezin, king of Aram, and Pekah, king of Israel, son of Remaliah, went up to attack Jerusalem, but they were not able to conquer it.^a 2When word came to the house of David that Aram had allied itself with Ephraim, the heart of the king and heart of the people trembled, as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind.

3Then the LORD said to Isaiah: Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub,^* at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the fuller’s field, 4and say to him: Take care you remain calm and do not fear; do not let your courage fail before these two stumps of smoldering brands,^b the blazing anger of Rezin and the Arameans and of the son of Remaliah— 5because Aram, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has planned^* evil against you. They say, 6“Let us go up against Judah, tear it apart, make it our own by force, and appoint the son of Tabeel^* king there.”

7Thus says the Lord GOD:

It shall not stand, it shall not be!^c

8^* The head of Aram is Damascus,

and the head of Damascus is Rezin;

9The head of Ephraim is Samaria,

and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.

Within sixty-five years,

Ephraim shall be crushed, no longer a nation.

Unless your faith is firm,

you shall not be firm!^d

Emmanuel. 10Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as Sheol, or high as the sky!^* 12But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”^* 13Then he said: Listen, house of David! Is it not enough that you weary human beings? Must you also weary my God? 14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign;^* the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel. 15Curds and honey^* he will eat so that he may learn to reject evil and choose good;