The Sign of Immanuel
1When 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.
2Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with7:2 Or has set up camp in Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.
3Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub,7:3 Shear-Jashub means a remnant will return. to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. 4Say 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. 5Aram, 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.” 7Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“ ‘It will not take place,
it will not happen,
8for 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.
9The 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.’ ”
10Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11“Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”
12But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”
13Then 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? 14Therefore the Lord himself will give you7:14 The Hebrew is plural. a sign: The virgin7:14 Or young woman will conceive and give birth to a son, and7:14 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls son, and he or son, and they will call him Immanuel.7:14 Immanuel means God with us. 15He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 16for 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. 17The 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
18In that day the Lord will whistle for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. 19They 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. 20In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—to shave your heads and private parts, and to cut off your beards also. 21In that day, a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats. 22And 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. 23In that day, in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels,7:23 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms there will be only briers and thorns. 24Hunters will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns. 25As 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.
Yesaya Achenjeza Ahazi
1Pamene Ahazi mwana wa Yotamu, mdzukulu wa Uziya anali mfumu ya Yuda, Rezini mfumu ya Siriya ndi Peka mwana wa Remaliya, mfumu ya Israeli anabwera kudzathira nkhondo mzinda wa Yerusalemu, koma sanathe kuwugonjetsa.
2Tsono nyumba ya Davide inawuzidwa kuti, “Dziko la Siriya lagwirizana ndi Efereimu.” Choncho mfumu Ahazi ndi anthu ake ananjenjemera, monga momwe mitengo ya mʼnkhalango imagwedezekera ndi mphepo.
3Pamenepo Yehova anawuza Yesaya kuti, “Tuluka, iwe ndi mwana wako Seariyasubu, mupite mukakumane ndi Ahazi kumapeto kwa ngalande yamadzi yochokera ku Dziwe Lakumtunda, pa msewu wopita ku Munda wa mmisiri wochapa nsalu. 4Ukamuwuze kuti, ‘Chenjera, khala phee ndipo usaope. Usataye mtima chifukwa cha zitsa ziwiri zomwe zikufuka, chifukwa cha ukali woopsa wa Rezini ndi Siriya, ndiponso wa Peka mwana wa Remaliya. 5Mfumu ya Siriya, Efereimu ndi mwana wa Remaliya apangana kuti akuchitire choyipa. Akunena kuti, 6‘Tiyeni tikalimbane ndi Yuda. Tiyeni tiliwononge ndi kuligawa; tiligawane pakati pathu, ndipo tilonge ufumu mwana wa Tabeeli kumeneko.’ 7Komabe zimene akunena Ambuye Yehova ndi izi:
“ ‘Zimenezo sizidzatheka,
sizidzachitika konse,
8pakuti Siriya amadalira Damasiko,
ndipo Damasiko amadalira mfumu Rezini basi.
Zisanathe zaka 65
Efereimu adzawonongedwa kotheratu, sadzakhalanso mtundu wa anthu.
9Dziko la Efereimu limadalira Samariya
ndipo Samariya amadalira mwana wa Remaliya basi.
Mukapanda kulimbika pa chikhulupiriro chanu,
ndithu simudzalimba konse.’ ”
10Yehova anayankhulanso ndi Ahazi, 11“Pempha chizindikiro kwa Yehova Mulungu wako, chikhale chozama ngati manda kapena chachitali ngati mlengalenga.”
12Koma Ahazi anati, “Ine sindipempha; sindikufuna kuyesa Yehova.”
13Apo Yesaya anati, “Imva tsopano, iwe nyumba ya Davide! Kodi sikokwanira kutopetsa anthu? Kodi mudzayeseranso kutopetsa Mulungu wanga? 14Nʼchifukwa chake Ambuye mwini adzakupatsani chizindikiro: Onani, namwali adzakhala woyembekezera ndipo adzabala mwana wamwamuna, ndipo mwanayo adzamutcha Imanueli. 15Azidzadya chambiko ndi uchi, mpaka atadziwa kukana choyipa ndi kusankha chabwino. 16Koma nthawi yokana choyipa ndi kusankha chabwino kwa mwanayo isanafike, mayiko a mafumu awiri amene amakuopsaniwo adzakhala atasanduka bwinja. 17Yehova adzabweretsa pa inu, pa anthu anu ndiponso pa nyumba ya bambo wanu masiku a mavuto woti sanakhalepo kuyambira tsiku limene Efereimu anapatukana ndi Yuda. Yehova adzabweretsa mfumu ya ku Asiriya.”
18Tsiku limenelo Yehova adzalizira likhweru ntchentche zochokera ku mitsinje yakutali ku Igupto, ndiponso njuchi zochokera ku dziko la Asiriya. 19Onsewo adzafika ndi kudzakhazikika mu zigwa zozama, mʼmingʼalu ya matanthwe ndi mʼzitsamba zonse zaminga ndiponso ponse pamene pali malo omwetsera ziweto. 20Tsiku limenelo Ambuye adzalemba ganyu ometa ochokera kutsidya kwa Mtsinje, ndiye mfumu ya ku Asiriya, kudzameta tsitsi lanu la ku mutu ndi la mʼmiyendo ndi ndevu zomwe. 21Tsiku limenelo adzangosunga ngʼombe yayikazi yayingʼono ndi mbuzi ziwiri. 22Ndipo chifukwa cha kuchuluka kwa mkaka umene ziwetozi zidzapereka, munthuyo azidzadya chambiko. Aliyense amene adzatsalire mʼdzikomo azidzadya chambiko ndi uchi. 23Tsiku limenelo, paliponse pamene panali mitengo ya mpesa 1,000 ndipo mtengo wake ndi wokwana masekeli asiliva 1,000, padzamera mkandankhuku ndi minga. 24Anthu adzapita kumeneko kukachita uzimba ali ndi uta ndi mivi, popeza kuti mʼdziko monsemo mudzakhala mkandankhuku ndi minga. 25Ndipo mʼmapiri monse mʼmene kale munkalimidwa ndi khasu, simudzapitamo kuopa mkandankhuku ndi minga; malowo adzasanduka odyetserako ngʼombe ndi nkhosa.
