A Message for King Ahaz
1 When King Ahaz, the son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah, ruled Judah, war broke out. Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, attacked Jerusalem, but were unable to capture it.
2 When word reached the king of Judah that the armies of Syria were already in the territory of Israel, he and all his people were so terrified that they trembled like trees shaking in the wind.
3 The Lord said to Isaiah, “Take your son Shear Jashub, and go to meet King Ahaz. You will find him on the road where the cloth makers work, at the end of the ditch that brings water from the upper pool. 4 Tell him to keep alert, to stay calm, and not to be frightened or disturbed. The anger of King Rezin and his Syrians and of King Pekah is no more dangerous than the smoke from two smoldering sticks of wood. 5 Syria, together with Israel and its king, has made a plot. 6 They intend to invade Judah, terrify the people into joining their side, and then put Tabeel's son on the throne.
7 “But I, the Lord, declare that this will never happen. 8 Why? Because Syria is no stronger than Damascus, its capital city, and Damascus is no stronger than King Rezin. As for Israel, within sixty-five years it will be too shattered to survive as a nation. 9 Israel is no stronger than Samaria, its capital city, and Samaria is no stronger than King Pekah.
“If your faith is not enduring, you will not endure.”
The Sign of Immanuel
10 The Lord sent another message to Ahaz: 11 “Ask the Lord your God to give you a sign. It can be from deep in the world of the dead or from high up in heaven.”
12 Ahaz answered, “I will not ask for a sign. I refuse to put the Lord to the test.”
13 To that Isaiah replied, “Listen, now, descendants of King David. It's bad enough for you to wear out the patience of people—do you have to wear out God's patience too? 14 Well then, the Lord himself will give you a sign: a young woman who is pregnant will have a son and will name him ‘Immanuel.’ 15 By the time he is old enough to make his own decisions, people will be drinking milk and eating honey. 16 Even before that time comes, the lands of those two kings who terrify you will be deserted.
17 “The Lord is going to bring on you, on your people, and on the whole royal family, days of trouble worse than any that have come since the kingdom of Israel separated from Judah—he is going to bring the king of Assyria.
18 “When that time comes, the Lord will whistle as a signal for the Egyptians to come like flies from the farthest branches of the Nile, and for the Assyrians to come from their land like bees. 19 They will swarm in the rugged valleys and in the caves in the rocks, and they will cover every thorn bush and every pasture.
20 “When that time comes, the Lord will hire a barber from across the Euphrates—the emperor of Assyria!—and he will shave off your beards and the hair on your heads and your bodies.
21 “When that time comes, even if a farmer has been able to save only one young cow and two goats, 22 they will give so much milk that he will have all he needs. Yes, the few survivors left in the land will have milk and honey to eat.
23 “When that time comes, the fine vineyards, each with a thousand vines and each worth a thousand pieces of silver, will be overgrown with thorn bushes and briers. 24 People will go hunting there with bows and arrows. Yes, the whole country will be full of briers and thorn bushes. 25 All the hills where crops were once planted will be so overgrown with thorns that no one will go there. It will be a place where cattle and sheep graze.”
Jesaja drošina ķēniņu Āhāzu
(2Ķēn 16:52L 28:5–15)1 Jūdas ķēniņa Āhāza, Jotāma dēla, Uzijāhu dēla, dienās Arāma ķēniņš Recīns un Israēla ķēniņš Pekahs, Remaljāhu dēls, nāca pret Jeruzālemi, lai karotu ar to, bet tie nevarēja to pieveikt. 2 Un Dāvida namam tika pavēstīts: “Arāms apvienojies ar Efraimu!” – tad drebēja sirds gan ķēniņam, gan viņa tautai – kā mežā no vēja dreb koki! 3 Un Kungs teica Jesajam: “Dodies pie Āhāza kopā ar savu dēlu Šeār-Jāšūbu uz augšējā dīķa kanāla galu, kas pa ceļam uz Velētāju tīrumu, 4 un viņam saki: rimsties un klusē! Nebaidies, lai tava sirds neļimst no šiem abiem apdegušajiem un kūpošajiem ugunskura bluķiem – no aramieša Recīna dusmu kvēles un no Remaljāhu dēla! 5 Arāms ir sakūdījis pret tevi Efraimu un Remaljāhu dēlu, sacīdams: 6 iesim pret Jūdu, iedzīsim tam bailes, paņemsim to sev un iecelsim tur par ķēniņu Tābala dēlu! –
7 Tādēļ tā saka Kungs Dievs:
tas nenotiks, un tā nebūs,
8 jo Arāma galva ir Damaska
un Damaskas galva ir Recīns –
ne sešdesmit pieci gadi nepaies,
kad sakaus Efraimu, ka tas nebūs vairs tauta!
9 Efraima galva ir Samarija,
un Samarijas galva ir Remaljāhu dēls! –
ja neticēsiet, tad nepastāvēsiet!”
Zīme no Dieva – Immānū-Ēls
10 Un Kungs vēl runāja uz Āhāzu un teica: 11 “Prasi sev zīmi no sava Dieva Kunga – vai no šeola dziļumiem vai no augšas augstumiem!” 12 Bet Āhāzs teica: “Es neprasīšu, Kungu es nepārbaudīšu!” 13 Tad Jesaja teica: “Klausies jel, Dāvida nams! Vai maz, ka jūs tielējaties ar cilvēkiem – nu arī ar manu Dievu?! 14 Tādēļ Kungs pats dos jums zīmi, redzi, jaunava kļūs grūta, dzemdēs dēlu un dos viņam vārdu Immānū-Ēls . 15 Viņš ēdīs krējumu un medu, līdz mācēs atmest ļaunu un izvēlēties labu. 16 Jo, pirms zēns mācēs atmest ļaunu un izvēlēties labu, tā zeme, kuras abi ķēniņi tev tagad iedzen šausmas, gulēs pamesta. 17 Kungs liks, lai tev, tavai tautai un tava tēva namam pienāk tādas dienas, kādas nav bijušas kopš tā laika, kad Efraims atšķēlās no Jūdas. Nāks Asīrijas ķēniņš!”
18 Tajā dienā būs tā:
Kungs pasvilps mušām,
kas Ēģiptes upes deltā,
un bitēm, kas Asīrijas zemē!
19 Tās visas nāks un apmetīsies
ieleju kraujās un klinšu aizās,
visos krūmājos, visās ganībās!
20 Tajā dienā Kungs skūs
ar asmeni, kas aizupē nolīgts,
ar Asīrijas ķēniņu –
gan galvu, gan kāju spalvas,
gan bārdu jums nodzīs!
21 Tā būs tajā dienā –
viens turēs teli un divas avis,
22 un tās dos tik daudz piena,
ka viņš varēs ēst krējumu –
jo krējumu un medu ēdīs ikviens,
kas tai zemē būs atlicis!
23 Un tajā dienā būs tā –
it visas vietas, kur tagad aug
tūkstoš vīnakoku, tūkstoš sudraba vērti,
par ērkšķiem un dzelkšņiem kļūs!
24 Ar bultām un lokiem tur ies,
jo visa zeme būs ērkšķi un dzelkšņi!
25 Un visos vīnadārzos, ko aprauš ar kapli, –
neies bailēs no ērkšķiem un dzelkšņiem,
tie būs vēršu aploki, avis tos mīs!
