Assyria Plunders the Temple^(A)

¹⁶ Right about then, King Ahaz sent for help from the kings of Assyria ¹⁷ because the Edomites had invaded, attacked Judah, and carried off some captives. ¹⁸ The Philistines also invaded some of the cities in the Shephelah^[a] and in the Negev^[b] of Judah. They captured Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco, and their surrounding villages, Timnah and its villages, and Gimzo and its villages. Then the Philistines^[c] settled there, ¹⁹ because the Lord was humiliating Judah because of King Ahaz of Israel, since Ahaz had brought about a lack of restraint within Judah and had remained unfaithful to the Lord. ²⁰ King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria attacked Ahaz^[d] and, instead of helping him, attacked him. ²¹ Even though Ahaz took some of the assets belonging to the Lord’s Temple from the royal palace, and from the palaces belonging to the princes, and gave them to the king of Assyria, none of his gifts did any good.

The Message to Ahaz

7 During the reign of Jotham’s son Ahaz, Uzziah’s grandson, king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Remaliah’s son Pekah, king of Israel, approached Jerusalem and waged war against it, but they^[a] could not mount an attack against it. ² When it was reported to the house of David, “Aram has joined forces with Ephraim!” the^[b] heart of the people of Ahaz^[c] trembled like forest^[d] trees in a windstorm.

³ So the Lord told Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool that proceeds along the highway to Launderer’s Field. ⁴ Tell him, ‘Be careful, be calm, don’t be afraid, and don’t lose heart because of these two smoldering stumps of torches, that is, because of^[e] the fierce anger of Rezin, from Aram, and Remaliah’s son. ⁵ Aram, Ephraim, and Remaliah’s son have plotted this evil against you: ⁶ “Let’s go attack Judah, let’s terrorize it, and let’s conquer it for ourselves. Then we’ll install Tabeel’s son as king!”’

⁷ ‘But this is what the Lord God has to say:

God with Us

¹⁰ Later on, the Lord spoke to Ahaz again: ¹¹ “Ask a sign from the Lord your God. Make it as deep as Sheol^[i] or as high as heaven above.”

¹² But Ahaz replied, “I won’t ask! I won’t put the Lord to the test.”

¹³ In reply, the Lord^[j] announced, “Please listen, you household of David. Is it such a minor thing for you to try the patience of^[k] men? Must you also try the patience of^[l] my God?

¹⁴ “Therefore the Lord^[m] himself will give you a sign. Watch! The virgin^[n] is conceiving a child, and will give birth to a son, and his name will be called^[o] Immanuel.^{[p] 15} He’ll eat cheese^[q] and honey, when he knows enough to reject what’s wrong and choose what’s right. ¹⁶ However, before the youth knows enough to reject what’s wrong and choose what’s right, the land whose two kings you dread will be devastated.”