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.”
Ombuze kombara Ahas
1 Ombara Ahas, omuzandu wa Jotam nondekurona ya Usija, tja honapara mOjuda, ovita otji vya uta. Resin, ombara ya Sirie, na Pekah, omuzandu wa Remalja, ombara ya Israel, va rwisa Jerusalem, nungwari kave sorere okutjikambura.
2 Ombuze tji ya zuvaka kombara ya Juda kutja otjimbumba tjOvasirie tjovita tja hiti rukuru mehi ra Israel, ombara ndji notjiwaṋa tjayo otji va tira tjinene, nga tji va zezera tjimuna omiti amavi singwa i ombepo.
3 Muhona wa tja ku Jesaja: “Toora omuzandu woye Sear-Jasub, mu kahakaene nombara Ahas. Mamu kemuvaza mondjira mu mu ungurira ovakonde vozombanda, pomaandero worurora ndu eta omeva okuza kerindi rokombanda. 4 Karaere Ahas kutja a kengeze, nu a ha ivaiva, nu a ha tira, nu a ha kurungisiwa momutima mena romazenge omanene wa Resin, ombara yOvasirie, nowombara Pekah. Owo ve ri otja oviyumbu vivari vyomuriro mbi nomuise uriri. 5 Ovasirie puna Ovaisrael nombara yawo ve rikuta kumwe, 6 okurwisa otjiwaṋa tja Juda, nokutirisa ovandu vatjo kutja ve karere ku wo, tjazumba ve zike omuzandu wa Tabeel mouhona.
7 “Nungwari ami ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi me tye kutja otjiṋa hi kamaatji zikamisiwa nu kamaatji tjitwa. 8 Orondu ehi ra Sirie kari nomasa pOdamaskus, ihi otjihuro tjaro ohongora, nu Damaskus otjo katjinamasa pombara Resin. Notjiwaṋa tja Israel matji haṋewa moure wozombura omirongo hamboumwe nandano, nu kamaatji karira otjiwaṋa rukwao. 9 Ehi ra Israel kari nomasa pOsamaria, ihi otjihuro tjaro ohongora, nu Samaria otjo katjinamasa pombara Pekah, omuzandu wa Remalja.
“Tji mu hi nongamburiro, kamaamu karerere.”
Otjiraisiro tja Imanuel
10 Norukwao Muhona wa hungira ku Ahas, a tja: 11 “Riningirira otjiraisiro ku Muhona, Ndjambi woye, tji matji zu kehi motjovakoke poo kombanda meyuru.”
12 Nungwari Ahas wa zira a tja: “Ami hi nokuningira ko otjiraisiro. Hi nokurora ko Muhona.” 13 Jesaja wa zira a tja: “Nambano puratena, ndekurona ya David! Kapuwo ku eṋe okuurisa omiretima vyovandu; mamu hepa okuurisa omuretima wa Ndjambi wandje wina are? 14 Muhona opu ma zu okumupa otjiraisiro hi: Tareye, omusuko ma rire otjingundi, nu ma panduka omuatje omuzandu; neye me mu ruku ‘Imanuel’. 15 Eye ma nu omaere, nu a ri ouitji wozonyutji, nga koruveze ndwi eye ndu ma katjiwa okunakaura ouvi nokutoorora imbi mbi ri oviwa. 16 Orondu okazandu ngunda ake hiya tjiwa okunakaura ouvi nokutoorora ouwa, ehi rozombara nḓa mbari ove nḓu u tira, tjandje ra rire ongaango.
17 “Muhona ma eta kove na kotjiwaṋa tjoye na konganda aihe yaiho omayuva woviwonga nge hi na ya ri ko okuza keyuva ndi Israel ndi tja haṋika na Juda; oviwonga mbi mavi etwa i ombara ya Asirie.
18 “Meyuva ndo Muhona ma tono orukwi otja otjiraisiro kOvaengipte kutja ve ye otja ozonḓe okuza kokure komaandero wonḓonḓu Nil, na kOvaasirie kutja ve ye okuza kehi rawo tjimuna ozonyutji. 19 Owo mave kawirira momikutu na motupoko na mozondimba zotuuwa, nu mave kavandeka omiti vyomakuiya nomaryo aehe.
20 “Meyuva ndo Muhona ma kayazema omukurure munda mbwina yonḓonḓu Eufrat, okutja ombara ya Asirie. Nu Muhona ma kurura na yo otuyezu tweṋu, nozondjise zeṋu, nomainya motutu tweṋu.
21 “Nu meyuva ndo omurumendu worive ma kara nongombe imwe ondema, nozonḓu mbari; 22 ozo maze mu etere omaihi omengi nai nga tji ma yenene okunwa omaere; tjiri, ovandu ouṱiṱi mba mba hupa mehi mave nu omaere nave ri ouitji wozonyutji.
23 “Nu wina meyuva ndo movikunino oviwa muyamu hapa omivite eyovi rimwe, mbi nonḓengu yovimariva ovisilveri eyovi rimwe, mamu hapa omakuiya nominanyiva. 24 Ovandu mave kayeva mehi ndo nomauta noviku. Tjiri, ehi arihe mari ura nomakuiya nominanyiva. 25 Kozondunda azehe zehi nḓa twerwa nomatemo, owo kave nokuyenda ko mena rokutira omakuiya nominanyiva; ozo maze rire komaryo wozongombe nozonyanda.”
