Study Desk

and said, "Ask for a sign from the Lord your God to prove to yourself that this is true. You can ask for any sign you want. The sign can come from a place as deep as Sheol or as high as the skies."

Then Isaiah said, "Family of David, listen very carefully! Is it not enough that you would test the patience of humans? Will you now test the patience of my God?

"But the Lord will bring troubled times to you. These troubles will be worse than anything that has happened since the time Israel separated from Judah. This will happen to your people and to your father's family when God brings the king of Assyria to fight against you.

He said that because before the boy learns to say "Mama" and "Daddy," God will take all the wealth and riches from Damascus and Samaria and give them to the king of Assyria.

Make your plans for the fight. Your plans will be defeated. Give orders to your armies, but your orders will be useless, because God is with us!

The people will say, "Go to the fortunetellers and wizards who mumble and chirp like birds. Ask them what to do." But I say, "Shouldn't people go to their God for help? Why go to the dead to get help for the living?"

God, you will make the nation grow, and you will make the people happy. They will rejoice in your presence as they do at harvest time. It will be like the joy when people take their share of things they have won in war.

This will happen when the special child is born. God will give us a son who will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be "Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace."

You will have to bow down like a prisoner. You will fall down like a dead man, but that will not help you. God will still be angry and ready to punish you.

When the Lord finishes doing what he planned to Jerusalem and Mount Zion, he will punish Assyria. The king of Assyria is very proud. His pride made him do many bad things, so God will punish him.

But Assyria doesn't understand this. So the Lord God All-Powerful will send a terrible disease against him. He will lose his wealth and power like a sick man losing weight. Then Assyria's glory will be destroyed. It will be like a fire burning until everything is gone.

Those who are left in Jacob's family will again follow the Powerful God.

Israel, your people are as many as the sands of the sea, but only a few of them will be left to come back to God. But before that happens, your country will be destroyed. God has announced that he will destroy the land. And then justice will come into the land like a river flowing full.

The Lord God All-Powerful really will destroy this land.

The Lord God All-Powerful says, "My people living in Zion, don't be afraid of Assyria! Yes, he will beat you, and it will be just as the time when Egypt beat you with a stick.

Look, the Lord God All-Powerful will use his great power and chop down that great tree. Their highest officials will be brought down. Their most important leaders will be humbled.

God will cut down his enemies. Like the tall trees of Lebanon he will cut them down with an ax.

Then God's people who are left in Assyria will have a way to leave. It will be just like the time God took the people out of Egypt.

God is the one who saves me. I trust him, and I am not afraid. The Lord Yah is my strength. He saves me, and I sing songs of praise about him."

Sing songs of praise about the Lord , because he has done great things. Spread this news about God throughout the whole world. Let all people know these things.