Rezin

32Pekah son of Remaliah had been king of Israel for two years. Then Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah.

In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.

33Jotham was 25 when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for sixteen years. His mother was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.

Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.

34He did what was right in the LORD's eyes. He did what his father Uzziah had done.

And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.

35But he did not take down the high places. People still made offerings and burned incense there. Jotham built the Upper Gate of the LORD's house.

Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD.

NoteThe LORD's house means the temple in Jerusalem. It was the special building where people worshiped God. The Upper Gate was one of the doorways into it.

36The other things Jotham did are written down. They are in the book called the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.

Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

37In those days the LORD began to send trouble to Judah. He sent Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah against them.

In those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.

NoteSyria, also called Aram, was the country just north of Israel. Judah now had enemies on two sides at once.

38Then Jotham died like his fathers before him. They buried him with them in the City of David. His son Ahaz became king after him.

And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

5Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah king of Israel came to fight Jerusalem. They surrounded the city where Ahaz was. But they could not beat him.

Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.

NoteArmies would surround a city and let nobody in or out. No new food could get inside. They waited for the people to give up. The King James word for this is "besieged".

6At that time Rezin took back the town of Elath for Syria. He drove the men of Judah out of it. Then people from Syria moved into Elath. They still live there today.

At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.

NoteElath was a town down by the sea. Trading ships stopped there, so it was worth fighting over. Syria was the country just north of Israel.

7So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser, the king of Assyria. He said, "I am your servant and your son. Please come and save me. The king of Syria and the king of Israel are attacking me."

So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.

NoteAssyria was a huge, powerful empire far to the east. Calling himself "servant" and "son" was a promise. It meant Ahaz would obey that king and pay him money.

8Ahaz took the silver and gold from the LORD's house. He took more from the treasure rooms of his own palace. He sent it all as a gift to the king of Assyria.

And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.

NoteThe LORD's house means the temple in Jerusalem. It was a special building where people worshiped God. Gold and silver gifts were kept safe inside it.

9The king of Assyria listened to him. He marched to the city of Damascus and captured it. He carried its people away to a place called Kir. And he killed Rezin.

And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.

NoteDamascus was the biggest city in Syria. Kir was very far away. Kings who won a war often marched the losing people far from home. That way they could not fight back.

1Ahaz was king of Judah. His father was Jotham, and Jotham's father was Uzziah. While Ahaz was king, two other kings came to fight Jerusalem. They were Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel. But they could not beat the city.

And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

NoteLong ago God's people were one country. Then they split into two. Judah was in the south, and Jerusalem was its main city. Israel was in the north. Syria was another country nearby.

2Someone told the royal family of King David, "Syria has joined up with Ephraim." Then the king's heart shook with fear, and his people's hearts shook too. They shook like trees in a forest when the wind blows.

And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.

NoteThe house of David means the king's family. David was a great king long before this. Ahaz came from David's family. Ephraim was another name for Israel.

3Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out and meet Ahaz. Take your son Shear-jashub with you. Meet him where the water channel ends at the upper pool. It is on the road by the field where people wash clothes."

Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field;

NoteIsaiah was a prophet. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says. LORD in big letters stands for God's own special name. Isaiah's son had a name with a message in it: "A few will come back."

4"Say to him: Stay calm and be quiet. Do not be afraid. Do not lose heart over these two kings. They are only like two burnt sticks that still smoke. Rezin of Syria and the son of Remaliah are very angry. Do not fear them."

And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

NoteTwo burnt sticks that still smoke are nearly out of fire. Isaiah says the two kings are like that. They look scary, but their power is almost gone.

5"Syria and Ephraim and the son of Remaliah have made a bad plan against you. This is what they said:"

Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,

6"Let us go fight Judah and scare its people. Let us break into it and split it up. Then we will make the son of Tabeal king there."

Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:

NoteThe son of Tabeal was the man these kings wanted as king. They planned to push Ahaz off the throne.

7But the Lord GOD says, "That plan will not stand. It will not happen."

Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.

8Syria's leading city is Damascus, and Damascus is led by Rezin. In sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken to pieces. It will not be a people anymore.

For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.

NoteDamascus was the biggest city in Syria. Sixty-five years was longer than many people lived back then. Broken to pieces means the people would be carried off to other lands.

9Ephraim's leading city is Samaria, and Samaria is led by Remaliah's son. If you will not trust God, you will not stand firm at all.

And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.

NoteSamaria was the biggest city in Israel, the country up north.

10The LORD spoke to Ahaz again. He said,

Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying,

11"Ask the LORD your God for a sign. Ask for one from deep below or high above."

Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.

NoteA sign is something God does to show his words are true. Deep below or high above means anything at all, anywhere.

12But Ahaz said, "I will not ask. I will not test the LORD."

But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD.

NoteTo test God means asking him to prove he is telling the truth. God had just told Ahaz he could. Ahaz still said no.

13Then Isaiah said, "Listen now, family of David. You already wear out the patience of people. Will you wear out my God's patience too?"

And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?

NoteFamily of David means King Ahaz and his royal family.

14"So the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look! A virgin will have a baby boy. She will name him Immanuel."

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

NoteA virgin is a young woman who has never been married. Immanuel is a name that means "God is with us." Names back then often carried a message.

15"He will eat curds and honey. That is what he will be eating by the time he can turn down what is bad and choose what is good."

Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

NoteCurds are thick, soft milk, a little like yogurt. The honey came from wild bees, not from hives. This was simple food, not food grown on farms.

16"Before the boy is old enough to turn down bad and choose good, something will happen. The land of those two kings you are afraid of will be left empty."

For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.

NoteThe two kings are Rezin of Syria and Pekah of Israel.

1The LORD said to me, "Take a large scroll, a long roll of paper for writing. Write these words on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-shalal-hash-baz."

Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man’s pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.

NoteA scroll was paper rolled up like a long tube. Maher-shalal-hash-baz is one long name in Isaiah's language. It means "hurry to grab things, run and take them." The name itself was the warning God wanted written down.

2"I will choose men you can trust to watch you write it. They are Uriah the priest, a man who helped people worship God, and Zechariah, the son of Jeberekiah."

And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.

NoteWitnesses are people who watch something happen. Later they can tell everyone that it really happened. These two men watched Isaiah write, so nobody could say he made it up afterward.

3Then I went to my wife, a prophetess, a woman who told people what God said. She was going to have a baby, and she gave birth to a son. The LORD said to me, "Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz."

And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.

NoteIn those days a name often carried a message. This baby's name told people what God said was coming.

4"The boy is little. He cannot even say 'Daddy' or 'Mommy' yet. Before he can say those words, the king of Assyria will take away all the riches of the city of Damascus and everything valuable in the city of Samaria."

For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.

NoteDamascus was the main city of a country called Syria. Samaria was the main city of northern Israel. Assyria was a huge country with a strong army far away. Its soldiers carried off the gold and goods of cities they beat.

5The LORD spoke to me again. He said:

The LORD spake also unto me again, saying,

6"These people have said no to the quiet, gentle waters of Shiloah. Instead they are glad about King Rezin and the son of Remaliah."

Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son;

NoteShiloah was a small stream that brought water into Jerusalem. It moved slowly and made almost no noise. Isaiah uses it as a picture of God's quiet care. Rezin was the king of Syria. The son of Remaliah was the king of northern Israel.

7"So the Lord is bringing a great river of water against them. It is strong and deep. The river is really the king of Assyria and all his glory. It will spill out of its channels and pour over its banks."

Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:

NoteThe great river means the Euphrates, a wide and powerful river up north. A flood is Isaiah's picture for the army of Assyria coming. His glory means all that made the king look great and powerful.

8"That flood will rush into the land of Judah. It will rise until it reaches up to the neck. It will spread out like wide wings and cover your whole land, Immanuel."

And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.

NoteJudah was the southern part of the land where God's people lived. Jerusalem was its main city. Immanuel is a name that means "God is with us."

8The Lord sent a message against the family of Jacob. The message came down on Israel.

The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.

NoteJacob was the grandfather of all the families of Israel. So the family of Jacob means the whole nation.

9All the people will know it. The people of Ephraim and the people living in Samaria will know it. They are proud, and their hearts are stubborn. They say:

And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,

NoteEphraim was one of the biggest family groups in Israel. Its name here means the whole northern part of the country. Samaria was the main city of that part.

10"Our brick walls fell down, but we will build again with cut stone. Our sycamore trees were chopped down, but we will plant strong cedar trees instead."

The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.

NoteBricks were cheap and made of mud. Cut stone was strong and cost a lot. Sycamore trees were common and easy to get. Cedar trees were tall and expensive. The people were bragging that they would build better than before.

11So the LORD stirred up the enemies of King Rezin to come and fight. He brought those enemies together.

Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together;

NoteRezin was the king of Syria, a country close to Israel.

12The Syrians came from one side. The Philistines came from the other side. They ate up Israel with open mouths. Even after all this, God is still angry. His hand is still lifted up to punish.

The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

NoteThe Syrians lived north of Israel. The Philistines lived west of them, near the sea. Both of them fought Israel many times. A hand lifted up is a picture of someone ready to hit.