<p class="poetry">For look, I am ready to createp> <p class="poetry">new heavens and a new earth!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The former ones<n id="2" /> will not be remembered;p> <p class="poetry">no one will think about them anymore.<n id="3" />p>

For this reason the sovereign master,<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc>, says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;It will not take place;p> <p class="poetry">it will not happen.p>

But Ahaz responded, &#8220;I don&#8217;t want to ask; I don&#8217;t want to put the <sc>Lordsc> to a test.&#8221;<n id="1" />

<p class="poetry">Eyes<n id="1" /> will no longer be blind<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and ears<n id="3" /> will be attentive.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;But you did not call for me, O Jacob;p> <p class="poetry">you did not long<n id="1" /> for me, O Israel.p>

<p class="poetry">Look, I have refined you, but not as silver;p> <p class="poetry">I have purified you<n id="1" /> in the furnace of misery.p>

<p class="poetry">So listen to this, oppressed one,p> <p class="poetry">who is drunk, but not from wine!p>

<p class="poetry">I will denounce your so-called righteousness and your deeds,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but they will not help you.p>

<p class="poetry">So this is what the <sc>Lordsc> says about the king of Assyria:p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;He will not enter this city,p> <p class="poetry">nor will he shoot an arrow here.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">He will not attack it with his shielded warriors,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">nor will he build siege works against it.p>

<p class="poetry">No one thinks to himself,p> <p class="poetry">nor do they comprehend or understand and say to themselves:p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;I burned half of it in the fire &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">yes, I baked bread over the coals;p> <p class="poetry">I roasted meat and ate it.p> <p class="poetry">With the rest of it should I make a disgusting idol?p> <p class="poetry">Should I bow down to dry wood?&#8217;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted!p> <p class="poetry">Issue your orders, but they will not be executed!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For God is with us!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Egypt will not be able to do a thing,p> <p class="poetry">head or tail, shoots and stalk.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">In the past he said to them,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;This is where security can be found.p> <p class="poetry">Provide security for the one who is exhausted!p> <p class="poetry">This is where rest can be found.&#8221;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">But they refused to listen.p>

They were silent and did not respond, for the king had ordered, &#8220;Don&#8217;t respond to him.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">When you will look for your opponents,<n id="1" /> you will not find them;p> <p class="poetry">your enemies<n id="2" /> will be reduced to absolutely nothing.p>

<p class="poetry">He will not grow dim or be crushed<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">before establishing justice on the earth;p> <p class="poetry">the coastlands<n id="2" /> will wait in anticipation for his decrees.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">They do not comprehend or understand,p> <p class="poetry">for their eyes are blind and cannot see;p> <p class="poetry">their minds do not discern.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">For the sake of my servant Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">Israel, my chosen one,p> <p class="poetry">I call you by namep> <p class="poetry">and give you a title of respect, even though you do not recognize<n id="1" /> me.p>

<p class="poetry">I am the <sc>Lordsc>, I have no peer,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">there is no God but me.p> <p class="poetry">I arm you for battle,<n id="2" /> even though you do not recognize<n id="3" /> me.p>

<p class="poetry">Israel will be delivered once and for all by the <sc>Lordsc>;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you will never again be ashamed or humiliated.<n id="2" />p>