<p class="poetry">Prepare to execute<n id="1" /> his sonsp> <p class="poetry">for the sins their ancestors have committed.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They must not rise up and take possession of the earth,p> <p class="poetry">or fill the surface of the world with cities.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Fortified cities will disappear from Ephraim,p> <p class="poetry">and Damascus will lose its kingdom.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The survivors in Syriap> <p class="poetry">will end up like the splendor of the Israelites,&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies.p>

<p class="poetry">At that time<n id="1" /> their fortified cities will bep> <p class="poetry">like the abandoned summits of the Amorites,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">which they abandoned because of the Israelites;p> <p class="poetry">there will be desolation.p>

<p class="bodytext">At that time<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> will shake the tree,<n id="2" /> from the Euphrates River<n id="3" /> to the Stream of Egypt. Then you will be gathered up one by one, O Israelites.<n id="4" />

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;The rebellious<n id="1" /> children are as good as dead,&#8221;<n id="2" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;those who make plans without consulting me,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">who form alliances without consulting my Spirit,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and thereby compound their sin.<n id="5" />p>

Were the nations whom my predecessors<n id="1" /> destroyed &#8211; the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Telassar &#8211; rescued by their gods?<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been ill and had recovered.

<p class="poetry">This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says,p> <p class="poetry">the Holy One of Israel,<n id="1" /> the one who formed him,p> <p class="poetry">concerning things to come:<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;How dare you question me<n id="3" /> about my children!p> <p class="poetry">How dare you tell me what to do with<n id="4" /> the work of my own hands!p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;I, I am the one who consoles you.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Why are you afraid of mortal men,p> <p class="poetry">of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass?<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Your children faint;p> <p class="poetry">they lie at the head of every streetp> <p class="poetry">like an antelope in a snare.p> <p class="poetry">They are left in a stupor by the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s anger,p> <p class="poetry">by the battle cry of your God.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">The people who do this will be blessed,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the people who commit themselves to obedience,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,p> <p class="poetry">who refrain from doing anything that is wrong.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will set up within my temple and my walls a monument<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">that will be better than sons and daughters.p> <p class="poetry">I will set up a permanent monument<n id="2" /> for them that will remain.p>

<p class="poetry">Look all around you!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They all gather and come to you &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">your sons come from far awayp> <p class="poetry">and your daughters are escorted by guardians.p>

<p class="poetry">The children of your oppressors will come bowing to you;p> <p class="poetry">all who treated you with disrespect will bow down at your feet.p> <p class="poetry">They will call you, &#8216;The City of the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">Zion of the Holy One of Israel.&#8217;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">As a young man marries a young woman,p> <p class="poetry">so your sons<n id="1" /> will marry you.p> <p class="poetry">As a bridegroom rejoices over a bride,p> <p class="poetry">so your God will rejoice over you.p>

<n id="1" /><p class="poetry">The sinful nation is as good as dead,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the people weighed down by evil deeds.p> <p class="poetry">They are offspring who do wrong,p> <p class="poetry">children<n id="3" /> who do wicked things.p> <p class="poetry">They have abandoned the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">and rejected the Holy One of Israel.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">They are alienated from him.<n id="5" />p>

So the <sc>Lordsc> told Isaiah, &#8220;Go out with your son Shear-jashub<n id="1" /> and meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool which is located on the road to the field where they wash and dry cloth.<n id="2" />

Tell him, &#8216;Make sure you stay calm!<n id="1" /> Don&#8217;t be afraid! Don&#8217;t be intimidated<n id="2" /> by these two stubs of smoking logs,<n id="3" /> or by the raging anger of Rezin, Syria, and the son of Remaliah.

<p class="poetry">For a child has been<n id="1" /> born to us,p> <p class="poetry">a son has been given to us.p> <p class="poetry">He shoulders responsibilityp> <p class="poetry">and is called:<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Extraordinary Strategist,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Mighty God,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Everlasting Father,<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">Prince of Peace.<n id="6" />p>

At that time the <sc>Lordsc> announced through<n id="1" /> Isaiah son of Amoz: &#8220;Go, remove the sackcloth from your waist and take your sandals off your feet.&#8221; He did as instructed and walked around in undergarments<n id="2" /> and barefoot.