⁵ So the Lord his God handed Ahaz over^(A) to the king of Aram. He attacked him and took many captives to Damascus.

Ahaz was also handed over to the king of Israel, who struck him with great force: ⁶ Pekah son of Remaliah killed one hundred twenty thousand in Judah in one day—all brave men—because they had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors.

The Message to Ahaz

7 This took place during the reign of Ahaz, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah king of Judah:^(A) Aram’s King Rezin and Israel’s King Pekah son of Remaliah went to fight against Jerusalem,^(B) but they were not able to conquer it.

² When it became known to the house of David^(C) that Aram had occupied Ephraim,^(D) the heart of Ahaz^[a] and the hearts of his people trembled like trees of a forest shaking in the wind.

³ The Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub^[b](E) to meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool,^(F) by the road to the Launderer’s Field. ⁴ Say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Don’t be afraid or cowardly^(G) because of these two smoldering sticks, the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram, and the son of Remaliah. ⁵ For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted harm against you. They say, ⁶ ‘Let’s go up against Judah, terrorize it, and conquer it for ourselves. Then we can install Tabeel’s son as king in it.’”

⁷ This is what the Lord God says: