« | Isaiah 7 | » |
1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz [the son] of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Aram, and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up against Jerusalem to war against it, but they could not take it.
2 And a message was brought to the house of David, saying, Aram has conspired with Ephraim. And his soul was amazed, and the soul of his people, as in a wood a tree is moved by the wind.
3 And the Lord said to Isaiah, Go forth to meet Ahaz; you, and your son Jashub who is left, to the pool of the upper way of the fuller's field.
4 And you shall say to him, Take care to be quiet, and fear not, neither let your soul be disheartened because of these two smoking firebrands; for when My fierce anger is over, I will heal again.
5 And [as for] the son of Aram, and the son of Remaliah, forasmuch as they have devised an evil counsel, [saying],
6 We will go up against Judah, and having conferred with them we will turn them away to our side, and we will make the son of Tabel king over it;
7 thus says the Lord of hosts, This counsel shall not abide, nor come to pass.
8 But the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus [is] Rezin; and yet within sixty-five years the kingdom of Ephraim shall cease from [being] a people.
9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria the son of Romaliah; but if you believe not, neither will you at all understand.
10 And the Lord again spoke to Ahaz, saying,
11 Ask for yourself a sign of the Lord your God, in the depth or in the height.
12 And Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.
13 And he said, Hear now, O house of David; is it a little thing for you to contend with men? And how do you contend against the Lord?
14 Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bring forth a son, and you shall call His name Emmanuel.
15 Butter and honey shall He eat, before He knows either to prefer evil [or] choose the good.
16 For before the child shall know good or evil, He refuses evil, to choose the good; and the land shall be forsaken which you are afraid of because of the two kings.
17 But God shall bring upon you, and upon your people, and upon the house of your father, days which have never come, from the day that Ephraim took away from Judah the king of the Assyrians.
18 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall call for the flies, which shall rule over a part of the river of Egypt, and for the bee which is in the land of the Assyrians.
19 And they all shall enter into the clefts of the land, and into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves, and into every ravine.
20 In that day the Lord shall shave with a hired razor the head of the king of Assyria beyond the river, and the hairs of the feet, and will remove the beard.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] a man shall rear a heifer, and two sheep.
22 And it shall come to pass from their drinking an abundance of milk, [that] everyone that is left on the land shall eat butter and honey.
23 And it shall come to pass in that day, [for] every place where there shall be a thousand vines at a thousand shekels, they shall become barren land and thorns.
24 [Men] shall enter there with arrow and bow; for all the land shall be [barren] ground and thorns.
25 And every mountain shall be certainly plowed; and no fear shall come there; for there shall be from [among] the [barren] ground and thorns on which the cattle shall feed, and oxen shall tread.
The Apostles’ Bible Complete (ABC)
The Apostles’ Bible Complete (ABC) is a modern translation of the Bible that strives to offer a clear and faithful rendering of the scriptures in contemporary language. This translation is designed to be accessible to a wide audience, providing an easy-to-read yet accurate version of the biblical text. The ABC translation aims to bridge the gap between the ancient languages in which the Bible was originally written and the modern vernacular, making it an ideal choice for both personal study and public reading.
One of the notable features of the Apostles’ Bible Complete is its dedication to maintaining the integrity of the original manuscripts. The translators of the ABC worked meticulously with the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts to ensure that their translation accurately reflects the original meaning and intent of the scriptures. By employing a balance of formal equivalence (word-for-word) and dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought) translation techniques, the ABC aims to preserve the nuances and richness of the original languages while ensuring readability and clarity for modern readers.
The ABC also incorporates extensive cross-references and study aids to enhance the reader’s understanding of the biblical text. These tools include footnotes that provide historical and cultural context, as well as explanations of difficult or ambiguous passages. This approach helps readers to grasp the deeper meanings of the scriptures and to see how different parts of the Bible interconnect. The inclusion of these study aids makes the ABC particularly useful for those who are new to the Bible, as well as for more experienced readers who are looking to deepen their understanding of the text.
Despite its strengths, the Apostles’ Bible Complete has faced some criticisms. Some readers feel that the translation could benefit from further refinement in certain passages, as the balance between formal and dynamic equivalence can sometimes lead to inconsistencies in style and tone. Others have noted that while the study aids are helpful, they can occasionally overwhelm the main text, making it difficult to focus on the scripture itself. Nonetheless, the ABC remains a valuable and respected translation, appreciated for its commitment to accuracy, clarity, and accessibility, and for its ability to bring the ancient words of the Bible to life for contemporary readers.