In the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Razon the king of Aram went up against Jerusalem with Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, to lay siege to it; but he was unable to capture it.

The news was brought to the House of David. ‘Aram’ they said ‘has reached Ephraim.’ Then the heart of the king and the hearts of the people shuddered as the trees of the forest shudder in front of the wind. The Lord said to Isaiah, ‘Go with your son Shear-jashub, and meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the Fuller’s Field road, and say to him:

‘“Pay attention, keep calm, have no fear,
do not let your heart sink
because of these two smouldering stumps of firebrands,
or because Aram, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah
have plotted to ruin you, and have said:
Let us invade Judah and terrorise it
and seize it for ourselves,
and set up a king there,
the son of Tabeel.
The Lord says this:
It shall not come true; it shall not be.
The capital of Aram is Damascus,
the head of Damascus, Razon;
the capital of Ephraim, Samaria,
the head of Samaria, the son of Remaliah.
Six or five years more
and a shattered Ephraim shall no longer be a people.
But if you do not stand by me,
you will not stand at all.”’

God upholds his city for ever.

The Lord is great and worthy to be praised
  in the city of our God.
His holy mountain rises in beauty,
  the joy of all the earth.

God upholds his city for ever.

Mount Zion, true pole of the earth,
  the Great King’s city!
God, in the midst of its citadels,
  has shown himself its stronghold.

God upholds his city for ever.

For the kings assembled together,
  together they advanced.
They saw; at once they were astounded;
  dismayed, they fled in fear.

God upholds his city for ever.

A trembling seized them there,
  like the pangs of birth.
By the east wind you have destroyed
  the ships of Tarshish.

God upholds his city for ever.

Alleluia, alleluia!
Train me, Lord, to observe your law,
to keep it with my heart.
Alleluia!