² ·Ahaz king of Judah received a message [^LIt was reported to the house of David; ^Cthe reigning dynasty] saying, “The armies of ·Aram [Syria] and ·Israel [^LEphraim; ^Cinfluential northern tribe of Israel, used here to refer to the whole northern kingdom] have joined together [^Cin an alliance against the Assyrian empire].”

When Ahaz heard this, ·he [^Lhis heart] and the ·people [^Lheart of his people] were ·frightened [^Lshaken]. They shook with fear like trees of the forest blown by the wind.