The Ruler From Bethlehem
5 Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops;
he has laid siege against us.
With a rod they will strike
the judge of Israel on the cheek.
2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
although you are small among the tribes of Judah,
from you will come forth for Me
one who will be ruler over Israel.
His origins are from of old,
from ancient days.
3 Therefore He will give them up,
until the time when she who is in labor has given birth,
and the rest of his brothers will return
to the children of Israel.
4 He will stand and shepherd
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God;
then they will live securely, because now He will be great
until the ends of the earth;
5 and He will be their peace.
The Remnant of Jacob Delivered
When Assyria enters our land
and treads through our palaces,
then we will raise up against him seven shepherds
and eight commanders of men.
6 They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
and the land of Nimrod at her gates;
He will rescue us from Assyria,
when he enters our land
and when he treads within our border.
7 Then the remnant of Jacob will be
in the midst of many peoples,
like dew from the Lord,
like showers upon the grass,
which do not wait for a man
and do not linger for the sons of men.
8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,
like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which when it passes through, tramples and mauls,
without rescuer.
9 Your hand will be lifted up over your adversaries,
and all your enemies will be cut off.
10 And in that day, declares the Lord,
I will cut off your horses from among you,
and I will destroy your chariots.
11 Then I will cut off the cities of your land,
and I will overthrow your strongholds;
12 then I will cut off sorceries from your hand,
and you will no longer have fortune-tellers.
13 Then I will cut off your idols,
and your sacred stones from among you,
and you will no longer bow down
to the work of your hands;
14 then I will root out your Asherah idols from among you,
and I will annihilate your cities.
15 And in anger and wrath I will take vengeance
on the nations that have not listened.
