1 N ow gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; a state of siege has been placed against us. They shall smite the ruler of Israel with a rod (a scepter) on the cheek.

¶ Now thou shalt be besieged by armies, O daughter of the army: he shall lay siege against us; they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

2 B ut you, Bethlehem Ephratah, you are little to be among the clans of Judah; out of you shall One come forth for Me Who is to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from ancient days (eternity).

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be Lord in Israel; and his goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of the ages.

3 T herefore shall He give them up until the time that she who travails has brought forth; then what is left of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel.

Therefore he will give them up until the time that she who travails has brought forth; then the remnant of his brethren shall return with the sons of Israel.

4 A nd He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; and they shall dwell, for then shall He be great to the ends of the earth.

And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide; for now he shall be great unto the ends of the earth.

5 A nd this shall be our peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads upon our soil and in our palaces, then will we raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes among men.

And he shall be our peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then we shall raise against him seven shepherds and eight principal men.

6 A nd they shall rule and waste the land of Assyria with the sword and the land of Nimrod within her gates. Thus shall He deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land and when he treads on our borders.

And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the blade, and the land of Nimrod with their swords; and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes against our land and when he treads within our borders.

7 T hen the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers upon the grass which tarry not for man nor wait for the sons of men.

¶ And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples as the dew of the LORD, as the rains upon the grass, which did not expect a man, nor did they expect the sons of men.

8 A nd the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations in the midst of many peoples like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is no deliverer.

And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many peoples as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goes through and treads down and tears in pieces, there are none that can escape.

9 Y our hand will be lifted up above your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off.

Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine enemies, and all thine adversaries shall be cut off.

10 A nd in that day, says the Lord, I will cut off your horses from among you and will destroy your chariots.

And it shall come to pass in that day, said the LORD, that I will cause thy horses to be killed out of the midst of thee, and I will cause thy chariots to be destroyed:

11 A nd I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds.

and I will cause all the cities of thy land to be destroyed, and I will cause all thy fortresses to be destroyed:

12 A nd I will cut off witchcrafts and sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more soothsayers.

and I will cause the witchcrafts to be destroyed by thy hand; and no more soothsayers shall be found in thee:

13 Y our carved images also I will cut off and your statues or pillars out of your midst, and you shall no more worship the work of your hands.

and I will cause thy graven images and thy images to be destroyed out of the midst of thee; and never again shalt thou worship the work of thine hands.

14 A nd I will root out your Asherim and I will destroy your cities.

And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee; so will I destroy thy cities.

15 A nd in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance upon the nations which would not obey.

And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury in the Gentiles who have not heard.