1 “ Now gather yourselves into armies, people of Israel. They are all around us with their army. They will hit the judge of Israel on the face. God’s Chosen One Will Come from Bethlehem

Now you shall gather yourself in troops, daughter of troops. He has laid siege against us. They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.

2 “ Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are too little to be among the family groups of Judah. But from you One will come who will rule for Me in Israel. His coming was planned long ago, from the beginning.”

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.

3 H e will give them up until the time when the woman in pain gives birth to a child. Then the rest of His brothers will return to the people of Israel.

Therefore he will abandon them until the time that she who is in labor gives birth. Then the rest of his brothers will return to the children of Israel.

4 A nd He will come and feed His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the great power of the name of the Lord His God. His people will live there and be safe, because at that time He will be great to the ends of the earth.

He shall stand, and shall shepherd in the strength of Yahweh, in the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God: and they will live, for then he will be great to the ends of the earth.

5 A nd He will be their peace. Those Who Fight Israel Are Judged When the Assyrian comes into our land and crushes under foot our strong-places, we will fight against him with seven shepherds and eight leaders.

He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land, and when he marches through our fortresses, then we will raise against him seven shepherds, and eight leaders of men.

6 T hey will rule the land of Assyria, the land of Nimrod, with the sword. And He will take us from the Assyrians when they come into our country and crush under foot our land.

They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its gates. He will deliver us from the Assyrian, when he invades our land, and when he marches within our border.

7 T hen the people who are left of Jacob will be among many people like water on the ground in the early morning from the Lord, like rain on the grass, which does not wait for man.

The remnant of Jacob will be among many peoples, like dew from Yahweh, like showers on the grass, that don’t wait for man, nor wait for the sons of men.

8 T hose who are left of Jacob will be among the nations, among many people, like a lion among the animals in the woods, like a young lion among flocks of sheep. When he passes through, he crushes them and tears them to pieces, and there is no one to help them.

The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, among many peoples, like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep; who, if he goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is no one to deliver.

9 Y our hand will be lifted up against those who hate you, and all of them will be destroyed.

Let your hand be lifted up above your adversaries, and let all of your enemies be cut off.

10 “ In that day,” says the Lord, “I will destroy your horses and your war-wagons from among you.

“It will happen in that day”, says Yahweh, “that I will cut off your horses out from among you, and will destroy your chariots.

11 I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your strong-places.

I will cut off the cities of your land, and will tear down all your strongholds.

12 I will put an end to your witchcraft, and you will not have people telling your future any more.

I will destroy witchcraft from your hand; and you shall have no soothsayers.

13 I will destroy your false gods and your pillars of worship, so that you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands.

I will cut off your engraved images and your pillars out from among you; and you shall no more worship the work of your hands.

14 I will pull up your wooden, female goddesses Asherah, and destroy your cities.

I will uproot your Asherah poles out from among you; and I will destroy your cities.

15 A nd in My anger I will punish the nations that have not obeyed.”

I will execute vengeance in anger, and wrath on the nations that didn’t listen.”