The Ruler Will Come from Bethlehem
“Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops;
They have laid siege against us;
With a rod they will astrike the judge of Israel on the cheek.
2 But as for ayou, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From byou One will go forth for Me to be cruler in Israel.
His goings forth are dfrom everlasting,
From the ancient days.”
3 Therefore He will agive them up until the time
When she bwho is in childbirth has borne a child.
Then the cremainder of His brothers
Will return to the sons of Israel.
4 And He will stand and ashepherd His flock
In the strength of Yahweh,
In the majesty of the name of Yahweh His God.
And they will remain
Because at that time He will be great
To the bends of the earth.
5 And this One awill be peace.
When the bAssyrian enters our land,
When he treads on our citadels,
Then we will raise against him
Seven shepherds and eight princes of men.
6 And they will ashepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
The land of bNimrod at its entrances;
And He will cdeliver us from the Assyrian
When he enters our land
And when he treads within our borders.
7 Then the aremnant of Jacob
Will be among many peoples
Like bdew from Yahweh,
Like cshowers on vegetation
Which do not hope for man
Or wait for the sons of men.
8 Then the remnant of Jacob
Will be among the nations,
Among many peoples
aLike a lion among the beasts of the forest,
Like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
Which, if it passes through,
bTramples down and ctears,
And there is dnone to deliver.
9 Your hand will be araised up against your adversaries,
And all your enemies will be cut off.
10 “And it will be in that day,” declares Yahweh,
“aThat I will cut off your bhorses from among you
And destroy your chariots.
11 And I will cut off the acities of your land
And pull down all your bfortifications.
12 And I will cut off asorceries from your hand,
And you will have soothsaying no more.
13 aAnd I will cut off your graven images
And your sacred pillars from among you
So that you will no longer worship
The work of your hands.
14 And I will uproot your aAsherim from among you
And eradicate your cities.
15 And I will aexecute vengeance in anger and wrath
On the nations which have not blistened.”