From Defeated Ruler to Conquering King

1Now, daughter who is under attack,

you slash yourself in grief;

a siege is set against us!

They are striking the judgea of Israel

on the cheek with a rod.

2Bethlehem Ephrathah,a

you are small among the clans of Judah;

one will come from youb

to be ruler over Israel for me.c

His originA is from antiquity,d

from ancient times.

3Therefore, Israel will be abandoneda until the time

when she who is in laborb has given birth;

then the rest of the ruler’s brothersc will return

to the people of Israel.d

4He will stand and shepherd thema

in the strength of the Lord,

in the majestic name of the Lord his God.

They will live securely,

for then his greatness will extend

to the ends of the earth.b

5He will be their peace.a

When Assyria invades our land,b

when it marches against our fortresses,

we will raise against it seven shepherds,

even eight leaders of men.

6They will shepherda the land of Assyria with the sword,

the land of Nimrodb with a drawn blade.A

So he will rescue usc from Assyria

when it invades our land,

when it marches against our territory.

The Glorious and Purified Remnant

7Then the remnant of Jacoba

will be among many peoples

like dew from the Lord,b

like showers on the grass,c

which do not wait for anyone

or linger for mankind.

8Then the remnant of Jacob

will be among the nations, among many peoples,

like a lion among animals of the forest,a

like a young lion among flocks of sheep,

which tramplesb and tearsc as it passes through,

and there is no one to rescue them.d

9Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries,a

and all your enemies will be destroyed.

10In that day —

this is the Lord’s declaration —

I will remove your horses from youa

and wreck your chariots.

11I will remove the cities of your landa

and tear down all your fortresses.b

12I will remove sorceries from your hands,a

and you will not have any more fortune-tellers.

13I will remove your carved imagesa

and sacred pillars from you

so that you will no longer worship

the work of your hands.

14I will pull up the Asherah polesa from among youb

and demolish your cities.A

15I will take vengeance in anger and wratha

against the nations that have not obeyed me.