| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Now, daughter who is under attack, you slash yourself in grief; a siege is set against us! They are striking the judge of Israel on the cheek with a rod. | 1But now slash yourself, daughter surrounded by soldiers! We are besieged! With a scepter they strike Israel's ruler on the side of his face. |
| 2Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; One will come from you to be ruler over Israel for Me. His origin is from antiquity, from eternity. | 2As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, seemingly insignificant among the clans of Judah--from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf, one whose origins are in the distant past. |
| 3Therefore, He will abandon them until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of His brothers will return to the people of Israel. | 3So the LORD will hand the people of Israel over to their enemies until the time when the woman in labor gives birth. Then the rest of the king's countrymen will return to be reunited with the people of Israel. |
| 4He will stand and shepherd them in the strength of Yahweh, in the majestic name of Yahweh His God. They will live securely, for then His greatness will extend to the ends of the earth. | 4He will assume his post and shepherd the people by the LORD's strength, by the sovereign authority of the LORD his God. They will live securely, for at that time he will be honored even in the distant regions of the earth. |
| 5He will be their peace. When Assyria invades our land, when it marches against our fortresses, we will raise against it seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men. | 5He will give us peace. Should the Assyrians try to invade our land and attempt to set foot in our fortresses, we will send against them seven shepherd-rulers, make that eight commanders. |
| 6They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with a drawn blade. So He will rescue us from Assyria when it invades our land, when it marches against our territory. | 6They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with a drawn sword. Our king will rescue us from the Assyrians should they attempt to invade our land and try to set foot in our territory. |
| 7Then the remnant of Jacob will be among many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for anyone or linger for mankind. | 7Those survivors from Jacob will live in the midst of many nations. They will be like the dew the LORD sends, like the rain on the grass, that does not hope for men to come or wait around for humans to arrive. |
| 8Then the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, among many peoples, like a lion among animals of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which tramples and tears as it passes through, and there is no one to rescue them. | 8Those survivors from Jacob will live among the nations, in the midst of many peoples. They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which attacks when it passes through; it rips its prey and there is no one to stop it. |
| 9Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries, and all your enemies will be destroyed. | 9Lift your hand triumphantly against your adversaries; may all your enemies be destroyed! |
| 10In that day-- this is the LORD's declaration-- I will remove your horses from you and wreck your chariots. | 10"In that day," says the LORD, "I will destroy your horses from your midst, and smash your chariots. |
| 11I will remove the cities of your land and tear down all your fortresses. | 11I will destroy the cities of your land, and tear down all your fortresses. |
| 12I will remove sorceries from your hands, and you will not have any more fortune-tellers. | 12I will remove the sorcery that you practice, and you will no longer have omen readers living among you. |
| 13I will remove your carved images and sacred pillars from you so that you will not bow down again to the work of your hands. | 13I will remove your idols and sacred pillars from your midst; you will no longer worship what your own hands made. |
| 14I will pull up the Asherah poles from among you and demolish your cities. | 14I will uproot your images of Asherah from your midst, and destroy your idols. |
| 15I will take vengeance in anger and wrath against the nations that have not obeyed Me. | 15I will angrily seek vengeance on the nations that do not obey me." |
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