| Holman Christian Standard Bible | New Living Translation |
| 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. | 1 Mobilize! Marshal your troops! The enemy is laying siege to Jerusalem. They will strike Israel’s leader in the face with a rod. A Ruler from Bethlehem |
| 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. | 2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf. |
| 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. | 3The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the woman in labor gives birth. Then at last his fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land. |
| 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. | 4And he will stand to lead his flock with the LORD’s strength, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored around the world. |
| 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. | 5And he will be the source of peace. When the Assyrians invade our land and break through our defenses, we will appoint seven rulers to watch over us, eight princes to lead us. |
| 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 Assyria with drawn swords and enter the gates of the land of Nimrod. He will rescue us from the Assyrians when they pour over the borders to invade our land. The Remnant Purified |
| 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. | 7Then the remnant left in Israel will take their place among the nations. They will be like dew sent by the LORD or like rain falling on the grass, which no one can hold back and no one can restrain. |
| 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. | 8The remnant left in Israel will take their place among the nations. They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a strong young lion among flocks of sheep and goats, pouncing and tearing as they go with no rescuer in sight. |
| 9Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries, and all your enemies will be destroyed. | 9The people of Israel will stand up to their foes, and all their enemies will be wiped out. |
| 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 slaughter your horses and destroy your chariots. |
| 11I will remove the cities of your land and tear down all your fortresses. | 11I will tear down your walls and demolish your defenses. |
| 12I will remove sorceries from your hands, and you will not have any more fortune-tellers. | 12I will put an end to all witchcraft, and there will be no more fortune-tellers. |
| 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 destroy all your idols and sacred pillars, so you will never again worship the work of your own hands. |
| 14I will pull up the Asherah poles from among you and demolish your cities. | 14I will abolish your idol shrines with their Asherah poles and destroy your pagan cities. |
| 15I will take vengeance in anger and wrath against the nations that have not obeyed Me. | 15I will pour out my vengeance on all the nations that refuse to obey me.” |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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