Chapter 5

Birth of the King in Bethlehem

1 “1Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops;

2They have laid siege against us;

With a rod they will asmite the judge of Israel on the cheek.

2 “1But 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.

2His goings forth are dfrom long ago,

From the days of eternity.”

3 Therefore He will agive them up until the time

When she bwho is in labor has borne a child.

Then the cremainder of His brethren

Will return to the sons of Israel.

4 And He will arise and ashepherd His flock

In the strength of the Lord,

In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God.

And they will 1remain,

Because 2at that time He will be great

To the bends of the earth.

5 This One awill be our peace.

When the bAssyrian invades our land,

When he tramples on our 1citadels,

Then we will raise against him

Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men.

6 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 attacks our land

And when he tramples our territory.

7 Then the aremnant of Jacob

Will be among many peoples

Like bdew from the Lord,

Like cshowers on vegetation

Which do not wait for man

Or delay for the sons of men.

8 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 he passes through,

bTramples down and ctears,

And there is dnone to rescue.

9 Your hand will be alifted up against your adversaries,

And all your enemies will be cut off.

10 “It will be in that day,” declares the Lord,

“aThat I will cut off your bhorses from among you

And destroy your chariots.

11 “I will also cut off the acities of your land

And tear down all your bfortifications.

12 “I will cut off asorceries from your hand,

And you will have fortune-tellers no more.

13 “aI will cut off your carved images

And your sacred pillars from among you,

So that you will no longer bow down

To the work of your hands.

14 “I will root out your 1aAsherim from among you

And destroy your cities.

15 “And I will aexecute vengeance in anger and wrath

On the nations which have not obeyed.”