2
1But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of
2Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be
3ruler in Israel,
4whose coming forth is
5from of old, from ancient days.
3
Therefore he shall give them up
6until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then
7the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.
4
And he shall stand
8and shepherd his flock
9in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now
10he shall be great to the ends of the earth.
5
And he shall be
11their peace.
12When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven
13shepherds and eight princes of men;
6
they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of
14Nimrod at its entrances; and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian
15when he comes into our land and treads within our border.
A Remnant Shall Be Delivered
7 Then
16the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which delay not for a man nor wait for the children of man.
8
And
17the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,
18which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver.
9
Your hand shall
19be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off.
10
And
20in that day, declares the LORD,
21I will cut off your horses from among you and will destroy your chariots;
11
22and I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds;
12
and I will cut off
23sorceries from your hand, and
24you shall have no more tellers of fortunes;