1
Now
gather thyself in
troops, O
daughter of
troops: he hath
laid siege against us: they shall
smite the
judge of
Israel with a
rod upon the
cheek.
2
But thou,
Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be
little among the
thousands of
Judah, yet out of thee shall he come
forth unto me that is to be
ruler in
Israel; whose goings
forth have been from of
old, from
everlasting *.
3
Therefore will he give them
up , until the
time that she which
travaileth hath brought
forth : then the
remnant of his
brethren shall
return unto the
children of
Israel.
4
And he shall
stand and
feed in the
strength of the
LORD, in the
majesty of the
name of the
LORD his
God; and they shall
abide : for now shall he be
great unto the
ends of the
earth.
5
And this man shall be the
peace, when the
Assyrian shall
come into our
land: and when he shall
tread in our
palaces, then shall we
raise against him
seven shepherds , and
eight principal men.
6
And they shall
waste the
land of
Assyria with the
sword, and the
land of
Nimrod in the
entrances thereof: thus shall he
deliver us from the
Assyrian, when he
cometh into our
land, and when he
treadeth within our
borders.
7
And the
remnant of
Jacob shall be in the
midst of
many people as a
dew from the
LORD, as the
showers upon the
grass, that
tarrieth not for
man, nor
waiteth for the
sons of
men.
8
And the
remnant of
Jacob shall be among the
Gentiles in the
midst of
many people as a
lion among the
beasts of the
forest, as a young
lion among the
flocks of
sheep: who, if he go
through , both treadeth
down , and teareth in
pieces , and none can
deliver .
9
Thine
hand shall be lifted
up upon thine
adversaries, and all thine
enemies shall be cut
off .
10
And it shall come to pass in that
day, saith the
LORD, that I will cut
off thy
horses out of the
midst of thee, and I will
destroy thy
chariots:
11
And I will cut
off the
cities * of thy
land, and throw
down all thy strong
holds:
12
And I will cut
off witchcrafts out of thine
hand; and thou shalt have no more
soothsayers :
13
Thy graven
images also will I cut
off , and thy standing
images out of the
midst of thee; and thou shalt no more
worship the
work of thine
hands.
14
And I will pluck
up thy
groves out of the
midst of thee: so will I
destroy thy
cities * .
15
And I will
execute vengeance in
anger and
fury upon the
heathen, such as they have not
heard .