Chapter 5
1 Now, 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.
2 Bethlehem 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 ancient times.
3 Therefore, Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of the ruler’s brothers will return to the people of Israel.
4 He will stand and shepherd them in the strength of the Lord , in the majestic name of the Lord his God. They will live securely, for then his greatness will extend to the ends of the earth.
5 He 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.
6 They 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.
7 Then 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.
8 Then 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.
9 Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries, and all your enemies will be destroyed.
10 In that day — this is the Lord ’s declaration — I will remove your horses from you and wreck your chariots.
11 I will remove the cities of your land and tear down all your fortresses.
12 I will remove sorceries from your hands, and you will not have any more fortune-tellers.
13 I will remove your carved images and sacred pillars from you so that you will no longer worship the work of your hands.
14 I will pull up the Asherah poles from among you and demolish your cities.
15 I will take vengeance in anger and wrath against the nations that have not obeyed me.