From Defeated Ruler to Conquering King

1Now, daughter who is under attack,

you slash yourself in grief;

a siege is set against us!

They are striking the judgea of Israel

on the cheek with a rod.

2bBethlehem Ephrathah,c

you are small among the clans of Judah;

One will come from youd

to be ruler over Israel for Me.e

His originf is from antiquity,g

from eternity.h

3Therefore, He will abandon themi until the time

when she who is in laborj has given birth;

then the rest of His brothersk will return

to the people of Israel.l

4He will stand and shepherd themm

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.n

5He will be their peace.o

When Assyria invades our land,p

when it marches against our fortresses,

we will raise against it seven shepherds,

even eight leaders of men.

6They will shepherdq the land of Assyria with the sword,

the land of Nimrodr with a drawn blade.s

So He will rescue ust from Assyria

when it invades our land,

when it marches against our territory.

The Glorious and Purified Remnant

7Then the remnant of Jacobu

will be among many peoples

like dew from the LORD,v

like showers on the grass,w

which do not wait for anyone

or linger for •mankind.

8Then the remnant of Jacob

will be among the nations, among many peoples,

like a lion among animals of the forest,x

like a young lion among flocks of sheep,

which tramplesy and tearsz as it passes through,

and there is no one to rescue them.aa

9Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries,ab

and all your enemies will be destroyed.

10In that day —

this is the LORD’s declaration —

I will remove your horses from youac

and wreck your chariots.

11I will remove the cities of your landad

and tear down all your fortresses.ae

12I will remove sorceries from your hands,af

and you will not have any more fortune-tellers.

13I will remove your carved imagesag

and sacred pillars from you

so that you will not bow down again

to the work of your hands.

14I will pull up the •Asherah polesah from among youai

and demolish your cities.aj

15I will take vengeance in anger and wrathak

against the nations that have not obeyed Me.