5
Birth of the King in Bethlehem
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.
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.”
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.
And He will arise and Ashepherd His flock
In the strength of the Loʀᴅ,
In the majesty of the name of the Loʀᴅ His God.
And they will 1remain,
Because 2at that time He will be great
To the Bends of the earth.
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.
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.
 
Then the Aremnant of Jacob
Will be among many peoples
Like Bdew from the Loʀᴅ,
Like Cshowers on vegetation
Which do not wait for man
Or delay for the sons of men.
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.
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 Loʀᴅ,
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.”
1 5:1 Ch 4:14 in Heb 2 5:1 Lit He has A 5:1 1 Kin 22:24; Job 16:10; Lam 3:30 1 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Heb A 5:2 Gen 35:19; 48:7; Ruth 4:11; Matt 2:6 B 5:2 Is 11:1; Luke 2:4; John 7:42 C 5:2 Jer 30:21; Zech 9:9 2 5:2 Or His appearances are from long ago, from days of old D 5:2 Ps 102:25; Prov 8:22, 23 A 5:3 Hos 11:8; Mic 4:10; 7:13 B 5:3 Mic 4:9, 10 C 5:3 Is 10:20-22; Mic 5:7, 8 A 5:4 Is 40:11; 49:9; Ezek 34:13-15, 23, 24; Mic 7:14 1 5:4 Or live in safety 2 5:4 Lit now B 5:4 Is 45:22; 52:10 A 5:5 Is 9:6; Luke 2:14; Eph 2:14; Col 1:20 B 5:5 Is 8:7, 8; 10:24-27 1 5:5 Or palaces A 5:6 Nah 2:11-13; Zeph 2:13 B 5:6 Gen 10:8-11 C 5:6 Is 14:25; 37:36, 37 A 5:7 Mic 2:12; 4:7; 5:3; 7:18 B 5:7 Deut 32:2; Ps 110:3; Hos 14:5 C 5:7 Ps 72:6; Is 44:3 A 5:8 Gen 49:9; Num 24:9 B 5:8 Ps 44:5; Is 41:15, 16; Mic 4:13; Zech 10:5 C 5:8 Hos 5:14 D 5:8 Ps 50:22 A 5:9 Ps 10:12; 21:8; Is 26:11 A 5:10 Zech 9:10 B 5:10 Deut 17:16; Is 2:7; Hos 14:3 A 5:11 Is 1:7; 6:11 B 5:11 Is 2:12-17; Hos 10:14; Amos 5:9 A 5:12 Deut 18:10-12; Is 2:6; 8:19 A 5:13 Is 2:18; 17:8; Ezek 6:9 1 5:14 I.e. wooden symbols of a female deity A 5:14 Ex 34:13; Is 17:8; 27:9 A 5:15 Is 1:24; 65:12