| English Standard Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. | 1Now, 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. |
| 2But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. | 2Bethlehem 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. |
| 3Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. | 3Therefore, 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. |
| 4And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. | 4He 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. |
| 5And he shall be their peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men; | 5He 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. |
| 6they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances; and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land and treads within our border. | 6They 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. |
| 7Then the 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. | 7Then 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. |
| 8And the 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, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver. | 8Then 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. |
| 9Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off. | 9Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries, and all your enemies will be destroyed. |
| 10And in that day, declares the LORD, I will cut off your horses from among you and will destroy your chariots; | 10In that day--this is the LORD's declaration--I will remove your horses from you and wreck your chariots. |
| 11and I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds; | 11I will remove the cities of your land and tear down all your fortresses. |
| 12and I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more tellers of fortunes; | 12I will remove sorceries from your hands, and you will not have any more fortune-tellers. |
| 13and I will cut off your carved images and your pillars from among you, and you shall bow down no more to the work of your hands; | 13I will remove your carved images and sacred pillars from you so that you will no longer worship the work of your hands. |
| 14and I will root out your Asherah images from among you and destroy your cities. | 14I will pull up the Asherah poles from among you and demolish your cities. |
| 15And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey. | 15I will take vengeance in anger and wrath against the nations that have not obeyed me. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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