| NET Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1But now slash yourself, daughter surrounded by soldiers! We are besieged! With a scepter they strike Israel's ruler on the side of his face. | 1"Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops; They have laid siege against us; With a rod they will smite the judge of Israel on the cheek. |
| 2As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, seemingly insignificant among the clans of Judah--from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf, one whose origins are in the distant past. | 2"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." |
| 3So the LORD will hand the people of Israel over to their enemies until the time when the woman in labor gives birth. Then the rest of the king's countrymen will return to be reunited with the people of Israel. | 3Therefore He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren Will return to the sons of Israel. |
| 4He will assume his post and shepherd the people by the LORD's strength, by the sovereign authority of the LORD his God. They will live securely, for at that time he will be honored even in the distant regions of the earth. | 4And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth. |
| 5He will give us peace. Should the Assyrians try to invade our land and attempt to set foot in our fortresses, we will send against them seven shepherd-rulers, make that eight commanders. | 5This One will be our peace. When the Assyrian invades our land, When he tramples on our citadels, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men. |
| 6They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with a drawn sword. Our king will rescue us from the Assyrians should they attempt to invade our land and try to set foot in our territory. | 6They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, The land of Nimrod at its entrances; And He will deliver us from the Assyrian When he attacks our land And when he tramples our territory. |
| 7Those survivors from Jacob will live in the midst of many nations. They will be like the dew the LORD sends, like the rain on the grass, that does not hope for men to come or wait around for humans to arrive. | 7Then the remnant of Jacob Will be among many peoples Like dew from the LORD, Like showers on vegetation Which do not wait for man Or delay for the sons of men. |
| 8Those survivors from Jacob will live among the nations, in the midst of many peoples. They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which attacks when it passes through; it rips its prey and there is no one to stop it. | 8The remnant of Jacob Will be among the nations, Among many peoples Like a lion among the beasts of the forest, Like a young lion among flocks of sheep, Which, if he passes through, Tramples down and tears, And there is none to rescue. |
| 9Lift your hand triumphantly against your adversaries; may all your enemies be destroyed! | 9Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries, And all your enemies will be cut off. |
| 10"In that day," says the LORD, "I will destroy your horses from your midst, and smash your chariots. | 10"It will be in that day," declares the LORD, "That I will cut off your horses from among you And destroy your chariots. |
| 11I will destroy the cities of your land, and tear down all your fortresses. | 11"I will also cut off the cities of your land And tear down all your fortifications. |
| 12I will remove the sorcery that you practice, and you will no longer have omen readers living among you. | 12"I will cut off sorceries from your hand, And you will have fortune-tellers no more. |
| 13I will remove your idols and sacred pillars from your midst; you will no longer worship what your own hands made. | 13"I 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. |
| 14I will uproot your images of Asherah from your midst, and destroy your idols. | 14"I will root out your Asherim from among you And destroy your cities. |
| 15I will angrily seek vengeance on the nations that do not obey me." | 15"And I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath On the nations which have not obeyed." |
| NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. //netbible.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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