¹But you, Beit-Lechem near Efrat,

so small among the clans of Y’hudah,

out of you will come forth to me

the future ruler of Isra’el,

whose origins are far in the past,

back in ancient times.

²Therefore he will give up [Isra’el]

only until she who is in labor gives birth.

Then the rest of his kinsmen

will return to the people of Isra’el.

³He will stand and feed his flock

in the strength of Adonai ,

in the majesty of the name

of Adonai his God;

and they will stay put, as he grows great

to the very ends of the earth;

⁴and this will be peace.

If Ashur invades our land,

if he overruns our fortresses,

we will raise seven shepherds against him,

eight leaders of men.

⁵They will shepherd the land of Ashur with the sword,

the land of Nimrod at its gates;

and he will rescue us from Ashur

when he invades our land,

when he overruns our borders.

⁶Then the remnant of Ya‘akov,

surrounded by many peoples,

will be like dew from Adonai ,

like showers on the grass,

which doesn’t wait for a man

or expect anything from mortals.

⁷The remnant of Ya‘akov among the nations,

surrounded by many peoples,

will be like a lion among forest animals,

like a young lion among flocks of sheep —

if it passes through, tramples and tears to pieces,

there is no one to rescue them.

⁸Your hand will be raised over your enemies;

all your adversaries will be destroyed.

⁹“When that day comes,” says Adonai ,

“I will cut off your horses from among you

and destroy your chariots.

¹⁰I will cut off the cities of your land

and lay waste your strongholds.

¹¹I will cut off sorceries from your land;

you will no longer have soothsayers.

¹²I will cut off your carved images

and standing-stones from among you;

no longer will you worship

what your own hands have made.

¹³I will pull up your sacred poles from among you

and destroy your enemies.

¹⁴I will wreak vengeance in anger and fury

on the nations, because they would not listen.”