1 Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; he hath laid siege against us; they shall smite the judge of Yisrael with a rod upon the cheek.
2 “But you, Bethlehem (Beit-Lechem) Efratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah (Yehudah), yet out of you shall he come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Yisrael; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
3 Therefore will He give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth; then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Yisrael.
4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of יהוה, in the majesty of the name of יהוה his God (Elohim); and they shall abide, for now shall He be great unto the ends of the earth.
5 And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian (Ashshur) shall come into our land; and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.
6 And they shall waste the land of Assyria (Ashshur) with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof; thus shall He deliver us from the Assyrian (Ashshur), when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.
7 And the remnant of Jacob (Yaaqov) shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from יהוה, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.
8 And the remnant of Jacob (Yaaqov) shall be among the nations in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep; who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
9 Your hand shall be lifted up upon your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off.
10 “And it shall come to pass in that day,” saith יהוה, “that I will cut off your horses out of the midst of you, and I will destroy your chariots.
11 And I will cut off the cities of your land, and throw down all your strong holds.
12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of your hand; and you shalt have no more soothsayers.
13 Your graven images also will I cut off, and your standing pillar out of the midst of you; and you shalt no more worship the work of your hands.
14 And I will pluck up your Asherim out of the midst of you; so will I destroy your cities.
15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the nations which have not obeyed.”