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So, strong city, gather your soldiers together,
    because we are surrounded and attacked.
They will hit the leader of Israel
    in the face with a club.

The Ruler to Be Born in Bethlehem

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are too small to be among the army groups from Judah,
from you will come one who will rule Israel for me.
    He comes from very old times,
    from days long ago.”

The Lord will give up his people
    until the one who is having a baby gives birth;
then the rest of his relatives will return
    to the people of Israel.
At that time the ruler of Israel will stand
    and take care of his people
with the Lord’s strength
    and with the power of the name of the Lord his God.
The Israelites will live in safety,
    because his greatness will reach all over the earth.
He will bring peace.

Rescue and Punishment

Assyria will surely come into our country
    and walk over our large buildings.
We will set up seven shepherds,
    eight leaders of the people.
They will destroy the Assyrians with their swords;
    they will conquer the land of Assyria with their swords drawn.
They will rescue us from the Assyrians when they come into our land,
    when they walk over our borders.

Then the people of Jacob who are left alive
    will be to other people
like dew from the Lord
    or rain on the grass—
it does not wait for human beings;
    it does not pause for any person.
Those of Jacob’s people who are left alive
    will be scattered among many nations and peoples.
They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,
    like a young lion in a flock of sheep:
As it goes, it jumps on them
    and tears them to pieces,
    and no one can save them.
So you will raise your fist in victory over your enemies,
    and all your enemies will be destroyed.

10 The Lord says, “At that time,
    I will take your horses from you
    and destroy your chariots.
11 I will destroy the cities in your country
    and tear down all your defenses.
12 I will take away the magic charms you use
    so you will have no more fortune-tellers.
13 I will destroy your statues of gods
    and the stone pillars you worship
so that you will no longer worship
    what your hands have made.
14 I will tear down Asherah idols from you
    and destroy your cities.
15 In my anger and rage,
    I will pay back the nations that have not listened.”

Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

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 Israel.

And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian 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.

And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.

And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.

And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles 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.

Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.

10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots:

11 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:

12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:

13 Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands.

14 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.

15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.