¹ 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.

² But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou art little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.¹

1. everlasting: Heb. the days of eternity

³ Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel.

⁴ 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 to the ends of the earth.¹

1. feed or, rule

⁵ 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.¹

1. principal: Heb. princes of

⁶ And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its entrances: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.¹²

1. waste: Heb. eat up
2. in the...: or, with her own naked swords

⁷ 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.

⁸ 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 goeth through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.¹

1. sheep: or, goats

⁹ Thy hand shall be lifted up upon thy adversaries, and all thy 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 thy 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 thy hands.¹

1. standing...: or, statues

¹⁴ And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.¹

1. cities: or, enemies

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