| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1 "Now marshal yourselves as troops. He has laid siege to us. They will strike the judge of Israel on the cheek with a rod." | 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. |
| 2 "As for you, Bethlehem of Ephrathah, even though you remain least among the clans of Judah, nevertheless, the one who rules in Israel for me will emerge from you. His existence has been from antiquity, even from eternity. | 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. |
| 3Therefore that ruler will abandon them until the woman in labor gives birth. Then the rest of his countrymen will return to the Israelis." | 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. |
| 4"Then he will take his stand, shepherding by means of the strength of the LORD, by the power of the name of the LORD his God. And they will be firmly established; indeed, from then on he will become great— to the ends of the earth. | 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. |
| 5And he will be our peace." "When the Assyrian invades our land, trampling through our palaces, we will raise up seven shepherds against him, even eight significant men. | 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. |
| 6The shepherds will devastate the land of Assyria with the sword, along with the entrances to the land of Nimrod. "This is how he will vanquish Assyria when he invades our land, trampling within our borders: | 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. |
| 7The survivors of Jacob will live among many peoples, as dew from the LORD, as showers upon the grass. They will look to no one, and will place no hope in human beings. | 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. |
| 8The survivors of Jacob will live among the nations; they will live among many peoples, like a lion among flocks of sheep, who, if he passes through, will trample and tear down with no one to deliver. | 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. |
| 9You will turn your power against your adversaries, and all of your enemies will be cut down." | 9Lift your hand triumphantly against your adversaries; may all your enemies be destroyed! |
| 10"It will come about at that time," declares the LORD, "I will tear away your horses from you, and I will destroy your chariots. | 10"In that day," says the LORD, "I will destroy your horses from your midst, and smash your chariots. |
| 11I will cut off the cities of your land, and I will tear down all of your fortifications. | 11I will destroy the cities of your land, and tear down all your fortresses. |
| 12I will render your witchcraft powerless, and mediums will no longer exist among you. | 12I will remove the sorcery that you practice, and you will no longer have omen readers living among you. |
| 13I will separate you from your carved images and sacred pillars, and you no longer will worship what you've made with your hands. | 13I will remove your idols and sacred pillars from your midst; you will no longer worship what your own hands made. |
| 14I will uproot your cultic gods from you, and I will tear down your cities. | 14I will uproot your images of Asherah from your midst, and destroy your idols. |
| 15I will execute vengeance, anger, and fury on the nations who do not obey." | 15I will angrily seek vengeance on the nations that do not obey me." |
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