| NET Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 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. | 1Now, O daughter of troops, mobilize your troops; for a siege is laid against us! With a rod they will strike the cheek of the judge of Israel. |
| 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. | 2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity. |
| 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. | 3Therefore Israel will be abandoned until she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of His brothers will return to the children of Israel. |
| 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. | 4He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD His God. And they will dwell securely, for then His greatness will extend to the ends of the earth. |
| 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. | 5And He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land and tramples our citadels. We will raise against it seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men. |
| 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. | 6And they will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the blade drawn. So He will deliver us when Assyria invades our land and marches into our borders. |
| 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. | 7Then the remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for man or linger for mankind. |
| 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. | 8Then the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which tramples and tears as it passes through, with no one to rescue them. |
| 9Lift your hand triumphantly against your adversaries; may all your enemies be destroyed! | 9Your hand will be lifted over your foes, and all your enemies will be cut off. |
| 10"In that day," says the LORD, "I will destroy your horses from your midst, and smash your chariots. | 10“In that day,” declares the LORD, “I will remove your horses from among you and wreck your chariots. |
| 11I will destroy the cities of your land, and tear down all your fortresses. | 11I will remove the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds. |
| 12I will remove the sorcery that you practice, and you will no longer have omen readers living among you. | 12I will cut the sorceries from your hand, and you will have no fortune-tellers. |
| 13I will remove your idols and sacred pillars from your midst; you will no longer worship what your own hands made. | 13I will also cut off the carved images and sacred pillars from among you, so that you will no longer bow down to the work of your own hands. |
| 14I will uproot your images of Asherah from your midst, and destroy your idols. | 14I will root out the Asherah poles from your midst and demolish your cities. |
| 15I will angrily seek vengeance on the nations that do not obey me." | 15I will take vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations that have not obeyed Me.” |
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