| New King James Version | New International Version |
| 1Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; He has laid siege against us; They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek. | 1Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel's ruler on the cheek with a rod. |
| 2“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” | 2"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." |
| 3Therefore He shall give them up, Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; Then the remnant of His brethren Shall return to the children of Israel. | 3Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. |
| 4And He shall stand and feed His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; And they shall abide, For now He shall be great To the ends of the earth; | 4He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. |
| 5And this One shall be peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land, And when he treads in our palaces, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight princely men. | 5And he will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses. We will raise against them seven shepherds, even eight commanders, |
| 6They shall waste with the sword the land of Assyria, And the land of Nimrod at its entrances; Thus He shall deliver us from the Assyrian, When he comes into our land And when he treads within our borders. | 6who will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with drawn sword. He will deliver us from the Assyrians when they invade our land and march across our borders. |
| 7Then the remnant of Jacob Shall be in the midst of many peoples, Like dew from the LORD, Like showers on the grass, That tarry for no man Nor wait for the sons of men. | 7The 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 anyone or depend on man. |
| 8And the remnant of Jacob Shall be among the Gentiles, In the midst of many peoples, Like a lion among the beasts of the forest, Like a young lion among flocks of sheep, Who, if he passes through, Both treads down and tears in pieces, And none can deliver. | 8The 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 mauls and mangles as it goes, and no one can rescue. |
| 9Your hand shall be lifted against your adversaries, And all your enemies shall be cut off. | 9Your hand will be lifted up in triumph over your enemies, and all your foes will be destroyed. |
| 10“And it shall be in that day,” says the LORD, “That I will cut off your horses from your midst And destroy your chariots. | 10"In that day," declares the LORD, "I will destroy your horses from among you and demolish your chariots. |
| 11I will cut off the cities of your land And throw down all your strongholds. | 11I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds. |
| 12I will cut off sorceries from your hand, And you shall have no soothsayers. | 12I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells. |
| 13Your carved images I will also cut off, And your sacred pillars from your midst; You shall no more worship the work of your hands; | 13I will destroy your idols and your sacred stones from among you; you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands. |
| 14I will pluck your wooden images from your midst; Thus I will destroy your cities. | 14I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles when I demolish your cities. |
| 15And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury On the nations that have not heard.” | 15I will take vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that have not obeyed me." |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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