1 Now gash yourself, daughter of raiders; a siege has been set against us; they strike Israel's judge on the cheek with a rod.
2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too small to be among the thousands of Judah, from you shall come out to me the one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings out are from of old, from days of eternity.
3 So he will abandon them until the time when the woman in labor has borne her child; then the remainder of his brothers will come back to join the children of Israel.
4 He will take his stand and tend the flock by the LORD's strength, by the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they will live on, for his greatness will then reach to the ends of the earth.
5 And this one will be peace. Should Assyria invade our land and march across our fortresses, we will set up against it seven shepherds, even eight chiefs of men.
6 With the sword they will rule the land of Assyria, and Nimrod's land at its gates; so he will rescue us from Assyria when it invades our land and tramples our territory.
7 The remnant of Jacob will be among many peoples like dew sent by the LORD, like rain showers on the plants, which do not hold back for anyone or wait on the sons of men.
8 Among the nations, amid many peoples, the remnant of Jacob will be like a lion among forest animals, like a young lion among herds of sheep, which tramples and mauls whatever it passes through, with no one to rescue.
9 Let your hand be raised high over your foes, and may all your enemies be cut off.
10 On that day, declares the LORD, I will remove your horses from your midst and wreck your chariots.
11 I will do away with the cities of your land and pull down every fortress you have.
12 I will take the sorceries out of your hand, and there will be no fortune-tellers among you.
13 I will destroy your idols and your sacred pillars from among you, and never again will you bow to what your own hands have made.
14 I will tear up your Asherim out of your midst and lay your cities in ruins.
15 In anger and fury I will take vengeance on the nations that would not listen.