| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. | 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. |
| 2But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. | 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 he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. | 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. |
| 4And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be 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 shall be their peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of 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. |
| 6they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances; and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land and treads within our border. | 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. |
| 7Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which delay not for a man nor wait for the children of man. | 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. |
| 8And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is none 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. |
| 9Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off. | 9Lift your hand triumphantly against your adversaries; may all your enemies be destroyed! |
| 10And in that day, declares the LORD, I will cut off your horses from among you and will destroy your chariots; | 10"In that day," says the LORD, "I will destroy your horses from your midst, and smash your chariots. |
| 11and I 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 fortresses. |
| 12and I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more tellers of fortunes; | 12I will remove the sorcery that you practice, and you will no longer have omen readers living among you. |
| 13and I will cut off your carved images and your pillars from among you, and you shall bow down no more to the work of your hands; | 13I will remove your idols and sacred pillars from your midst; you will no longer worship what your own hands made. |
| 14and I will root out your Asherah images from among you and destroy your cities. | 14I will uproot your images of Asherah from your midst, and destroy your idols. |
| 15And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey. | 15I will angrily seek vengeance on the nations that do not obey me." |
|
