1 Now, rally yourself, daughter of a troop {gedud: armed band}; a siege has been set against us; with the rod {shevet: beating staff} they will strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.
2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, small as you are to be among the clans of Judah, from you, for Me {YHWH, Appointing King}, he will come out to be ruler {moshel: Royal Governor} in Israel, and his goings-out are from the ancient past, from days of eternity.
3 Therefore He{implied subject: the Coming Ruler} will hand them over until the time when the woman in labor {yoledah: birth-pains} has given birth; then the remainder {yeter: surviving portion} of His brothers will return to the sons of Israel.
4 And He will take His stand and shepherd in the strength of the LORD {YHWH, Strength Bestower}, in the majesty {geon: royal splendor} of the name of the LORD His God; and they will dwell, for now He will become great, to the ends of the earth.
5 And he will be peace {shalom: full well-being}. When Assyria enters our land and when he treads in our palaces, we will raise up against him seven shepherds and eight princes {nesikhei: ranked leaders} of men.
6 They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod {Nimrod: enemy emblem} at its entrances; and he {Coming Ruler: promised king} will deliver us from Assyria when he comes into our land and when he treads within our borders.
7 Then the remnant of Jacob will be among many peoples like dew from the LORD {YHWH, Rain-Sender}, like showers upon the grass {kirvivim: soaking rains}, which does not wait for a man, and does not look for the sons of man.
8 And the remnant of Jacob {yaaqov: covenant carrier} shall be among the nations, within the midst of many peoples, like a lion {aryeh: feared strength} among the beasts of a forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep—when it goes through, it tramples and tears, and no one delivers.
9 Your hand {yadkha: power shown} will rise over your adversaries, and all your enemies will be cut off {yikkaretu: removed entirely}.
10 It will happen on that day, declares the LORD {YHWH, Disarming Redeemer}: I will cut off your horses from your midst, and I will destroy your chariots {markevotekha: war transport}.
11 And I {YHWH, Judge of Israel} will cut off the cities of your land, and I will tear down all your strongholds {mivtsar: defensive centers}.
12 I {YHWH, Purging Judge} will cut off the sorceries {keshafim: forbidden magic} from your hand, and diviners will not be for you.
13 I {YHWH, Idol-Removing Judge} will cut away your carved images and your pillars {matssevot: shrine steles} out of your midst, and you will not bow down again to the work your hands have done.
14 And I {YHWH, Idolatry Purger} will uproot your Asherim {asherim: shrine poles} from your midst, and I will destroy your cities.
15 And I {YHWH, Judge of Nations} will act in anger and in wrath, bringing vengeance {nakam: judicial payback} on the nations who did not listen.