1 Now, daughter who is under attack,you slash yourself in grief;a siege is set against us!They are striking the judge of Israelon the cheek with a rod.
2 Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah;One will come from you to be ruler over Israel for Me. His origin is from antiquity, from eternity.
3 Therefore, He will abandon them until the timewhen she who is in labor has given birth;then the rest of His brothers will returnto the people of Israel.
4 He will stand and shepherd them in the strength of Yahweh,in the majestic name of Yahweh His God.They will live securely,for then His greatness will extendto the ends of the earth.
5 He will be their peace. When Assyria invades our land, when it marches against our fortresses,we will raise against it seven shepherds,even eight leaders of men.
6 They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,the land of Nimrod with a drawn blade. So He will rescue us from Assyriawhen it invades our land,when it marches against our territory.
7 Then the remnant of Jacob will be among many peopleslike dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for anyoneor linger for mankind.