A Ruler from Bethlehem

1Now shall the daughter of Sion be completely hedged in: he has laid siege against us: they shall smite the tribes of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

2And thou, Bethleem, house of Ephratha, art few in number to be reckoned among the thousands of Juda; yet out of thee shall one come forth to me, to be a ruler of Israel; and his goings forth were from the beginning, even from eternity.

3Therefore shall he appoint them to wait till the time of her that travails: she shall bring forth, and then the remnant of their brethren shall return to the children of Israel.

4And the Lord shall stand, and see, and feed his flock with power, and they shall dwell in the glory of the name of the Lord their God: for now shall they be magnified to the ends of the earth.

5And she shall have peace when Assur shall come into your land, and when he shall come up upon your country; and there shall be raised up against him seven shepherds, and eight attacks of men.

6And they shall tend the Assyrian with a sword, and the land of Nebrod with her trench: and he shall deliver you from the Assyrian, when he shall come upon your land, and when he shall invade your coasts.

The Remnant of Jacob

7And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many peoples, as dew falling from the Lord, and as lambs on the grass; that none may assemble nor resist among the sons of men.

8And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many nations, as a lion in the forest among cattle, and as a lion's whelp among the flocks of sheep, even as when he goes through, and selects, and carries off his prey, and there is none to deliver.

9Thine hand shall be lifted up against them that afflict thee, and all thine enemies shall be utterly destroyed.

10And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that I will utterly destroy the horses out of the midst of thee, and destroy thy chariots;

11and I will utterly destroy the cities of thy land, and demolish all thy strong-holds:

12and I will utterly destroy thy sorceries out of thine hands; and there shall be no soothsayers in thee.

13And I will utterly destroy thy graven images, and thy statues out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt never any more worship the works of thine hands.

14And I will cut off the groves out of the midst of thee, and I will abolish thy cities.

15and I will execute vengeance on the heathen in anger and wrath, because they hearkened not.