1Now gather thyself in troops , O daughter of troops : he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek . 2But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah , though thou be little among the thousands of Judah , yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel ; whose goings forth have been from of old , from everlasting . 3Therefore will he give them up , until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth : then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel . 4And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD , in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God ; and they shall abide : for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth . 5And this man shall be the peace , when the Assyrian shall come into our land : and when he shall tread in our palaces , then shall we raise against him seven shepherds , and eight principal men . 6And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword , and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian , when he cometh into our land , and when he treadeth within our borders .
The Remnant of Israel
7And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD , as the showers upon the grass , that tarrieth not for man , nor waiteth for the sons of men . 8And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest , as a young lion among the flocks of sheep : who, if he go through , both treadeth down , and teareth in pieces , and none can deliver . 9Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries , and all thine enemies shall be cut off .
The Judgment on Israel's Enemies
10And it shall come to pass in that day , saith the LORD , that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots : 11And I will cut off the cities of thy land , and throw down all thy strong holds : 12And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand ; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers : 13Thy graven images also will I cut off , and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands . 14And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities . 15And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen , such as they have not heard .