The Ruler to Be Born in Bethlehem

5 1 Now muster your troops, O daughter2 of troops;

siege is laid against us;

with a rod pthey strike the judge of Israel

on the cheek.

2  3 qBut you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,

who are too little to be among the clans of rJudah,

from you shall come forth for me

one who is to be sruler in Israel,

twhose coming forth is ufrom of old,

from ancient days.

3  Therefore he shall give them up vuntil the time

when she who is in labor has given birth;

then wthe rest of his brothers shall return

to the people of Israel.

4  And he shall stand xand shepherd his flock yin the strength of the Lord,

in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

And they shall dwell secure, for now zhe shall be great

to the ends of the earth.

5  And he shall be atheir peace.

bWhen the Assyrian comes into our land

and treads in our palaces,

then we will raise against him seven cshepherds

and eight princes of men;

6  they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,

and the land of dNimrod at its entrances;

and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian

bwhen he comes into our land

and treads within our border.