A King Will Come and a Remnant Will Prosper

5:2 (5:1) As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,6

seemingly insignificant7 among the clans of Judah—

from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf,8

one whose origins9 are in the distant past.10

5:3 So the Lord11 will hand the people of Israel12 over to their enemies13

until the time when the woman in labor14 gives birth.15

Then the rest of the king’s16 countrymen will return

to be reunited with the people of Israel.17

5:4 He will assume his post18 and shepherd the people19 by the Lord’s strength,

by the sovereign authority of the Lord his God.20

They will live securely,21 for at that time he will be honored22

even in the distant regions of23 the earth.

5:5 He will give us peace.24

Should the Assyrians try to invade our land

and attempt to set foot in our fortresses,25

we will send26 against them seven27 shepherd-rulers,28

make that eight commanders.29

5:6 They will rule30 the land of Assyria with the sword,

the land of Nimrod31 with a drawn sword.32

Our king33 will rescue us from the Assyrians

should they attempt to invade our land

and try to set foot in our territory.

5:7 Those survivors from34 Jacob will live35

in the midst of many nations.36

They will be like the dew the Lord sends,

like the rain on the grass,

that does not hope for men to come

or wait around for humans to arrive.37

5:8 Those survivors from Jacob will live among the nations,

in the midst of many peoples.

They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,

like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,

which attacks when it passes through;

it rips its prey38 and there is no one to stop it.39

5:9 Lift your hand triumphantly against your adversaries;40

may all your enemies be destroyed!41