A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem

5 a Marshal your troops now, city of troops,

for a siege is laid against us.

They will strike Israel’s ruler

on the cheekh with a rod.

2 “But you, Bethlehemi Ephrathah,j

though you are small among the clansb of Judah,

out of you will come for me

one who will be rulerk over Israel,

whose origins are from of old,l

from ancient times.”m

3 Therefore Israel will be abandonedn

until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,

and the rest of his brothers return

to join the Israelites.

4 He will stand and shepherd his flocko

in the strength of the Lord,

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

And they will live securely, for then his greatnessp

will reach to the ends of the earth.

5 And he will be our peaceq

when the Assyrians invader our land

and march through our fortresses.

We will raise against them seven shepherds,

even eight commanders,s

6 who will rulec the land of Assyria with the sword,

the land of Nimrodt with drawn sword.d u

He will deliver us from the Assyrians

when they invade our land

and march across our borders.v

7 The remnantw of Jacob will be

in the midst of many peoples

like dewx from the Lord,

like showers on the grass,y

which do not wait for anyone

or depend on man.

8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,

in the midst of many peoples,

like a lion among the beasts of the forest,z

like a young lion among flocks of sheep,

which mauls and manglesa as it goes,

and no one can rescue.b

9 Your hand will be lifted upc in triumph over your enemies,

and all your foes will be destroyed.

10 “In that day,” declares the Lord,

“I will destroy your horses from among you

and demolish your chariots.d

11 I will destroy the citiese of your land

and tear down all your strongholds.f

12 I will destroy your witchcraft

and you will no longer cast spells.g

13 I will destroy your idolsh

and your sacred stones from among you;i

you will no longer bow down

to the work of your hands.j

14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah polese k

when I demolish your cities.

15 I will take vengeancel in anger and wrath

on the nations that have not obeyed me.”

The Lord’s Case Against Israel

6 Listen to what the Lord says:

“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;m

let the hills hear what you have to say.

2 “Hear,n you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;o

listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.

For the Lord has a casep against his people;

he is lodging a chargeq against Israel.

3 “My people, what have I done to you?

How have I burdenedr you?s Answer me.

4 I brought you up out of Egyptt

and redeemed you from the land of slavery.u

I sent Mosesv to lead you,

also Aaronw and Miriam.x

5 My people, remember

what Balaky king of Moab plotted

and what Balaam son of Beor answered.

Remember your journey from Shittimz to Gilgal,a

that you may know the righteous actsb of the Lord.”

6 With what shall I come beforec the Lord

and bow down before the exalted God?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

with calves a year old?d

7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,e

with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?f

Shall I offer my firstborng for my transgression,

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?h

8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justlyi and to love mercy

and to walk humblya j with your God.k

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

9 Listen! The Lord is calling to the city—

and to fear your name is wisdom—

“Heed the rodl and the One who appointed it.b

10 Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house,

and the short ephah,c which is accursed?m

11 Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales,n

with a bag of false weights?o

12 Your rich people are violent;p

your inhabitants are liarsq

and their tongues speak deceitfully.r

13 Therefore, I have begun to destroys you,

to ruind you because of your sins.

14 You will eat but not be satisfied;t

your stomach will still be empty.e

You will store up but save nothing,u

because what you savef I will give to the sword.

15 You will plant but not harvest;v

you will press olives but not use the oil,

you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.w

16 You have observed the statutes of Omrix

and all the practices of Ahab’sy house;

you have followed their traditions.z

Therefore I will give you over to ruina

and your people to derision;

you will bear the scornb of the nations.g”

Israel’s Misery

7 What misery is mine!

I am like one who gathers summer fruit

at the gleaning of the vineyard;

there is no cluster of grapes to eat,

none of the early figsc that I crave.

2 The faithful have been swept from the land;d

not onee upright person remains.

Everyone lies in waitf to shed blood;g

they hunt each otherh with nets.i

3 Both hands are skilled in doing evil;j

the ruler demands gifts,

the judge accepts bribes,k

the powerful dictate what they desire—

they all conspire together.

4 The best of them is like a brier,l

the most upright worse than a thornm hedge.

The day God visits you has come,

the day your watchmen sound the alarm.

Now is the time of your confusion.n

5 Do not trust a neighbor;

put no confidence in a friend.o

Even with the woman who lies in your embrace

guard the words of your lips.

6 For a son dishonors his father,

a daughter rises up against her mother,p

a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—

a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.q

7 But as for me, I watchr in hopes for the Lord,

I wait for God my Savior;

my God will heart me.

Israel Will Rise

8 Do not gloat over me,u my enemy!

Though I have fallen, I will rise.v

Though I sit in darkness,

the Lord will be my light.w

9 Because I have sinned against him,

I will bear the Lord’s wrath,x

until he pleads my casey

and upholds my cause.

He will bring me out into the light;z

I will see his righteousness.a

10 Then my enemy will see it

and will be covered with shame,b

she who said to me,

“Where is the Lord your God?”c

My eyes will see her downfall;d

even now she will be tramplede underfoot

like mire in the streets.

11 The day for building your wallsf will come,

the day for extending your boundaries.

12 In that day people will come to you

from Assyriag and the cities of Egypt,

even from Egypt to the Euphrates

and from sea to sea

and from mountain to mountain.h

13 The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,

as the result of their deeds.i

Prayer and Praise

14 Shepherdj your people with your staff,k

the flock of your inheritance,

which lives by itself in a forest,

in fertile pasturelands.a l

Let them feed in Bashanm and Gileadn

as in days long ago.o

15 “As in the days when you came out of Egypt,

I will show them my wonders.p”

16 Nations will see and be ashamed,q

deprived of all their power.

They will put their hands over their mouthsr

and their ears will become deaf.

17 They will lick dusts like a snake,

like creatures that crawl on the ground.

They will come tremblingt out of their dens;

they will turn in fearu to the Lord our God

and will be afraid of you.

18 Who is a Godv like you,

who pardons sinw and forgivesx the transgression

of the remnanty of his inheritance?z

You do not stay angrya forever

but delight to show mercy.b

19 You will again have compassion on us;

you will tread our sins underfoot

and hurl all our iniquitiesc into the depths of the sea.d

20 You will be faithful to Jacob,

and show love to Abraham,e

as you pledged on oath to our ancestorsf

in days long ago.g