² Bethlehem Ephrathah,^(A)
you are small among the clans of Judah;
one will come from you^(B)
to be ruler over Israel for me.^(C)
His origin^[a] is from antiquity,^(D)
from ancient times.
³ Therefore, Israel will be abandoned^(E) until the time
when she who is in labor^(F) has given birth;
then the rest of the ruler’s brothers^(G) will return
to the people of Israel.^(H)
4 He will stand and shepherd them^(I)
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majestic name of the Lord his God.
They will live securely,
for then his greatness will extend
to the ends of the earth.^(J)
5 He will be their peace.^(K)
When Assyria invades our land,^(L)
when it marches against our fortresses,
we will raise against it seven shepherds,
even eight leaders of men.
⁶ They will shepherd^(M) the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod^(N) with a drawn blade.^[b]
So he will rescue us^(O) from Assyria
when it invades our land,
when it marches against our territory.