1 En jy, Betlehem frata, klein om te wees onder die geslagte van Juda, uit jou sal daar vir My uitgaan een wat 'n Heerser in Israel sal wees; en sy uitgange is uit die voortyd, uit die dae van die ewigheid.

2 Daarom sal Hy hulle prysgee tot op die tyd dat 'n barende gebaar het. Dan sal die oorblyfsel van sy broers saam met die kinders van Israel terugkeer.

3 En Hy sal optree en hulle laat wei in die sterkte van die HERE, in die majesteit van die Naam van die HERE sy God; en hulle sal rustig woon, want nou sal Hy groot wees tot aan die eindes van die aarde.

4 En Hy sal vrede wees. Wanneer Assur in ons land kom en hy ons paleise wil betree, sal ons teenoor hom sewe herders stel, ja, agt vorste uit die mense.

5 En hulle sal die land Assur met die swaard afwei en die land van Nimrod by sy ingange. So sal Hy ons dan van Assur bevry, wanneer hy in ons land kom en ons grondgebied betree.

6 Dan sal die oorblyfsel van Jakob onder baie volke wees soos dou van die HERE, soos reënbuie op die plante, wat op geen mens wag nie en ter wille van geen mensekind vertoef nie.

7 En die oorblyfsel van Jakob tussen die nasies sal onder baie volke wees soos 'n leeu onder die diere van die woud, soos 'n jong leeu onder troppe kleinvee; wat, as hy deurtrek, vertrap en verskeur sonder dat iemand red.

8 Jou hand sal bo jou teëstanders verhewe wees, en al jou vyande sal uitgeroei word.

9 En in die dag, spreek die HERE, sal Ek jou perde uit jou midde uitroei en jou strydwaens vernietig.

10 Ook sal Ek uitroei die stede van jou land en al jou vestings afbreek.

11 Verder sal Ek uitroei die towerye uit jou hand, en jy sal geen goëlaars meer hê nie.

12 En Ek sal uit jou midde uitroei jou gesnede beelde en jou klippilare, sodat jy jou nie meer voor die werk van jou hande sal neerbuig nie.

13 En Ek sal uit jou midde uitruk jou heilige boomstamme en jou stede verwoes.

14 En Ek sal in toorn en grimmigheid wraak neem op die nasies wat nie geluister het nie.

1 \5:2\And you, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, the least among the families of Judah, out of you one will come to me who is to be ruler in Israel; whose going out has been purposed from time past, from the eternal days.

2 \5:3\For this cause he will give them up till the time when she who is with child has given birth: then the rest of his brothers will come back to the children of Israel.

3 \5:4\And he will take his place and give food to his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the glory of the name of the Lord his God; and their resting-place will be safe: for now he will be great to the ends of the earth.

4 \5:5\And this will be our peace: when the Assyrian comes into our country and his feet are in our land, then we will put up against him seven keepers of the flocks and eight chiefs among men.

5 \5:6\And they will make waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the edge of the sword: he will give us salvation from the Assyrian when he comes into our country, when his feet come inside the limit of our land.

6 \5:7\And the rest of Jacob will be among the mass of peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which may not be kept back by man, or be waiting for the sons of men.

7 \5:8\And the rest of Jacob will be among the nations, in the middle of the mass of peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the woods, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep: if he goes through, they will be crushed under foot and pulled to bits, and there will be no saviour.

8 \5:9\Your hand is lifted up against those who are against you, and all your haters will be cut off.

9 \5:10\And it will come about in that day, says the Lord, that I will take away your horses from you, and will give your war-carriages to destruction:

10 \5:11\I will have the towns of your land cut off and all your strong places pulled down:

11 \5:12\I will put an end to your use of secret arts, and you will have no more readers of signs:

12 \5:13\And I will have your images and your pillars cut off from you; and you will no longer give worship to the work of your hands.

13 \5:14\I will have your Asherahs pulled up from among you: and I will send destruction on your images.

14 \5:15\And my punishment will be effected on the nations with such burning wrath as they have not had word of.