1 Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. 2 But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. 3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. 5 And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. 6 And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.
7 And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.
8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. 9 Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. 10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots: 11 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds: 12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: 13 Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. 14 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. 15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.
1 女子啊! 现在你要聚集成队; 仇敌正在围攻我们; 他们用杖击打以色列执政的脸颊。(本节在《马索拉抄本》为4:14)
2 伯利恒以法他啊! 你在犹大诸城中虽然细小("伯利恒......细小"有古卷作"以法他家啊, 你在犹大诸族中虽然细小"), 必有一位从你那里出来, 为我作以色列的统治者; 他的根源从太初, 从亘古就有了。(本节在《马索拉抄本》为5:1)
3 因此, 耶和华必把以色列人交给敌人, 直到那要生产的妇人生下儿子来; 那时, 他其余的兄弟, 就必归回以色列人那里。
4 他必站立起来, 靠着耶和华的能力, 靠着耶和华他 神之名的威严, 牧养他的羊群; 他们必然安居, 因为那时他必尊大, 直到地极。
5 这就是那带来太平的。亚述人入侵我们的国土, 践踏我们宫殿的时候, 我们就要兴起七个牧者; 八个作领袖的人攻击他。
6 他们必用刀剑治理亚述地, 必用剑锋治理宁录地; 亚述人入侵我们的国土, 践踏我们境界的时候, 他必拯救我们脱离亚述人的手。
7 那时, 雅各的余民, 必在许多民族中, 像从耶和华那里降下的露水, 又像甘霖降在草上, 不期望于人, 也不等候世人。
8 那时雅各的余民, 必在万国中, 在许多民族里, 像树林里百兽中的狮子, 又像幼狮在羊群中; 他若经过, 就必践踏、撕碎, 没有人可以拯救。
9 愿你的手举起高过你的敌人, 愿你的一切仇敌都被剪除。
10 耶和华说: "到那日, 我必从你中间剪除你的马匹, 毁灭你的车辆,
11 拆毁你国中的城市, 倾覆你的一切保障;
12 我必从你的手中除掉巫术, 你那里就不再有占卜的;
13 我必从你中间除掉你雕刻的偶像和柱像, 你就不再跪拜你手所做的;
14 我必从你中间除灭你的亚舍拉, 毁灭你的偶像。
15 我必在忿怒和烈怒中, 向那些不听从的列国施行报复。"