5:1 ¹  But now slash yourself, ²  daughter surrounded by soldiers! ³ 

We are besieged!

With a scepter ⁴  they strike Israel’s ruler ⁵ 

on the side of his face.

5:2 As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, ⁶ 

seemingly insignificant ⁷  among the clans of Judah –

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

one whose origins ⁹  are in the distant past. ¹⁰ 

5:3 So the Lord ¹¹  will hand the people of Israel ¹²  over to their enemies ¹³ 

until the time when the woman in labor ¹⁴  gives birth. ¹⁵ 

Then the rest of the king’s ¹⁶  countrymen will return

to be reunited with the people of Israel. ¹⁷ 

5:4 He will assume his post ¹⁸  and shepherd the people ¹⁹  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 honored ²² 

even in the distant regions of ²³  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 send ²⁶  against them seven ²⁷  shepherd-rulers, ²⁸ 

make that eight commanders. ²⁹