A Promised Ruler Will Come From Bethlehem
1Jerusalem, you are being attacked.
So bring your troops together.
Our enemies have surrounded us.
They want to slap the face of Israel’s ruler.
2The Lord says,
“Bethlehem Ephrathah, you might not be
an important town in the nation of Judah.
But out of you will come for me
a ruler over Israel.
His family line goes back
to the early years of your nation.
It goes all the way back
to days of long ago.”
3The Lord will hand over his people to their enemies.
That will last until the pregnant woman bears her promised son.
Then the rest of his relatives in Judah
will return to their land.
4That promised son will stand firm
and be a shepherd for his flock.
The Lord will give him the strength to do it.
The Lord his God will give him
the authority to rule.
His people will live safely.
His greatness will reach
from one end of the earth to the other.
5And he will be our peace
when the Assyrians attack our land.
They will march through our forts.
But we will raise up against them many shepherds.
We’ll send out against them
as many commanders as we need to.
6They will use their swords to rule over Assyria.
They’ll rule the land of Nimrod
with swords that are ready to strike.
The Assyrians will march across our borders
and attack our land.
But the promised ruler will save us from them.
7Jacob’s people who are still left alive
will be scattered among many nations.
They will be like dew the Lord has sent.
Dew doesn’t depend on any human being.
They will be like rain that falls on the grass.
Rain doesn’t wait for someone to give it orders.
8So Jacob’s people will be scattered
among many nations.
They will be like a lion
among the animals in the forest.
They’ll be like a young lion
among flocks of sheep.
Lions attack and tear apart their prey as they move along.
No one can keep them
from killing what they want.
9Lord, your power will win the battle
over your enemies.
All of them will be destroyed.
10“At that time I will destroy
your war horses,” announces the Lord.
“I will smash your chariots.
11I will destroy the cities in your land.
I will tear down all your forts.
12I will destroy your worship of evil powers.
You will no longer be able
to put a spell on anyone.
13I will destroy the statues of your gods.
I will take your sacred stones away from you.
You will no longer bow down
to the gods your hands have made.
14I will pull down the poles you used
to worship the female god named Asherah.
That will happen when I completely destroy your cities.
15I will pay back the nations
that have not obeyed me.
I will direct my anger against them.”
Wolamulira Wochokera ku Betelehemu
1Iwe mzinda wa anthu ankhondo, sonkhanitsa anthu ako ankhondo,
pakuti anthu atizungulira kuti alimbane nafe.
Adzakantha ndi ndodo pa chibwano
cha wolamulira wa Israeli.
2“Koma iwe Betelehemu Efurata,
ngakhale uli wonyozeka pakati pa mafuko a Yuda,
mwa iwe mudzatuluka
munthu amene adzalamulira Israeli,
amene chiyambi chake nʼchakalekale,
nʼchamasiku amakedzana.”
3Nʼchifukwa chake Israeli adzasiyidwa
mpaka pa nthawi imene mayi amene ali woyembekezera adzachire.
Ndipo abale ake onse otsalira adzabwerera
kudzakhala pamodzi ndi Aisraeli.
4Iye adzalimbika, ndipo adzaweta nkhosa zake
mwa mphamvu ya Yehova,
mu ulemerero wa dzina la Yehova Mulungu wake.
Ndipo iwo adzakhala mu mtendere,
pakuti ukulu wake udzakhala ponseponse pa dziko lapansi.
5Ndipo Iye adzakhala mtendere wawo.
Chipulumutso ndi Chiwonongeko
Asiriya akadzalowa mʼdziko lathu
ndi kuyamba kuthira nkhondo malo athu otetezedwa,
tidzawadzutsira abusa asanu ndi awiri,
ngakhalenso atsogoleri asanu ndi atatu.
6Iwo adzagonjetsa dziko la Asiriya ndi lupanga,
dziko la Nimurodi adzalilamulira mwankhondo.
Adzatipulumutsa kwa Asiriya
akadzafika mʼmalire a mʼdziko lathu
kudzatithira nkhondo.
7Otsalira a Yakobo adzakhala
pakati pa mitundu yambiri ya anthu
ngati mame ochokera kwa Yehova,
ngati mvumbi pa udzu,
omwe sulamulidwa ndi munthu
kapena kudikira lamulo la anthu.
8Otsala a Yakobo adzakhala pakati pa mitundu ya anthu,
mʼgulu la anthu a mitundu yambiri,
ngati mkango pakati pa nyama za mʼnkhalango.
Ngati mwana wa mkango pakati pa gulu la nkhosa,
amene pozidutsa amazidya ndi kuzikhadzula,
ndipo palibe angathe kuzilanditsa.
9Mudzagonjetsa adani anu,
ndipo adani anu onse adzawonongeka.
10Yehova akuti,
“Tsiku limenelo ndidzawononga akavalo anu onse
ndi kuphwasula magaleta anu.
11Ndidzawononga mizinda ya mʼdziko mwanu
ndi kugwetsa malinga anu onse.
12Ndidzawononga ufiti wanu
ndipo sikudzakhalanso anthu owombeza mawula.
13Ndidzawononga mafano anu osema
pamodzi ndi miyala yanu yopatulika imene ili pakati panu;
simudzagwadiranso zinthu zopanga
ndi manja anu.
14Ndidzazula mitengo ya mafano a Asera imene ili pakati panu,
ndipo ndidzawononga mizinda yanu.
15Ndidzayilanga mwaukali ndi mokwiya
mitundu imene sinandimvere Ine.”
