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.”
Àsọtẹ́lẹ̀ nípa Olùgbàlà láti Bẹtilẹhẹmu
1Nísinsin yìí, kó àwọn ọ̀wọ́ ogun rẹ jọ,
ìwọ ìlú ti o ni ọmọ-ogun,
nítorí ó ti fi gbógun dó tì wá.
Wọn yóò fi ọ̀pá lu àwọn alákòóso Israẹli ní ẹ̀rẹ̀kẹ́.
2“Ṣùgbọ́n ìwọ, Bẹtilẹhẹmu Efrata,
bí ìwọ ti jẹ́ kékeré láàrín àwọn ẹ̀yà Juda,
nínú rẹ ni ẹni tí yóò jẹ́ olórí ní Israẹli
yóò ti jáde tọ̀ mí wá,
ìjáde lọ rẹ̀ sì jẹ́ láti ìgbà àtijọ́,
láti ìgbà láéláé.”
3Nítorí náà Israẹli yóò di kíkọ̀sílẹ̀ pátápátá
títí di àkókò tí ẹni tí ń rọbí yóò fi bí,
àti àwọn ìyókù arákùnrin rẹ̀ yóò fi padà
láti darapọ̀ mọ́ àwọn Israẹli.
4Òun yóò sì dúró,
yóò sì máa ṣe olùṣọ́-àgùntàn àwọn agbo ẹran rẹ̀ ní agbára Olúwa,
ní ọláńlá orúkọ Olúwa Ọlọ́run rẹ̀.
Wọn yóò sì wà láìléwu,
nítorí nísinsin yìí ni títóbi rẹ
yóò sì dé òpin ayé.
Ìgbàlà àti ìparun
5Òun yóò sì jẹ́ àlàáfíà wọn.
Nígbà tí àwọn Asiria bá gbógun sí ilẹ̀ wa
tí wọ́n sì ń yan lórí odi alágbára wa,
nígbà náà ni a ó gbé olùṣọ́-àgùntàn méje dìde sí i,
àti olórí ènìyàn mẹ́jọ.
6Wọn yóò sì fi idà pa ilẹ̀ Asiria run,
àti ilẹ̀ Nimrodu pẹ̀lú idà tí a fà.
Òun yóò sì gbà wá sílẹ̀ lọ́wọ́ àwọn ará Asiria
nígbà tí wọn bá gbógun ti ilẹ̀ wa
tí wọ́n sì tún yan wọ ẹnu-bodè wa.
7Ìyókù Jakọbu yóò sì wà
láàrín ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ènìyàn
bí ìrì láti ọ̀dọ̀ Olúwa wa,
bí ọ̀wààrà òjò lórí koríko,
tí kò gbẹ́kẹ̀lé ènìyàn
tàbí kò dúró de àwọn ọmọ ènìyàn.
8Ìyókù Jakọbu yóò sì wà láàrín àwọn aláìkọlà
ní àárín àwọn ọ̀pọ̀ ènìyàn,
bí i kìnnìún láàrín àwọn ẹranko inú igbó,
bí i ọmọ kìnnìún láàrín agbo àgùntàn,
èyí tí ó máa ń fà á ya pẹ́rẹpẹ̀rẹ,
tí ó sì máa ń tẹ̀ ẹ́ mọ́lẹ̀,
tí kò sì ṣí ẹnìkan tí ó lè gbà á là.
9A ó gbé ọwọ́ rẹ̀ sókè ní ìṣẹ́gun lórí àwọn ọ̀tá rẹ̀,
gbogbo àwọn ọ̀tá rẹ̀ sì ni a ó parun.
10“Ní ọjọ́ náà,” ni Olúwa wí,
“Èmi yóò pa àwọn ẹṣin rẹ̀ run kúrò láàrín rẹ
èmi yóò sì pa àwọn kẹ̀kẹ́ ogun rẹ̀ run.
11Èmi yóò sì pa ilẹ̀ ìlú ńlá rẹ̀ run,
èmi ó sì fa gbogbo ibi gíga rẹ̀ ya.
12Èmi yóò gé ìwà àjẹ́ kúrò lọ́wọ́ rẹ̀,
ìwọ kì yóò sì ní aláfọ̀ṣẹ mọ́.
13Èmi yóò pa àwọn ère fínfín rẹ̀ run,
àti ọwọ́n rẹ̀ kúrò láàrín rẹ̀;
ìwọ kì yóò sì le è foríbalẹ̀
fún iṣẹ́ ọwọ́ rẹ mọ́.
14Èmi yóò fa ère Aṣerah tu kúrò láàrín rẹ̀,
èmi yóò sì pa ìlú ńlá rẹ̀ run.
15Èmi yóò gbẹ̀san ní ìbínú àti ìrunú
lórí àwọn orílẹ̀-èdè tí kò ti tẹríba fún mi.”
