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.”
Bɔhyɛhene Bi A Ofi Betlehem
1Mommoaboa mo asraafo ano,
akofo kuropɔn,
efisɛ atamfo atwa yɛn ho ahyia.
Wɔde abaa bɛbɔ nea odi Israel so no wɔ nʼafono so.
2“Nanso wo, Betlehem Efrata,
ɛwɔ mu sɛ woyɛ ketewa wɔ Yuda mmusua mu de,
nanso wo mu na obi befi ama me
a obedi Israel so,
na nʼase fi teteete.”
3Enti wobɛto Israelfo paahwii,
kosi sɛ ɔbea a awo aka no no bɛwo
na ne nuanom mmarima nkae
bɛsan akɔka Israelfo ho.
4Ɔbɛsɔre ahwɛ ne nguankuw
wɔ Awurade ahoɔden mu,
wɔ Awurade ne Nyankopɔn din kɛseyɛ mu.
Na wɔbɛtena asomdwoe mu, na afei
ne kɛseyɛ bedu asase awiei.
5Na ɔbɛyɛ wɔn asomdwoe.
Sɛ Asiriafo bɛtow ahyɛ yɛn asase so,
na wɔbɔ nsra fa yɛn aban mu a,
yɛde nguanhwɛfo baason,
mpo asahene baawɔtwe behyia wɔn.
6Wɔde afoa bedi Asiria asase so,
wɔbɛtwe afoa de adi Nimrod asase so.
Sɛ Asiriafo tow hyɛ yɛn so,
bɔ nsra fa yɛn ahye so a,
obegye yɛn afi wɔn nsam.
7Yakob asefo nkae no
bɛfrafra nnipa bebree mu
te sɛ obosu a efi Awurade,
te sɛ osu a ɛpete gu sare so
a ɛntwɛn ɔdesani,
na ɔdesani biara rentumi nsiw ho kwan.
8Wɔbɛkan Yakob asefo nkae no afra aman no mu,
wɔbɛfrafra nnipa bebree mu
te sɛ gyata a ɔfra mmoa mu wɔ kwae mu,
te sɛ gyata ba a ɔfra nguankuw mu
a ɔbobɔ wɔn tetew wɔn mu
na obiara ntumi nnye wɔn.
9Wɔbɛma wo nsa so sɛ woadi wʼatamfo so nkonim,
na wɔbɛsɛe wʼatamfo nyinaa.
10“Saa da no,” sɛnea Awurade se ni,
“Mɛsɛe apɔnkɔ a wowɔ
na mabubu wo nteaseɛnam.
11Mɛsɛe nkuropɔn a ɛwɔ wʼasase so
na madwiriw wo bammɔ dennen nyinaa agu.
12Mɛsɛe wʼabayisɛm
na wo ntafowayi to betwa.
13Mɛsɛe nsɛsode a wode wo nsa ayɛ
ne abo ahoni a wowɔ no,
na worenkotow nsɔre
wo nsa ano adwuma bio.
14Metutu Asera abosomnnua no afi wo mu
na masɛe wo nkuropɔn.
15Aman a wɔantie mʼasɛm no nyinaa,
mede abufuw ne abufuwhyew bɛtɔ wɔn so were.”