A Ruler from Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1–12)
1 UST Now, people{ of Jerusalem}, gather yourselves into a troop! Even though you have a wall to protect your city, enemy soldiers have surrounded it. They are here to overpower and humiliate the ruler of Israel. BSB BSB: Now, O daughter of troops, mobilize your troops; for a siege is laid against us! With a rod they will strike the cheek of the judge of Israel.
3 UST So God will allow Israel’ s enemies to conquer them, until the time when she who will bear gives birth. Then the rest of those who, with him, are part of Israel will rejoin their fellow Israelites. BSB BSB: Therefore Israel will be abandoned until she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of His brothers will return to the children of Israel.
4 UST Yahweh will strengthen him to rule and to care for his people as majestically and authoritatively as if Yahweh, his God, were doing those things himself. His people will live{ safely}, because, at that time, people all over the earth will honor him. BSB BSB: He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD His God. And they will dwell securely, for then His greatness will extend to the ends of the earth.
5 UST He will cause his people to prosper. When{ the army of} Assyria attacks our land and breaks through our fortresses, we will appoint many leaders{ to lead our army} to fight against them. BSB BSB: And He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land and tramples our citadels. We will raise against it seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men.
6 UST They will lead our army to rule the land of Assyria, that is, the territory that Nimrod founded{ long ago}. The ruler will rescue us from the Assyrians when they cross our borders to invade our land. BSB BSB: And they will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the blade drawn. So He will deliver us when Assyria invades our land and marches into our borders.
The Remnant of Jacob (Micah 2:12–13)
7 UST Then the descendants of Jacob who have survived will live among many other peoples.{ They will be a blessing for those peoples,} just as the dew and the rain{ are} that Yahweh sends for the grass. They will depend on Yahweh{ to sustain them} just as the grass does, and not on other people. BSB BSB: Then the remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for man or linger for mankind.
8 UST Yes, the descendants of Jacob who have survived will be in other nations, living among many other peoples. But they will be{ powerful,} like a lion is among the other animals. If they need to do so, they can easily defeat those peoples, just as a young lion pounces on sheep and tears them apart, and no one can rescue them. BSB BSB: Then the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which tramples and tears as it passes through, with no one to rescue them.
9 UST { Yahweh,} we want you to powerfully defeat all of your enemies and to destroy them completely! BSB BSB: Your hand will be lifted over your foes, and all your enemies will be cut off.
10 UST Yahweh declares,“At that time, I will take away your{ war} horses and I will destroy your chariots. BSB BSB: “In that day,” declares the LORD, “I will remove your horses from among you and wreck your chariots.
11 UST I will tear down the cities in your land and I will destroy all of your fortresses. BSB BSB: I will remove the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds.
12 UST I will stop you from practicing witchcraft, and there will be no more fortune tellers among you. BSB BSB: I will cut the sorceries from your hand, and you will have no fortune-tellers.
13 UST I will destroy your idols and your sacred stone pillars, and then you will no longer worship things that you yourselves have made. BSB BSB: I will also cut off the carved images and sacred pillars from among you, so that you will no longer bow down to the work of your own hands.
14 UST I will remove the{ poles that you use to worship the goddess} Asherah, and I will destroy your cities. BSB BSB: I will root out the Asherah poles from your midst and demolish your cities.
15 UST Because I am very angry, I will severely punish{ the people of} the nations that have not obeyed{ me}.” BSB BSB: I will take vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations that have not obeyed Me.”