51 "Now muster yourselves in troops , daughter of troops ; They have laid siege against us; With a rod they will smite the judge of Israel on the cheek . 2 "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah , Too little to be among the clans of Judah , From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel . His goings forth are from long ago , From the days of eternity ." 3 Therefore He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren Will return to the sons of Israel . 4 And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the Lord , In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God . And they will remain , Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth . 5 This One will be our peace . When the Assyrian invades our land , When he tramples on our citadels , Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men . 6 They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword , The land of Nimrod at its entrances ; And He will deliver us from the Assyrian When he attacks our land And when he tramples our territory .
7 Then the remnant of Jacob Will be among many peoples Like dew from the Lord , Like showers on vegetation Which do not wait for man Or delay for the sons of men . 8 The remnant of Jacob Will be among the nations , Among many peoples Like a lion among the beasts of the forest , Like a young lion among flocks of sheep , Which , if he passes through , Tramples down and tears , And there is none to rescue . 9 Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries , And all your enemies will be cut off . 10 "It will be in that day ," declares the Lord , " That I will cut off your horses from among you And destroy your chariots . 11 "I will also cut off the cities of your land And tear down all your fortifications . 12 "I will cut off sorceries from your hand , And you will have fortune-tellers no more. 13 " I will cut off your carved images And your sacred pillars from among you, So that you will no longer bow down To the work of your hands . 14 "I will root out your Asherim from among you And destroy your cities . 15 "And I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath On the nations which have not obeyed ."
31 And I said , " Hear now , heads of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel . Is it not for you to know justice ? 2 "You who hate good and love evil , Who tear off their skin from them And their flesh from their bones , 3 Who eat the flesh of my people , Strip off their skin from them, Break their bones And chop them up as for the pot And as meat in a kettle ." 4 Then they will cry out to the Lord , But He will not answer them. Instead, He will hide His face from them at that time Because they have practiced evil deeds . 5 Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray ; When they have something to bite with their teeth , They cry , "Peace ," But against him who puts nothing in their mouths They declare holy war . 6 Therefore it will be night for you-without vision , And darkness for you-without divination . The sun will go down on the prophets , And the day will become dark over them. 7 The seers will be ashamed And the diviners will be embarrassed . Indeed, they will all cover their mouths Because there is no answer from God .
8 On the other hand I am filled with power - With the Spirit of the Lord - And with justice and courage To make known to Jacob his rebellious act , Even to Israel his sin . 9 Now hear this , heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel , Who abhor justice And twist everything that is straight , 10 Who build Zion with bloodshed And Jerusalem with violent injustice . 11 Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe , Her priests instruct for a price And her prophets divine for money . Yet they lean on the Lord saying , " Is not the Lord in our midst ? Calamity will not come upon us." 12 Therefore , on account of you Zion will be plowed as a field , Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins , And the mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest .
