Michoh 5

1But thou, Beit-Lechem Ephratah,

though thou be little among the Alphei Yehudah (Thousands of Yehudah),

yet out of thee shall He1 come forth unto Me2

that is to be Moshel Yisroel;

whose goings forth3 have been mikedem (from everlasting),4

mimei olam (from the days of eternity).

2Therefore will He give them up,

until the Et Yoledah (time when she who is in labor) hath brought forth;

then the rest of His5 Brethren

shall return unto Bnei Yisroel.

3And He6 shall stand and shall shepherd in the strength of Hashem,

in the majesty of the Shem of Hashem Elohav,

and they7 shall live;

for then shall He8 be great unto the ends of ha'aretz.

4And this shall be Shalom.

When the Assyrian shall invade our land;

and when he shall set foot on our armenot (citadels),

then shall we raise against him shivah ro'im (seven shepherds),

and shmoneh nesikhei adam (eight leaders [tribal princes] of men).

5And they shall shepherd Eretz Ashur (Assyria) with the cherev,

and Eretz Nimrod at its gates;

thus shall He9 deliver us from the Assyrian,

when he cometh into our land,

and when he sets foot within our borders.

6And the She'erit Ya'akov shall be in the midst of many people

like tal (dew) from Hashem, like the showers upon the grass,

that doth not await manʼs bidding,

nor tarry for the bnei adam.

7And the She'erit Ya'akov shall be among the Goyim

in the midst of many people

like an aryeh among the beasts of the forest,

like a young lion among the edrei tzon (flocks of sheep);

who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces,

and none can deliver.

8Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries,

and kol oyvecha (all thine enemies) shall be cut off.

9And it shall come to pass in Yom HaHu, saith Hashem,

that I will cut off thy susim out of the midst of thee,

and I will destroy thy merkavot (chariots);

10And I will cut off the cities of thy land,

and throw down all thy mivtzarim (fortresses);

11And I will cut off keshafim (witchcrafts) out of thine hand; n tsvishen dir,

un vest zich mer nisht b

and thou shalt have no more sorcerers;

12Thy graven images also will I cut off,

and thy sacred pillars out of the midst of thee;

and lo tishtachaveh (thou shalt no more bow down to, worship) the work of thine hands.

13And I will pluck up thy Asherim10 out of the midst of thee;

so will I destroy thy cities.

14And I will execute vengeance

in anger and fury

upon the Goyim that were without mishma'at (obedience).