1 People of Jerusalem, gather your forces! We are besieged! They are attacking the leader of Israel!
God Promises a Ruler from Bethlehem
2 The Lord says, “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are one of the smallest towns in Judah, but out of you I will bring a ruler for Israel, whose family line goes back to ancient times.”
3 So the Lord will abandon his people to their enemies until the woman who is to give birth has her son. Then those Israelites who are in exile will be reunited with their own people. 4 When he comes, he will rule his people with the strength that comes from the Lord and with the majesty of the Lord God himself. His people will live in safety because people all over the earth will acknowledge his greatness, 5 and he will bring peace.
Deliverance and Punishment
When the Assyrians invade our country and break through our defenses, we will send our strongest leaders to fight them. 6 By force of arms they will conquer Assyria, the land of Nimrod, and they will save us from the Assyrians when they invade our territory.
7 The people of Israel who survive will be like refreshing dew sent by the Lord for many nations, like showers on growing plants. They will depend on God, not people. 8 Those who are left among the nations will be like a lion hunting for food in a forest or a pasture: it gets in among the sheep, pounces on them, and tears them to pieces—and there is no hope of rescue. 9 Israel will conquer her enemies and destroy them all.
10 The Lord says, “At that time I will take away your horses and destroy your chariots. 11 I will destroy the cities in your land and tear down all your defenses. 12 I will destroy the magic charms you use and leave you without any fortunetellers. 13 I will destroy your idols and sacred stone pillars; no longer will you worship the things that you yourselves have made. 14 I will pull down the images of the goddess Asherah in your land and destroy your cities. 15 And in my great anger I will take revenge on all nations that have not obeyed me.”
1 Iwe nzi nkulu we babhayani, kubunganya babhayani babo
ngoti takombiwa nge ngwa,
banowoloba mbusi we Iziraela
mu lushaya nge lukombo.
Mbusi unodwa mu Bhetelehema
2 Koga iwe Bhetelehema Efurati,
iwe mmwe we batukununu pakati kwe misha ya Juta,
mukuli kowondidwila mmwe
unowobe mbusi mu Iziraela,
kutangisa kukwe kodwa ntolo,
kudwa mu misi ya ntolotolo.
3 Ndizo wali Yahwe banowobasiya
kuswikila tjibaka tjinowoti umu zwibhayo katshibama,
ipapo bana ba mmeyabe bakasala
banowobuya kushangana ne Baiziraela.
4 Ngono unowomilika kafudza ngubi iye
mu simba la Yahwe,
nge bukulu gwe zina la Yahwe Ndzimu uwe.
Ngono dzowotjila dzakasununguka, ipapo bukulu gugwe
gowoswika ku phelelo dze shango.
5 Ngono unowobe kunyalala kwabo.
Kusununguka ne shamu
Asiriya ha ithukila mu shango yedu,
bebe betshamba bepalama mbako dze matizhilo edu,
towobamusila balisi bali kutendeka kubhayana nabo,
ne batungamili bali zhanakadzi.
6 Banowobusa shango ye Asiriya nge thumo,
shango ya Nimirodi nge thumo.
Unowoti sunungula mu Baasiriya
pabanowobe bethukila mu shango yedu,
betshamba bengina mu migathu yedu.
7 Ipapo malimbelimbe a Jakubo anowobe
pakati kwe bathu banjinji
se khawa inodwa kuna Yahwe
se masusu e vula mu bushwa,
zwisingamilile nthu,
kene kulindila bathu.
8 Malimbelimbe a Jakubo anowobe pakati kwe njudzi
pakati kwe bathu banjinji,
se shumba pakati kwe phuka dze ishaka,
se shumbana pakati kwe ngubi dze pkhwizi
ha idzipalama inomwandawula ikamwawulanya,
ngono kusina ungadzigwila.
9 Tjiazha tjitjo tjowokunda zwita zwizo,
ngono zwita zwizo zose zowolobesiwa.
10 Yahwe bakati, “Mu zhuba ilelo,
ndowobulaya mbizi dzenyu pakati kwenyu
ndibe ndikolomodza koloyi dzenyu dze ngwa.
11 Ndowokolomodza mizi mikulu ye shango yenyu
ndibe ndiliga mbako dzose dzenyu dzakasima.
12 Ndowolobesa buloyi gwenyu
amutjowobe mungalowa.
13 Ndowophkwanya zwifano zwenyu zwakabezhiwa
ne zwe phanda,
amutjowobe mutjathigamila
mishingo ye maboko enyu.
14 Ndowoshomola midzimu yenyu inoyi Ashera
ndiyidusa pakati kwenyu,
ndibe ndikolomodza mizi yenyu mikulu.
15 Ndowobgwilizila njudzi dzisakandihwa
nge bushongola ndakagwadzamoyo.”