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.”
A Promised Ruler
1 Jerusalem, enemy troops
have surrounded you;
they have struck Israel's ruler
in the face with a stick.
2 Bethlehem Ephrath,
you are one of the smallest towns
in the nation of Judah.
But the Lord will choose
one of your people
to rule the nation—
someone whose family
goes back to ancient times.
3 The Lord will abandon Israel
only until this ruler is born,
and the rest of his family
returns to Israel.
4 Like a shepherd
taking care of his sheep,
this ruler will lead
and care for his people
by the power and glorious name
of the Lord his God.
His people will live securely,
and the whole earth will know
his true greatness,
5 because he will bring peace.
Assyria Will Be Defeated
Let Assyria attack our country
and our palaces.
We will counterattack,
led by a number of rulers
6 whose strong army will defeat
the nation of Assyria.
Yes, our leaders will rescue us,
if those Assyrians
dare to invade our land.
The Survivors Will Be Safe
7 A few of Jacob's descendants
survived and are scattered
among the nations.
But the Lord will let them
cover the earth like dew and rain
that refreshes the soil.
8 At present they are scattered,
but later they will attack,
as though they were fierce lions
pouncing on sheep.
Their enemies will be torn
to shreds,
with no one to save them;
9 they will be helpless,
completely destroyed.
Idols Will Be Destroyed in Israel
10 The Lord said:
At that time I will wipe out
your cavalry and chariots,
11 as well as your cities
and your fortresses.
12 I will stop you
from telling fortunes
and practicing witchcraft.
13 You will no longer worship
the idols or stone images
you have made—
I will destroy them,
14 together with the sacred poles
and even your towns.
15 I will become furious
and take revenge on the nations
that refuse to obey me.