¹Zvino muchafanira kuungana makaita mapoka, iwe mukunda wamapoka; muvengi wakatikomba, vacharova mutongi waIsiraeri netsvimbo padama rake.

¹Now gather thyself together, O daughter of troops, A siege he hath laid against us, With a rod they smite on the cheek the judge of Israel.

²Asi iwe Bheterehemu Efurata, muduku kwazvo pakati pezvuru zvamazana zvaJudha, kwauri kuchandibudira mumwe achava mubati pakati paIsiraeri; mabudiro ake ndaakare, pamazuva akare-kare.

²And thou, Beth-Lehem Ephratah, Little to be among the chiefs of Judah! From thee to Me he cometh forth — to be ruler in Israel, And his comings forth [are] of old, From the days of antiquity.

³Naizvozvo uchavaisa kuvavengi vavo, kusvikira panguva yokuzvara kwaiye anosurumuka; ipapo hama dzake, dzakasara, dzichadzoka navana vaIsiraeri.

³Therefore he doth give them out till the time She who bringeth forth hath brought forth, And the remnant of his brethren return to the sons of Israel.

⁴Achamira, ndokufudza makwai ake nesimba raJehovha, noumambo bwezita raJehovha Mwari wake; zvino vachagara zvakanaka, nekuti zvino achava mukuru kusvikira kumigumo yenyika.

⁴And he hath stood and delighted in the strength of Jehovah, In the excellency of the name of Jehovah his God, And they have remained, For now he is great unto the ends of earth.

⁵Iye achava rugare rwedu. Kana muAsiria achipinda munyika yedu, kana achitsika mudzimba dzedu dzoushe, tichamutsa vafudzi vanomwe namachinda masere pakati pavanhu kuti varwe naye.

⁵And this [one] hath been peace, Asshur! when he doth come into our land, And when he doth tread in our palaces, We have raised against him seven shepherds, And eight anointed of man.

⁶Ivo vachaparadza nyika yeAsiria nomunondo, nenyika yaNimurodhi painopindwa napo; iye achatirwira kumuAsiria, kana achinge achipinda nyika yedu nokutsika mukati memiganho yedu.

⁶And they have afflicted the land of Asshur with the sword, And the land of Nimrod at its openings, And he hath delivered from Asshur when he doth come into our land, And when he treadeth in our borders.

⁷Ipapo vakasara vaJakove vachava pakati pamarudzi mazhinji avanhu sedova rinobva kuna Jehovha, semvura inonaya pauswa, zvisingamiriri munhu kana kugarira vanakomana vavanhu.

⁷And the remnant of Jacob hath been in the midst of many peoples, As dew from Jehovah — as showers on the herb, That waiteth not for man, nor stayeth for the sons of men.

⁸Vakasara vaJakove vachava pakati pendudzi pakati pamarudzi mazhinji avanhu, seshumba pakati pemhuka dzomudondo, seshumba duku pakati pamapoka amakwai, inoti kana ichipfuurapo, inotsika nokubvamburanya, kusina anorwira.

⁸Yea, the remnant of Jacob hath been among nations, In the midst of many peoples, As a lion among beasts of a forest, As a young lion among ranks of a flock, Which if it hath passed through, Hath both trodden down and hath torn, And there is no deliverer.

⁹Ruoko rwenyu ngarusimudzirwe kumusoro kwavadzivisi venyu, vavengi venyu vose ngavaparadzwe.

⁹High is thy hand above thine adversaries, And all thine enemies are cut off.

¹⁰Zvino nezuva iro ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha ndichaparadza mabhiza enyu pakati penyu, nokuputsa ngoro dzenyu;

¹⁰And it hath come to pass in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah, I have cut off thy horses from thy midst, And I have destroyed thy chariots,

¹¹ndichaparadza maguta enyika yenyu, nokukoromora nhare dzenyu dzose.

¹¹And I have cut off the cities of thy land, And I have thrown down all thy fortresses,

¹²Ndichaparadza uroyi pamaoko enyu, hamungazovi navafemberi;

¹²And have cut off sorcerers out of thy hand, And observers of clouds thou hast none.

¹³ndichaparadza mifananidzo yenyu yakavezwa neshongwe dzenyu pakati penyu; hamungazonamati mabasa amaoko enyu;

¹³And I have cut off thy graven images, And thy standing-pillars out of thy midst, And thou dost not bow thyself any more To the work of thy hands.

¹⁴ndichadzura miti yenyu yakatsaurwa pakati penyu, ndichaparadza maguta enyu.

¹⁴And I have plucked up thy shrines out of thy midst, And I have destroyed thine enemies.

¹⁵Ndichatsiva marudzi asina kuteerera ndichiita nokutsamwa nehasha.

¹⁵And I have done vengeance in anger and in fury, With the nations who have not hearkened!