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The Ruler from Bethlehem

[a]But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
    who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
    from ancient days.(A)
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
    when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
    to the people of Israel.(B)
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
    to the ends of the earth,(C)
and he shall be the one of peace.

    If the Assyrians come into our land
    and tread upon our soil,[b]
we will raise against them seven shepherds
    and eight rulers.(D)
They shall rule the land of Assyria with the sword
    and the land of Nimrod with the drawn sword;[c]
they[d] shall rescue us from the Assyrians
    if they come into our land
    or tread within our border.(E)

The Future Role of the Remnant

Then the remnant of Jacob,
    surrounded by many peoples,
shall be like dew from the Lord,
    like showers on the grass,
which do not depend upon people
    or wait for any mortal.(F)
And among the nations the remnant of Jacob,
    surrounded by many peoples,
shall be like a lion among the animals of the forest,
    like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,
which, when it goes through, treads down
    and tears in pieces, with no one to deliver.(G)
Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries,
    and all your enemies shall be cut off.(H)

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Footnotes

  1. 5.2 5.1 in Heb
  2. 5.5 Gk: Heb in our palaces
  3. 5.6 Cn: Heb in its entrances
  4. 5.6 Heb he