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(A) 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.[a]
The Lord will abandon Israel
    only until this ruler is born,
and the rest of his family[b]
    returns to Israel.
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,
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

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Footnotes

  1. 5.2 family … times: Or “kingdom is eternal.”
  2. 5.3 family: Or “people.”

But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah,
though thou be little among the thousands of Judah,
yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel;
whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Therefore will he give them up,
until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth:
then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God;
and they shall abide:
for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
And this man shall be the peace,
when the Assyrian shall come into our land:
and when he shall tread in our palaces,
then shall we raise against him seven shepherds,
and eight principal men.

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