1: Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he
hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a
rod upon the cheek. |
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2: But thou, Bethlehem 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. |
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3:
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. |
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4: 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. |
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5: 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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6: And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and
the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us
from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth
within our borders. |
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7: And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people
as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not
for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. |
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8: And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the
midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a
young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both
treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. |
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9: Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all
thine enemies shall be cut off. |
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10: And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I
will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy
chariots: |
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11: And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all
thy strong holds: |
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12: And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou
shalt have no more soothsayers: |
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13: Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing
images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work
of thine hands. |
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14: And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so
will I destroy thy cities. |
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15: And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the
heathen, such as they have not heard. |