ThoughJudahprevailedover his brothers,and from him [came] the leader,yet the birthrightbelonged to Joseph),
AND YOU, BETHLEHEM,LANDOF JUDAH,ARE BY NO MEANSLEASTAMONGTHE LEADERSOF JUDAH;FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTHA RULERWHOWILL SHEPHERDMY PEOPLEISRAEL.'"
"But as for you, BethlehemEphrathah,[Too] littleto be among the clansof Judah,From you One will goforthfor Me to be rulerin Israel.His goingsforthare from longago,From the daysof eternity."
For it is evidentthat our Lordwas descendedfrom Judah,a tribewith referenceto whichMosesspokenothingconcerningpriests.
"Gileadis Mine, and Manassehis Mine; Ephraimalso is the helmetof My head;Judahis My scepter.
"Gileadis Mine, Manassehis Mine; Ephraimalso is the helmetof My head;Judahis My scepter.
and oneof the elderssaidto me, "Stopweeping;behold,the Lionthat is from the tribeof Judah,the Rootof David,has overcomeso as to openthe bookand its sevenseals."
For those whomHe foreknew,He alsopredestined[to become] conformedto the imageof His Son,sothat He would be the firstbornamongmanybrethren;
So DavidreignedoverallIsrael;and Davidadministeredjusticeand righteousnessfor allhis people.
So he sentand broughthim in. Now he was ruddy,with beautifuleyesand a handsomeappearance.And the LORDsaid,"Arise,anointhim; for thisis he."
Thus Jessemade sevenof his sonspassbeforeSamuel.But Samuelsaidto Jesse,"The LORDhas not chosenthese."
Now the LORDsaidto Samuel,"Howlongwill you grieveoverSaul,since I have rejectedhim from beingkingoverIsrael?Fillyour hornwith oiland go;I will sendyou to Jessethe Bethlehemite,for I have selecteda kingfor Myself among his sons."
The LORDsaid,"Judahshall goup; behold,I have giventhe landinto his hand."
Then the sonsof Judahdrewnearto Joshuain Gilgal,and Calebthe sonof Jephunnehthe Kenizzitesaidto him, "You knowthe wordwhichthe LORDspoketo Mosesthe manof Godconcerningyou and me in Kadesh-barnea.
Now the one who presentedhis offeringon the firstdaywas Nahshonthe sonof Amminadab,of the tribeof Judah;
"Now those who campon the eastsidetoward the sunrise[shall be] of the standardof the campof Judah,by their armies,and the leaderof the sonsof Judah:Nahshonthe sonof Amminadab,
"The blessingsof your fatherHave surpassedthe blessingsof my ancestorsUp to the utmostboundof the everlastinghills;May they be on the headof Joseph,And on the crownof the headof the onedistinguishedamong his brothers.
the sonsof Leah:Reuben,Jacob'sfirstborn,then Simeonand Leviand Judahand Issacharand Zebulun;
But Jacobsaid,"Firstsellme your birthright."
"Nowyour twosons,who were bornto you in the landof EgyptbeforeI cameto you in Egypt,are mine; Ephraimand Manassehshall be mine, as Reubenand Simeonare.
"Yet, the LORD,the Godof Israel,choseme from allthe houseof my fatherto be kingoverIsraelforever.For He has chosenJudahto be a leader;and in the houseof Judah,my father'shouse,and among the sonsof my fatherHe tookpleasurein me to make[me] kingoverallIsrael.
"But he shall acknowledgethe firstborn,the sonof the unloved,by givinghim a doubleportionof allthat he has,for he is the beginningof his strength;to him belongs the rightof the firstborn.
"As the firstbornof his ox,majestyis his, And his hornsare the hornsof the wildox;With them he will pushthe peoples,Allat once,[to] the endsof the earth.And thoseare the tenthousandsof Ephraim,And thoseare the thousandsof Manasseh."
