AND YOU, BETHLEHEM,LANDOF JUDAH,ARE BY NO MEANSLEASTAMONGTHE LEADERSOF JUDAH;FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTHA RULERWHOWILL SHEPHERDMY PEOPLEISRAEL.'"
"The sceptershall not departfrom Judah,Northe ruler'sstafffrom betweenhis feet,UntilShilohcomes,And to him [shall be] the obedienceof the peoples.
"Previously,when Saulwas kingoverus, you were the one who ledIsraelout and in. And the LORDsaidto you, 'You will shepherdMy peopleIsrael,and you will be a ruleroverIsrael.'"
Salmathe fatherof Bethlehem[and] Harephthe fatherof Beth-gader.
ThoughJudahprevailedover his brothers,and from him [came] the leader,yet the birthrightbelonged to Joseph),
the menof Bethlehem,123;
Like a shepherdHe will tendHis flock,In His armHe will gatherthe lambsAnd carry[them] in His bosom;He will gently leadthe nursing[ewes].
"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."
"One from Jacobshall havedominion,And will destroythe remnantfrom the city."
Nowafter Jesuswas bornin Bethlehemof Judeain the daysof Herodthe king,magifrom the eastarrivedin Jerusalem,saying,
And Jesuscameup and spoketo them, saying,"Allauthorityhas been givento Me in heavenand on earth.
He saidto him againa second time,"Simon,[son] of John,do you loveMe?" He saidto Him, "Yes,Lord;You knowthat I loveYou." He saidto him, "ShepherdMy sheep."
"Has not the Scripturesaidthat the Christcomesfrom the descendantsof David,and from Bethlehem,the villagewhereDavidwas?"
And He putallthingsin subjectionunderHis feet,and gaveHim as headoverall thingsto the church,
He is alsoheadof the body,the church;and He is the beginning,the firstbornfrom the dead,sothat He Himselfwill cometo have first placein everything.
For it is evidentthat our Lordwas descendedfrom Judah,a tribewith referenceto whichMosesspokenothingconcerningpriests.
Thenthe seventhangelsounded;and there were loudvoicesin heaven,saying,"The kingdomof the worldhas become[the kingdom] of our Lordand of His Christ;and He will reignforeverand ever."
AND HE SHALL RULETHEM WITH A RODOF IRON,AS THE VESSELSOF THE POTTERARE BROKEN TO PIECES,as I alsohave received[authority] from My Father;
for the Lambin the centerof the thronewill be their shepherd,and will guidethem to springsof the waterof life;and Godwill wipeeverytearfrom their eyes."
