"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."
AND YOU, BETHLEHEM,LANDOF JUDAH,ARE BY NO MEANSLEASTAMONGTHE LEADERSOF JUDAH;FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTHA RULERWHOWILL SHEPHERDMY PEOPLEISRAEL.'"
"Has not the Scripturesaidthat the Christcomesfrom the descendantsof David,and from Bethlehem,the villagewhereDavidwas?"
Beforethe mountainswere bornOr You gavebirthto the earthand the world,Even from everlastingto everlasting,You are God.
Then a shootwill springfrom the stemof Jesse,And a branchfrom his rootswill bearfruit.
Rejoicegreatly,O daughterof Zion!Shout[in triumph], O daughterof Jerusalem!Behold,your kingis comingto you; He is justand endowedwith salvation,Humble,and mountedon a donkey,Even on a colt,the foalof a donkey.
"The sceptershall not departfrom Judah,Northe ruler'sstafffrom betweenhis feet,UntilShilohcomes,And to him [shall be] the obedienceof the peoples.
He is beforeallthings, and in Him all thingshold together.
And on His robeand on His thighHe hasa namewritten,"KINGOF KINGS,AND LORDOF LORDS."
Now Davidwas the sonof the Ephrathiteof Bethlehemin Judah,whose namewas Jesse,and he had eightsons.And Jesse was oldin the daysof Saul,advanced[in years] among men.
"Now as for me, when I camefrom Paddan,Racheldied,to my sorrow,in the landof Canaanon the journey,when there was stillsomedistanceto goto Ephrath;and I buriedher thereon the wayto Ephrath(that is, Bethlehem)."
Whatwas from the beginning,whatwe have heard,whatwe have seenwith our eyes,whatwe have lookedat and touchedwith our hands,concerningthe Wordof Life--
JesusChrist[is] the sameyesterdayand todayand forever.
And Jesuscameup and spoketo them, saying,"Allauthorityhas been givento Me in heavenand on earth.
Allthe peoplewhowere in the court,and the elders,said,"[We are] witnesses.May the LORDmakethe womanwho is cominginto your homelike Racheland Leah,bothof whombuiltthe houseof Israel;and may you achievewealthin Ephrathahand becomefamousin Bethlehem.
So Racheldiedand was buriedon the wayto Ephrath(that is, Bethlehem).
For it is evidentthat our Lordwas descendedfrom Judah,a tribewith referenceto whichMosesspokenothingconcerningpriests.
"In that dayI will raiseup the fallenboothof David,And wallup its breaches;I will also raiseup its ruinsAnd rebuildit as in the daysof old;
Their leadershall be one of them, And their rulershall comeforthfrom their midst;And I will bringhim nearand he shall approachMe; For whowould dareto riskhis lifeto approachMe?' declaresthe LORD.
For He grewup beforeHim like a tendershoot,And like a rootout of parchedground;He has no[stately] formor majestyThat we should lookupon Him, Norappearancethat we should be attractedto Him.
"But you have todayrejectedyour God,whodeliversyou from allyour calamitiesand your distresses;yet you have said,'No,but seta kingoverus!' Nowtherefore, presentyourselves beforethe LORDby your tribesand by your clans."
Nowthere was alsoan inscriptionaboveHim, "THISIS THE KINGOF THE JEWS."
And they beganto accuseHim, saying,"We foundthis manmisleadingour nationand forbiddingto paytaxesto Caesar,and sayingthat He Himselfis Christ,a King."
ThoughJudahprevailedover his brothers,and from him [came] the leader,yet the birthrightbelonged to Joseph),
Penuel[was] the fatherof Gedor,and Ezerthe fatherof Hushah.These[were] the sonsof Hur,the firstbornof Ephrathah,the fatherof Bethlehem.
"Furthermore, you shall selectout of allthe peopleablemenwho fearGod,menof truth,those who hatedishonestgain;and you shall place[these] overthem [as] leadersof thousands,of hundreds,of fiftiesand of tens.
ThenHe saidto me, "It is done.I am the Alphaand the Omega,the beginningand the end.I will giveto the one who thirstsfrom the springof the waterof lifewithout cost.
"And to the angelof the churchin Smyrnawrite:The firstand the last,whowas dead,and has come to life,saysthis:
Behold,we heardof it in Ephrathah,We foundit in the fieldof Jaar.
The sonsof Salma[were] Bethlehemand the Netophathites,Atroth-beth-joaband halfof the Manahathites,the Zorites.
"So look,and learnaboutallthe hidingplaceswherehe hideshimself and returnto me with certainty,and I will gowith you; and ifhe is in the land,I will searchhim out among allthe thousandsof Judah."
"Bringalso thesetencutsof cheeseto the commanderof [their] thousand,and lookinto the welfareof your brothers,and bringback newsof them.
"So I tookthe headsof your tribes,wiseand experiencedmen,and appointedthem headsoveryou, leadersof thousandsand of hundreds,of fiftiesand of tens,and officersfor your tribes.
"He will appointfor himself commandersof thousandsand of fifties,and [some] to dohis plowingand to reaphis harvestand to makehis weaponsof warand equipmentfor his chariots.
Moseschoseablemenout of allIsraeland madethem headsoverthe people,leadersof thousands,of hundreds,of fiftiesand of tens.
Nowafter Jesuswas bornin Bethlehemof Judeain the daysof Herodthe king,magifrom the eastarrivedin Jerusalem,saying,
Then they journeyedfrom Bethel;and when there was stillsomedistanceto goto Ephrath,Rachelbegan to givebirthand she sufferedseverelabor.
Now there was a youngmanfrom Bethlehemin Judah,of the familyof Judah,whowas a Levite;and he was stayingthere.
Now it cameabout in the dayswhen the judgesgoverned,that there was a faminein the land.And a certain manof Bethlehemin Judahwentto sojournin the landof Moabwith his wifeand his twosons.
"Behold,I have madehim a witnessto the peoples,A leaderand commanderfor the peoples.
"So let us know,let us presson to knowthe LORD.His goingforthis as certainas the dawn;And He will cometo us like the rain,Like the springrainwateringthe earth."
"Awake,O sword,againstMy Shepherd,And againstthe man,My Associate,"Declaresthe LORDof hosts."Strikethe Shepherdthat the sheepmay be scattered;And I will turnMy handagainstthe littleones.
"Thereforethe LordHimselfwill giveyou a sign:Behold,a virginwill be with childand beara son,and she will callHis nameImmanuel.
"Writheand laborto givebirth,Daughterof Zion,Like a woman in childbirth;For nowyou will goout of the city,Dwellin the field,And goto Babylon.Thereyou will be rescued;Therethe LORDwill redeemyou From the handof your enemies.
