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The Ruler to Be Born in Bethlehem

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are too small to be among the army groups from Judah,
from you will come one who will rule Israel for me.
    He comes from very old times,
    from days long ago.”

The Lord will give up his people
    until the one who is having a baby gives birth;
then the rest of his relatives will return
    to the people of Israel.
At that time the ruler of Israel will stand
    and take care of his people
with the Lord’s strength
    and with the power of the name of the Lord his God.
The Israelites will live in safety,
    because his greatness will reach all over the earth.

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“But you, Bethlehem(A) Ephrathah,(B)
    though you are small among the clans[a] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler(C) over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,(D)
    from ancient times.”(E)

Therefore Israel will be abandoned(F)
    until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
    to join the Israelites.

He will stand and shepherd his flock(G)
    in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness(H)
    will reach to the ends of the earth.

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 5:2 Or rulers