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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. |
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