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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.
[2]But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou art little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
[3]Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel.
[4]And he will 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 will he be great to the ends of the earth.
[5]And this man will 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.
[6]And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its entrances: thus will he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.
[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.
[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 goeth through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
[9]Thy hand shall be lifted up upon thy adversaries, and all thy enemies shall be cut off.
[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:
[11]And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:
[12]And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy hand; and thou shalt have no more sooth-sayers:
[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 thy hands.
[14]And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.
[15]And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.
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