The Ruler to Be Born in Bethlehem
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Now gather yourself in troops,
O daughter of troops;
He has laid siege against us;
They will a strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.
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"But you, b Bethlehem c Ephrathah,
Though you are little d among the e thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be f Ruler in Israel,
g Whose goings forth are from of old,
From everlasting."
3
Therefore He shall give them up,
Until the time that h she who is in labor has given birth;
Then i the remnant of His brethren
Shall return to the children of Israel.
4
And He shall stand and j feed His flock
In the strength of the LORD,
In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God;
And they shall abide,
For now He k shall be great
To the ends of the earth;
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And this One l shall be peace.
When the Assyrian comes into our land,
And when he treads in our palaces,
Then we will raise against him
Seven shepherds and eight princely men.
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They shall waste with the sword the land of Assyria,
And the land of m Nimrod at its entrances;
Thus He shall n deliver us from the Assyrian,
When he comes into our land
And when he treads within our borders.
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Cross References
1 Kings 22:24
Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, "Which way did the spirit from the LORD go from me to speak to you?
Job 16:10
They gape at me with their mouth, They strike me reproachfully on the cheek, They gather together against me.
Lamentations 3:30
Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him, And be full of reproach.
Matthew 27:30
Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.
Mark 15:19
Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.
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Cross References
Isaiah 11:1
There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
Matthew 2:6
'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.'"
Luke 2:4
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David.
Luke 2:11
For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
John 7:42
"Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"
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Cross References
Genesis 35:19
So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
Genesis 48:7
"But as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."
Ruth 4:11
And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, " We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 23:23
"See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides; and come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search for him throughout all the clans of Judah."
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Cross References
Exodus 18:25
And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
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Cross References
Genesis 49:10
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
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Cross References
Psalms 90:2
Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
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Cross References
Hosea 11:8
How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboiim? My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred.
Micah 4:10
Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, Like a woman in birth pangs. For now you shall go forth from the city, You shall dwell in the field, And to Babylon you shall go. There you shall be delivered; There the LORD will redeem you From the hand of your enemies.
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Cross References
Micah 4:7
I will make the lame a remnant, And the outcast a strong nation; So the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on, even forever.
Micah 7:18
Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy.
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Cross References
Isaiah 40:11
He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will...
Isaiah 49:9
That You may say to the prisoners, 'Go forth,' ...
Ezekiel 34:13 - 15
And I will bring them out from the peoples and ...
Ezekiel 34:23
I will establish one shepherd over them, and he...
Ezekiel 34:24
And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My serv...
Micah 7:14
Shepherd Your people with Your staff, The flock...
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Cross References
Psalms 72:8
He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.
Isaiah 52:13
Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.
Zechariah 9:10
I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be 'from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.
Luke 1:32
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
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Cross References
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Luke 2:14
"Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
Ephesians 2:14
For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation.
Colossians 1:20
And by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
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Cross References
Genesis 10:8 - 11
Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.
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Cross References
Isaiah 14:25
That I will break the Assyrian in My land, And on My mountains tread him underfoot. Then his yoke shall be removed from them, And his burden removed from their shoulders.
Luke 1:71
That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.