Why Bethlehem? The Why Behind the Where.

have you no king?

Has your ruler perished,

that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?

like a woman in labor,

for now you must leave the city

to camp in the open field.

You will go to Babylon;

there you will be rescued.

There the

out of the hand of your enemies.

are gathered against you.

They say, “Let her be defiled,

let our eyes gloat over Zion!”

the thoughts of the

they do not understand his plan,

that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.

for I will give you horns of iron;

I will give you hooves of bronze,

and you will break to pieces many nations.”

You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the

their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

for a siege is laid against us.

They will strike Israel’s ruler

on the cheek with a rod.

though you are small among the clans of Judah,

out of you will come for me

one who will be ruler over Israel,

whose origins are from of old,

from ancient times.”

until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,

and the rest of his brothers return

to join the Israelites.

in the strength of the

in the majesty of the name of the

And they will live securely, for then his greatness

will reach to the ends of the earth.

when the Assyrians invade our land

and march through our fortresses.

We will raise against them seven shepherds,

even eight commanders,

the land of Nimrod with drawn sword.

He will deliver us from the Assyrians

when they invade our land

and march across our borders.

in the midst of many peoples

like dew from the

like showers on the grass,

which do not wait for anyone

or depend on man.

in the midst of many peoples,

like a lion among the beasts of the forest,

like a young lion among flocks of sheep,

which mauls and mangles as it goes,

and no one can rescue.

and all your foes will be destroyed.

“I will destroy your horses from among you

and demolish your chariots.

and tear down all your strongholds.

and you will no longer cast spells.

and your sacred stones from among you;

you will no longer bow down

to the work of your hands.

when I demolish your cities.

on the nations that have not obeyed me.”