The Lord’s Rule from Restored Zion

In the last days(A)
the mountain of the Lord’s house(B)
will be established
at the top of the mountains
and will be raised above the hills.
Peoples will stream to it,(C)
and many nations will come and say,(D)
“Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord,(E)
to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us about his ways(F)
so we may walk in his paths.”
For instruction will go out of Zion(G)
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will settle disputes among many peoples(H)
and provide arbitration for strong nations
that are far away.
They will beat their swords into plows
and their spears into pruning knives.
Nation will not take up the sword against nation,
and they will never again train for war.
But each person will sit under his grapevine(I)
and under his fig tree
with no one to frighten him.(J)
For the mouth of the Lord(K) of Armies
has spoken.
Though all the peoples walk
in the name of their own gods,(L)
we will walk(M) in the name of the Lord our God
forever and ever.(N)

On that day—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
I will assemble the lame
and gather the scattered,(O)
those I have injured.
I will make the lame into a remnant,(P)
those far removed into a strong nation.
Then the Lord will reign over them(Q) in Mount Zion
from this time on and forever.
And you, watchtower for the flock,(R)
fortified hill[a] of Daughter Zion,
the former rule(S) will come to you;
sovereignty will come to Daughter Jerusalem.

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Footnotes

  1. 4:8 Or flock, Ophel

From Defeated Ruler to Conquering King

Now, daughter who is under attack,
you slash yourself in grief;
a siege is set against us!
They are striking the judge(A) of Israel
on the cheek with a rod.
Bethlehem Ephrathah,(B)
you are small among the clans of Judah;
one will come from you(C)
to be ruler over Israel for me.(D)
His origin[a] is from antiquity,(E)
from ancient times.
Therefore, Israel will be abandoned(F) until the time
when she who is in labor(G) has given birth;
then the rest of the ruler’s brothers(H) will return
to the people of Israel.(I)
He will stand and shepherd them(J)
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majestic name of the Lord his God.
They will live securely,
for then his greatness will extend
to the ends of the earth.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. 5:2 Lit His going out

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

An(A) account(B) of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David,(C) the Son of Abraham:(D)

From Abraham to David

Abraham fathered[a] Isaac,

Isaac fathered Jacob,

Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers,(E)

Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar,

Perez fathered Hezron,

Hezron fathered Aram,(F)

Aram fathered Amminadab,

Amminadab fathered Nahshon,

Nahshon fathered Salmon,

Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab,

Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth,

Obed fathered Jesse,(G)

and Jesse fathered King David.

From David to the Babylonian Exile

David fathered Solomon[b] by Uriah’s wife,(H)

Solomon fathered Rehoboam,

Rehoboam fathered Abijah,

Abijah fathered Asa,[c]

Asa[d] fathered Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat fathered Joram,[e]

Joram fathered Uzziah,(I)

Uzziah fathered Jotham,

Jotham fathered Ahaz,

Ahaz fathered Hezekiah,

10 Hezekiah fathered Manasseh,

Manasseh fathered Amon,[f]

Amon fathered Josiah,(J)

11 and Josiah fathered Jeconiah and his brothers

at the time of the exile to Babylon.(K)

From the Exile to the Messiah

12 After the exile to Babylon

Jeconiah fathered Shealtiel,

Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel,

13 Zerubbabel fathered Abiud,

Abiud fathered Eliakim,

Eliakim fathered Azor,(L)

14 Azor fathered Zadok,

Zadok fathered Achim,

Achim fathered Eliud,

15 Eliud fathered Eleazar,

Eleazar fathered Matthan,

Matthan fathered Jacob,

16 and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary,

who gave birth to Jesus who is called the Messiah.(M)

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations; and from David until the exile to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the exile to Babylon until the Messiah, fourteen generations.(N)

The Nativity of the Messiah

18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged[g] to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit.(O) 19 So her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man,(P) and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.(Q)

20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.(R) 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus,(S) because he will save his people from their sins.”(T)

22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

23 See, the virgin will become pregnant
and give birth to a son,
and they will name him Immanuel,[h]

which is translated “God is with us.”(U)

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her(V) 25 but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son.[i] And he named him Jesus.(W)

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Footnotes

  1. 1:2 In vv. 2–16 either a son, as here, or a later descendant, as in v. 8
  2. 1:6 Other mss add King
  3. 1:7 Other mss read Asaph
  4. 1:8 Other mss read Asaph
  5. 1:8 = Jehoram
  6. 1:10 Other mss read Amos
  7. 1:18 Or betrothed
  8. 1:23 Is 7:14
  9. 1:25 Other mss read to her firstborn son

The Birth of Jesus

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus(A) that the whole empire[a] should be registered. This first registration took place while[b] Quirinius was governing Syria.(B) So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.

Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth(C) in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,(D) because he was of the house and family line of David,(E) to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him[c] and was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger,[d] because there was no guest room available for them.

The Shepherds and the Angels

In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord(F) stood before them,(G) and the glory of the Lord(H) shone around them, and they were terrified.[e] 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid,(I) for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:[f] 11 Today in the city of David a Savior(J) was born for you, who is the Messiah,(K) the Lord.(L) 12 This will be the sign for you:(M) You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host[g] with the angel, praising God and saying:

14 Glory to God in the highest heaven,(N)
and peace on earth(O) to people he favors![h][i](P)

15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. 17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed(Q) at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart(R) and meditating on them. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God(S) for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:1 Or the whole inhabited world
  2. 2:2 Or This registration was the first while, or This registration was before
  3. 2:5 Lit betrothed
  4. 2:7 Or feeding trough, also in vv. 12,16
  5. 2:9 Lit they feared a great fear
  6. 2:10 Or the whole nation
  7. 2:13 Lit heavenly army
  8. 2:14 Other mss read earth good will to people
  9. 2:14 Or earth to men of good will

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