Gather all the groups of soldiers together for the battle. They will hit you on the cheek.

But you, O city of Bethlehem, you are just a little city in all the many big cities of Judah, but from out of you will come the great king who always was and always will be forever.

He will be the king over everything forever, and he will be born in you, city of Bethlehem.

The Lord will let them go until it is time for all the brothers to come back to the children of Israel.

That king will stand and fill every hungry heart in the strength of the Lord. He will be full of the majesty and big beautiful greatness of the Almighty God.

The people will stay there with Him forever and He will be great all over the whole world.

This man will be the quiet good comfort. And when the enemies come into the land He will chase them away and ruin their countries who like to hurt people.

The Lord’s people will be kept safe from the bad ones who try to come into the special land.

The people of the Lord will be like the shiny drops of dew on the grass and flowers from the Lord, like the soft rains that water the thirsty trees and fields.

The rest of God’s people will be like a lion, tearing apart the bad ones and none can save the bad ones.

They will get rid of all the stuff for war, the swords and guns and tanks.

They will get rid of all the witches and bad spirits and fortune-tellers.

Their statues will be broken and smashed to nothing.

Everything in the cities and the land will be made right and good like the Lord always wanted. Nothing like this ever happened before and it will be really good, the best.

People won’t bow down anymore to stuff their own hands made, but they will bow down and be happy in the One who made them and made everything.

Get up and say the right thing in front of the mountains. The Lord is upset with the people and will talk to them to do the right thing.

The Lord says, What did I do wrong that you are tired of Me and turn away from Me. Tell Me.

I brought you up from being slaves in Egypt. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam in front of you.

I saved you when Balaam wanted to put curses on you to hurt you? So you would know how good and right I am.

How can anyone come in front of the Most High God? Is He happy if I bring lots of animals to Him, rams and calves and rivers of oil? Or my children, to pay back for the bad stuff I did?

The Lord has showed us what He wants us to do. He wants us to do what is right and to love His special love and love being kind to other people and to walk with Him in our days not being puffed up.

The wise ones will see what He is like.

Do you still have cheating in your house? Do you hit and hurt people to get what you want? Do you tell lies?

The Lord makes you sick because of all your bad stuff.

You will eat and not have full tummies. You will get stuff but won’t keep it. You will plant stuff to eat but it won’t grow, because you listen to a bad one and do all his bad stuff.

I will make you empty and you will be embarrassed, says the Lord God.

I am so upset. It’s like when we’ve already been to the store and still can’t find anything to eat. And I’m so hungry.

There aren’t any good people left. They all tell lies and hurt people.

So I will wait for God to save me. My God will hear and help.

Don’t be glad when I fall down you who hate me. I will get back up. When I sit in the dark the Lord is my light for me.

I will take my spanking because I did bad stuff. He will do what is right for me and bring me out into the light and I will see how right and good He is.

Then the ones who hate me will be embarrassed.

The land will be empty for a while because they did bad. They will be spanked.

But then like I did in Egypt, I will do amazing things.

The nations will be upset and scared of the Lord our God.

Who is a God like you who forgives all our bad stuff because of your big love for us. He won’t always be mad at us because it makes Him happy to love us so much.

He will help us not do bad stuff and hide all our bad stuff in the darkest part of the sea.

He will do all the good stuff He always promised us.