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Now strong city,[a] gather your soldiers!
    They are surrounding us for the attack!
They will hit the Judge of Israel
    on the cheek with a stick.

The Messiah to Be Born in Bethlehem

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    are the smallest town in Judah.
Your family is almost too small to count,
    but the “Ruler of Israel” will come from you to rule for me.
His beginnings[b] are from ancient times,
    from long, long ago.
The Lord will let his people be defeated
    until the woman gives birth to her child, the promised king.
Then the rest of his brothers will come back
    to join the people of Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 5:1 strong city Literally, “daughter of troops.”
  2. Micah 5:2 beginnings Or “family origins.”

A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem

[a]Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
    for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
    on the cheek(A) with a rod.

“But you, Bethlehem(B) Ephrathah,(C)
    though you are small among the clans[b] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler(D) over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,(E)
    from ancient times.”(F)

Therefore Israel will be abandoned(G)
    until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
    to join the Israelites.

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:14, and 5:2-15 is numbered 5:1-14.
  2. Micah 5:2 Or rulers