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Micah 5-7
New International Version
Micah 5-7
New International Version
A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem
5 [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.
2 “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)
3 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.
4 He will stand and shepherd his flock(H)
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness(I)
will reach to the ends of the earth.
5 And he will be our peace(J)
when the Assyrians invade(K) our land
and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
even eight commanders,(L)
6 who will rule[c] the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod(M) with drawn sword.[d](N)
He will deliver us from the Assyrians
when they invade our land
and march across our borders.(O)
7 The remnant(P) of Jacob will be
in the midst of many peoples
like dew(Q) from the Lord,
like showers on the grass,(R)
which do not wait for anyone
or depend on man.
8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,(S)
like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which mauls and mangles(T) as it goes,
and no one can rescue.(U)
9 Your hand will be lifted up(V) in triumph over your enemies,
and all your foes will be destroyed.
10 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will destroy your horses from among you
and demolish your chariots.(W)
11 I will destroy the cities(X) of your land
and tear down all your strongholds.(Y)
12 I will destroy your witchcraft
and you will no longer cast spells.(Z)
13 I will destroy your idols(AA)
and your sacred stones from among you;(AB)
you will no longer bow down
to the work of your hands.(AC)
14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles[e](AD)
when I demolish your cities.
15 I will take vengeance(AE) in anger and wrath
on the nations that have not obeyed me.”
The Lord’s Case Against Israel
6 Listen to what the Lord says:
“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;(AF)
let the hills hear what you have to say.
2 “Hear,(AG) you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;(AH)
listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.
For the Lord has a case(AI) against his people;
he is lodging a charge(AJ) against Israel.
3 “My people, what have I done to you?
How have I burdened(AK) you?(AL) Answer me.
4 I brought you up out of Egypt(AM)
and redeemed you from the land of slavery.(AN)
I sent Moses(AO) to lead you,
also Aaron(AP) and Miriam.(AQ)
5 My people, remember
what Balak(AR) king of Moab plotted
and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim(AS) to Gilgal,(AT)
that you may know the righteous acts(AU) of the Lord.”
6 With what shall I come before(AV) the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?(AW)
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,(AX)
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?(AY)
Shall I offer my firstborn(AZ) for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?(BA)
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly(BB) and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[f](BC) with your God.(BD)
Israel’s Guilt and Punishment
9 Listen! The Lord is calling to the city—
and to fear your name is wisdom—
“Heed the rod(BE) and the One who appointed it.[g]
10 Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house,
and the short ephah,[h] which is accursed?(BF)
11 Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales,(BG)
with a bag of false weights?(BH)
12 Your rich people are violent;(BI)
your inhabitants are liars(BJ)
and their tongues speak deceitfully.(BK)
13 Therefore, I have begun to destroy(BL) you,
to ruin[i] you because of your sins.
14 You will eat but not be satisfied;(BM)
your stomach will still be empty.[j]
You will store up but save nothing,(BN)
because what you save[k] I will give to the sword.
15 You will plant but not harvest;(BO)
you will press olives but not use the oil,
you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.(BP)
16 You have observed the statutes of Omri(BQ)
and all the practices of Ahab’s(BR) house;
you have followed their traditions.(BS)
Therefore I will give you over to ruin(BT)
and your people to derision;
you will bear the scorn(BU) of the nations.[l]”
Israel’s Misery
7 What misery is mine!
I am like one who gathers summer fruit
at the gleaning of the vineyard;
there is no cluster of grapes to eat,
none of the early figs(BV) that I crave.
2 The faithful have been swept from the land;(BW)
not one(BX) upright person remains.
Everyone lies in wait(BY) to shed blood;(BZ)
they hunt each other(CA) with nets.(CB)
3 Both hands are skilled in doing evil;(CC)
the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,(CD)
the powerful dictate what they desire—
they all conspire together.
4 The best of them is like a brier,(CE)
the most upright worse than a thorn(CF) hedge.
The day God visits you has come,
the day your watchmen sound the alarm.
Now is the time of your confusion.(CG)
5 Do not trust a neighbor;
put no confidence in a friend.(CH)
Even with the woman who lies in your embrace
guard the words of your lips.
6 For a son dishonors his father,
a daughter rises up against her mother,(CI)
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.(CJ)
7 But as for me, I watch(CK) in hope(CL) for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear(CM) me.
Israel Will Rise
8 Do not gloat over me,(CN) my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.(CO)
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.(CP)
9 Because I have sinned against him,
I will bear the Lord’s wrath,(CQ)
until he pleads my case(CR)
and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;(CS)
I will see his righteousness.(CT)
10 Then my enemy will see it
and will be covered with shame,(CU)
she who said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”(CV)
My eyes will see her downfall;(CW)
even now she will be trampled(CX) underfoot
like mire in the streets.
11 The day for building your walls(CY) will come,
the day for extending your boundaries.
12 In that day people will come to you
from Assyria(CZ) and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates
and from sea to sea
and from mountain to mountain.(DA)
13 The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,
as the result of their deeds.(DB)
Prayer and Praise
14 Shepherd(DC) your people with your staff,(DD)
the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
in fertile pasturelands.[m](DE)
Let them feed in Bashan(DF) and Gilead(DG)
as in days long ago.(DH)
15 “As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
I will show them my wonders.(DI)”
16 Nations will see and be ashamed,(DJ)
deprived of all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths(DK)
and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust(DL) like a snake,
like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling(DM) out of their dens;
they will turn in fear(DN) to the Lord our God
and will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God(DO) like you,
who pardons sin(DP) and forgives(DQ) the transgression
of the remnant(DR) of his inheritance?(DS)
You do not stay angry(DT) forever
but delight to show mercy.(DU)
19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities(DV) into the depths of the sea.(DW)
20 You will be faithful to Jacob,
and show love to Abraham,(DX)
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors(DY)
in days long ago.(DZ)
Footnotes
- Micah 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:14, and 5:2-15 is numbered 5:1-14.
- Micah 5:2 Or rulers
- Micah 5:6 Or crush
- Micah 5:6 Or Nimrod in its gates
- Micah 5:14 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
- Micah 6:8 Or prudently
- Micah 6:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
- Micah 6:10 An ephah was a dry measure.
- Micah 6:13 Or Therefore, I will make you ill and destroy you; / I will ruin
- Micah 6:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Micah 6:14 Or You will press toward birth but not give birth, / and what you bring to birth
- Micah 6:16 Septuagint; Hebrew scorn due my people
- Micah 7:14 Or in the middle of Carmel
Micah 5-7
New King James Version
Micah 5-7
New King James Version
The Messiah Will Be Born at Bethlehem
5 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.
The Coming Messiah
2 “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 [a]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[b] 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;
5 And this One (L)shall be peace.
Judgment on Israel’s Enemies
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.
6 They shall [c]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.
7 Then (O)the remnant of Jacob
Shall be in the midst of many peoples,
(P)Like dew from the Lord,
Like showers on the grass,
That [d]tarry for no man
Nor [e]wait for the sons of men.
8 And the remnant of Jacob
Shall be among the Gentiles,
In the midst of many peoples,
Like a (Q)lion among the beasts of the forest,
Like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
Who, if he passes through,
Both treads down and tears in pieces,
And none can deliver.
9 Your hand shall be lifted against your adversaries,
And all your enemies shall be [f]cut off.
10 “And it shall be in that day,” says the Lord,
“That I will (R)cut[g] off your (S)horses from your midst
And destroy your (T)chariots.
11 I will cut off the cities of your land
And throw down all your strongholds.
12 I will cut off sorceries from your hand,
And you shall have no (U)soothsayers.
13 (V)Your carved images I will also cut off,
And your sacred pillars from your midst;
You shall (W)no more worship the work of your hands;
14 I will pluck your [h]wooden images from your midst;
Thus I will destroy your cities.
15 And I will (X)execute vengeance in anger and fury
On the nations that have not [i]heard.”
God Pleads with Israel
6 Hear now what the Lord says:
“Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
And let the hills hear your voice.
2 (Y)Hear, O you mountains, (Z)the Lord’s complaint,
And you strong foundations of the earth;
For (AA)the Lord has a complaint against His people,
And He will [j]contend with Israel.
3 “O My people, what (AB)have I done to you?
And how have I (AC)wearied you?
Testify against Me.
4 (AD)For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I redeemed you from the house of bondage;
And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O My people, remember now
What (AE)Balak king of Moab counseled,
And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,
From [k]Acacia Grove to Gilgal,
That you may know (AF)the righteousness of the Lord.”
6 With what shall I come before the Lord,
And bow myself before the High God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old?
7 (AG)Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand (AH)rivers of oil?
(AI)Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
[l]The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has (AJ)shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But (AK)to do justly,
To love [m]mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Punishment of Israel’s Injustice
9 The Lord’s voice cries to the city—
Wisdom shall see Your name:
“Hear the rod!
Who has appointed it?
10 Are there yet the treasures of wickedness
In the house of the wicked,
And the short measure that is an abomination?
11 Shall I count pure those with (AL)the wicked scales,
And with the bag of deceitful weights?
12 For her rich men are full of (AM)violence,
Her inhabitants have spoken lies,
And (AN)their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13 “Therefore I will also (AO)make you sick by striking you,
By making you desolate because of your sins.
14 (AP)You shall eat, but not be satisfied;
[n]Hunger shall be in your midst.
You may carry some away,[o] but shall not save them;
And what you do rescue I will give over to the sword.
15 “You shall (AQ)sow, but not reap;
You shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
And make sweet wine, but not drink wine.
16 For the statutes of (AR)Omri are (AS)kept;
All the works of Ahab’s house are done;
And you walk in their counsels,
That I may make you a [p]desolation,
And your inhabitants a hissing.
Therefore you shall bear the (AT)reproach of [q]My people.”
Sorrow for Israel’s Sins
7 Woe is me!
For I am like those who gather summer fruits,
Like those who (AU)glean vintage grapes;
There is no cluster to eat
Of the first-ripe fruit which (AV)my soul desires.
2 The (AW)faithful[r] man has perished from the earth,
And there is no one upright among men.
They all lie in wait for blood;
(AX)Every man hunts his brother with a net.
3 That they may successfully do evil with both hands—
The prince asks for gifts,
The judge seeks a (AY)bribe,
And the great man utters his evil desire;
So they scheme together.
4 The best of them is (AZ)like a brier;
The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge;
The day of your watchman and your punishment comes;
Now shall be their perplexity.
5 (BA)Do not trust in a friend;
Do not put your confidence in a companion;
Guard the doors of your mouth
From her who lies in your (BB)bosom.
6 For (BC)son dishonors father,
Daughter rises against her mother,
Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.
7 Therefore I will look to the Lord;
I will (BD)wait for the God of my salvation;
My God will hear me.
Israel’s Confession and Comfort
8 (BE)Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;
(BF)When I fall, I will arise;
When I sit in darkness,
The Lord will be a light to me.
9 (BG)I will bear the indignation of the Lord,
Because I have sinned against Him,
Until He pleads my (BH)case
And executes justice for me.
He will bring me forth to the light;
I will see His righteousness.
10 Then she who is my enemy will see,
And (BI)shame will cover her who said to me,
(BJ)“Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will see her;
Now she will be trampled down
Like mud in the streets.
11 In the day when your (BK)walls are to be built,
In that day [s]the decree shall go far and wide.
12 In that day (BL)they[t] shall come to you
From Assyria and the [u]fortified cities,
From the [v]fortress to [w]the River,
From sea to sea,
And mountain to mountain.
13 Yet the land shall be desolate
Because of those who dwell in it,
And (BM)for the fruit of their deeds.
God Will Forgive Israel
14 Shepherd Your people with Your staff,
The flock of Your heritage,
Who dwell [x]solitarily in a (BN)woodland,
In the midst of Carmel;
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,
As in days of old.
16 The nations (BQ)shall see and be ashamed of all their might;
(BR)They shall put their hand over their mouth;
Their ears shall be deaf.
17 They shall lick the (BS)dust like a serpent;
(BT)They shall crawl from their holes like [z]snakes of the earth.
(BU)They shall be afraid of the Lord our God,
And shall fear because of You.
18 (BV)Who is a God like You,
(BW)Pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of (BX)the remnant of His heritage?
(BY)He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in (BZ)mercy.[aa]
19 He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all [ab]our sins
Into the depths of the sea.
20 (CA)You will give truth to Jacob
And [ac]mercy to Abraham,
(CB)Which You have sworn to our fathers
From days of old.
Footnotes
- Micah 5:2 Lit. the days of eternity
- Micah 5:4 shepherd
- Micah 5:6 devastate
- Micah 5:7 wait
- Micah 5:7 delay
- Micah 5:9 destroyed
- Micah 5:10 destroy
- Micah 5:14 Heb. Asherim, Canaanite deities
- Micah 5:15 obeyed
- Micah 6:2 bring charges against
- Micah 6:5 Heb. Shittim, Num. 25:1; Josh. 2:1; 3:1
- Micah 6:7 My own child
- Micah 6:8 Or lovingkindness
- Micah 6:14 Or Emptiness or Humiliation
- Micah 6:14 Tg., Vg. You shall take hold
- Micah 6:16 Or object of horror
- Micah 6:16 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX nations
- Micah 7:2 Or loyal
- Micah 7:11 Or the boundary shall be extended
- Micah 7:12 Lit. he, collective of the captives
- Micah 7:12 Heb. arey mazor, possibly cities of Egypt
- Micah 7:12 Heb. mazor, possibly Egypt
- Micah 7:12 The Euphrates
- Micah 7:14 Alone
- Micah 7:15 Lit. him, collective for the captives
- Micah 7:17 Lit. crawlers
- Micah 7:18 Or lovingkindness
- Micah 7:19 Lit. their
- Micah 7:20 Or lovingkindness
Micah 5-7
New American Standard Bible
Micah 5-7
New American Standard Bible
Birth of the King in Bethlehem
5 “[a]Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops;
[b]They have laid siege against us;
With a rod they will (A)strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.
2 [c]But as for (B)you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From (C)you One will come forth for Me to be (D)ruler in Israel.
His times of coming forth are (E)from long ago,
From the days of eternity.”
3 Therefore He will (F)give them up until the time
When she (G)who is in labor has given birth.
Then the (H)remainder of His kinsmen
Will return to the sons of Israel.
4 And He will arise and (I)shepherd His flock
In the strength of the Lord,
In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God.
And they will [d]remain,
Because [e]at that time He will be great
To the (J)ends of the earth.
5 This One (K)will be our peace.
When the (L)Assyrian invades our land,
When he tramples on our [f]citadels,
Then we will raise against him
Seven shepherds and eight leaders of people.
6 They will (M)shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
The land of (N)Nimrod at its entrances;
And He will (O)rescue us from the Assyrian
When he invades our land,
And when he tramples our territory.
7 Then the (P)remnant of Jacob
Will be among many peoples
Like (Q)dew from the Lord,
Like (R)showers on vegetation
That do not wait for man,
Or delay for [g]mankind.
8 The remnant of Jacob
Will be among the nations,
Among many peoples
(S)Like a lion among the animals of the forest,
Like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
Which, if he passes through,
(T)Tramples and (U)tears,
And there is (V)no one who can rescue.
9 Your hand will be (W)lifted up against your adversaries,
And all your enemies will be eliminated.
10 “And it will be on that day,” declares the Lord,
“(X)That I will eliminate your (Y)horses from among you,
And destroy your chariots.
11 I will also eliminate the (Z)cities of your land,
And tear down all your (AA)fortifications.
12 I will eliminate (AB)sorceries from your hand,
And you will have no fortune-tellers.
13 (AC)I will eliminate your carved images
And your memorial stones from among you,
So that you will no longer bow down
To the work of your hands.
14 I will uproot your [h](AD)Asherim from among you,
And destroy your cities.
15 And I will (AE)execute vengeance in anger and wrath
On the nations which have not obeyed.”
God’s Indictment of His People
6 Hear now what the Lord is saying,
“Arise, plead your case [i]before the mountains,
And let the hills hear your voice.
2 Listen, you mountains, to the indictment by the Lord,
And you enduring (AF)foundations of the earth,
Because the (AG)Lord has a case against His people;
And He will dispute with Israel.
3 (AH)My people, (AI)what have I done to you,
And (AJ)how have I wearied you? Answer Me.
4 Indeed, I (AK)brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I (AL)redeemed you from the house of slavery,
And I sent before you (AM)Moses, Aaron, and (AN)Miriam.
5 My people, remember now
What (AO)Balak king of Moab planned
And what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
And what happened from (AP)Shittim to (AQ)Gilgal,
[j]So that you might know the (AR)righteous acts of the Lord.”
What God Requires of Mankind
6 (AS)With what shall I come to the Lord
And bow myself before the God on high?
Shall I come to Him with (AT)burnt offerings,
With yearling calves?
7 Does the Lord take pleasure in (AU)thousands of rams,
In ten thousand rivers of [k]oil?
Shall I give Him my (AV)firstborn for my wrongdoings,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has (AW)told you, mortal one, what is good;
And (AX)what does the Lord require of you
But to (AY)do justice, to (AZ)love [l]kindness,
And to walk [m](BA)humbly with your God?
9 The voice of the Lord will call to the city—
And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name:
“[n]Hear, you tribe. Who has designated [o]its time?
10 Is there still a person in the wicked house,
Along with treasures of (BB)wickedness,
And a [p](BC)short measure that is cursed?
11 Can I justify dishonest (BD)balances,
And a bag of fraudulent weights?
12 For the rich people of [q]the city are full of (BE)violence,
Her residents speak (BF)lies,
And their (BG)tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13 So also I will make you (BH)sick, striking you down,
(BI)Making you desolate because of your sins.
14 You will eat, but you will (BJ)not be satisfied,
And your filth will be in your midst.
You will try to remove valuables for safekeeping,
But you will (BK)not save it all,
And what you do save I will turn over to the sword.
15 You will sow but you will (BL)not harvest.
You will tread the olive press but will not anoint yourself with oil;
And tread out sweet wine, but you will (BM)not drink any wine.
16 The statutes of (BN)Omri
And every work of the house of (BO)Ahab are maintained,
And you (BP)walk by their plans.
Therefore I will give you up for (BQ)destruction,
And [r]your inhabitants for [s](BR)derision,
And you will suffer the (BS)taunting of My people.”
The Prophet Acknowledges Injustice
7 Woe to me! For I am
Like harvests of summer fruit, like gleanings of (BT)grapes.
There is not a cluster of grapes left to eat,
Nor an (BU)early fig, which [t]I crave.
2 The [u]godly person has (BV)perished from the land,
And there is no upright person among mankind.
All of them lie in wait for (BW)bloodshed;
Each of them hunts the other with a (BX)net.
3 As for evil, both hands do it (BY)well.
The leader asks for a (BZ)bribe, also the judge,
And the great one speaks the capricious desire of his soul;
So they plot it together.
4 The best of them is like a (CA)thorn bush,
The most upright like a (CB)thorn hedge.
The day [v]when you post your watchmen,
Your (CC)punishment is coming.
Then their (CD)confusion will occur.
5 Do not (CE)trust in a neighbor;
Do not have confidence in a close friend.
Guard [w]your lips
From her who lies [x]in your arms.
6 For (CF)son disavows father,
Daughter rises up against her mother,
Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
(CG)A person’s enemies are the people of his own household.
God Is the Source of Salvation and Light
7 But as for me, I will (CH)be on the watch for the Lord;
I will (CI)wait for the God of my salvation.
My (CJ)God will hear me.
8 (CK)Do not rejoice over me, (CL)enemy of mine.
Though I fall I will (CM)rise;
Though I live in darkness, the Lord is a (CN)light for me.
9 I will endure the rage of the Lord
Because I have sinned against Him,
Until He (CO)pleads my case and executes justice for me.
He will bring me out to the (CP)light,
And I will look at His [y](CQ)righteousness.
10 Then my enemy will see,
And shame will cover her who (CR)said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will look at her;
[z]At that time she will [aa]be (CS)trampled down
Like mud of the streets.
11 It will be a day for (CT)building your walls.
On that day your boundary will be extended.
12 It will be a day when [ab]they will (CU)come to you
From Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
From Egypt even to the Euphrates River,
Even from sea to sea and mountain to mountain.
13 And the earth will become a (CV)wasteland because of her inhabitants,
On account of the (CW)fruit of their deeds.
14 (CX)Shepherd Your people with Your (CY)scepter,
The flock of Your [ac]possession
Which lives by itself in the woodland,
In the midst of [ad]a fruitful field.
Let them feed in (CZ)Bashan and Gilead
(DA)As in the days of old.
15 “As in the days when you went out from the land of Egypt,
I will show [ae](DB)you miracles.”
16 Nations (DC)will see and be ashamed
Of all their might.
They will (DD)put their hand on their mouth,
Their ears will be deaf.
17 They will (DE)lick up dust like a snake,
Like [af](DF)reptiles of the earth.
They will come (DG)trembling out of their [ag]fortresses;
To the Lord our God they will come in (DH)trepidation,
And they will be afraid of You.
18 Who is a God like You, who (DI)pardons wrongdoing
And passes over a rebellious act of the (DJ)remnant of His [ah]possession?
He does not (DK)retain His anger forever,
Because He (DL)delights in mercy.
19 He will again take pity on us;
(DM)He will trample on our wrongdoings.
Yes, You will (DN)cast all [ai]their sins
Into the depths of the sea.
20 You will give [aj](DO)truth to Jacob
And favor to Abraham,
Which You (DP)swore to our forefathers
From the days of old.
Footnotes
- Micah 5:1 Ch 4:14 in Heb
- Micah 5:1 Lit He has
- Micah 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Heb
- Micah 5:4 Or live in safety
- Micah 5:4 Lit now
- Micah 5:5 Or palaces
- Micah 5:7 Lit sons of mankind
- Micah 5:14 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)
- Micah 6:1 Lit with
- Micah 6:5 Lit In order to know
- Micah 6:7 I.e., olive oil
- Micah 6:8 Or loyalty
- Micah 6:8 Or circumspectly
- Micah 6:9 Or Hear about the rod and who designated it
- Micah 6:9 Lit it
- Micah 6:10 Lit shrunken ephah
- Micah 6:12 Lit her are
- Micah 6:16 Lit her
- Micah 6:16 Lit whistling (in mockery)
- Micah 7:1 Lit my soul desires
- Micah 7:2 Or faithful
- Micah 7:4 Lit of your
- Micah 7:5 Lit the openings of your mouth
- Micah 7:5 Lit on your chest
- Micah 7:9 I.e., right dealing
- Micah 7:10 Lit Now
- Micah 7:10 Lit become a trampled place
- Micah 7:12 Lit he
- Micah 7:14 Or inheritance
- Micah 7:14 Or Carmel
- Micah 7:15 Lit him
- Micah 7:17 Lit crawling things
- Micah 7:17 Or prisons
- Micah 7:18 Or inheritance
- Micah 7:19 Several ancient versions our
- Micah 7:20 Or faithfulness
Micah 5-7
New Living Translation
Micah 5-7
New Living Translation
5 [a]Mobilize! Marshal your troops!
The enemy is laying siege to Jerusalem.
They will strike Israel’s leader
in the face with a rod.
A Ruler from Bethlehem
2 [b]But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel,
whose origins are in the distant past,
will come from you on my behalf.
3 The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies
until the woman in labor gives birth.
Then at last his fellow countrymen
will return from exile to their own land.
4 And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
Then his people will live there undisturbed,
for he will be highly honored around the world.
5 And he will be the source of peace.
When the Assyrians invade our land
and break through our defenses,
we will appoint seven rulers to watch over us,
eight princes to lead us.
6 They will rule Assyria with drawn swords
and enter the gates of the land of Nimrod.
He will rescue us from the Assyrians
when they pour over the borders to invade our land.
The Remnant Purified
7 Then the remnant left in Israel[c]
will take their place among the nations.
They will be like dew sent by the Lord
or like rain falling on the grass,
which no one can hold back
and no one can restrain.
8 The remnant left in Israel
will take their place among the nations.
They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,
like a strong young lion among flocks of sheep and goats,
pouncing and tearing as they go
with no rescuer in sight.
9 The people of Israel will stand up to their foes,
and all their enemies will be wiped out.
10 “In that day,” says the Lord,
“I will slaughter your horses
and destroy your chariots.
11 I will tear down your walls
and demolish your defenses.
12 I will put an end to all witchcraft,
and there will be no more fortune-tellers.
13 I will destroy all your idols and sacred pillars,
so you will never again worship the work of your own hands.
14 I will abolish your idol shrines with their Asherah poles
and destroy your pagan cities.
15 I will pour out my vengeance
on all the nations that refuse to obey me.”
The Lord’s Case against Israel
6 Listen to what the Lord is saying:
“Stand up and state your case against me.
Let the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints.
2 And now, O mountains,
listen to the Lord’s complaint!
He has a case against his people.
He will bring charges against Israel.
3 “O my people, what have I done to you?
What have I done to make you tired of me?
Answer me!
4 For I brought you out of Egypt
and redeemed you from slavery.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.
5 Don’t you remember, my people,
how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed
and how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead?
And remember your journey from Acacia Grove[d] to Gilgal,
when I, the Lord, did everything I could
to teach you about my faithfulness.”
6 What can we bring to the Lord?
Should we bring him burnt offerings?
Should we bow before God Most High
with offerings of yearling calves?
7 Should we offer him thousands of rams
and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children
to pay for our sins?
8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
Israel’s Guilt and Punishment
9 Fear the Lord if you are wise!
His voice calls to everyone in Jerusalem:
“The armies of destruction are coming;
the Lord is sending them.[e]
10 What shall I say about the homes of the wicked
filled with treasures gained by cheating?
What about the disgusting practice
of measuring out grain with dishonest measures?[f]
11 How can I tolerate your merchants
who use dishonest scales and weights?
12 The rich among you have become wealthy
through extortion and violence.
Your citizens are so used to lying
that their tongues can no longer tell the truth.
13 “Therefore, I will wound you!
I will bring you to ruin for all your sins.
14 You will eat but never have enough.
Your hunger pangs and emptiness will remain.
And though you try to save your money,
it will come to nothing in the end.
You will save a little,
but I will give it to those who conquer you.
15 You will plant crops
but not harvest them.
You will press your olives
but not get enough oil to anoint yourselves.
You will trample the grapes
but get no juice to make your wine.
16 You keep only the laws of evil King Omri;
you follow only the example of wicked King Ahab!
Therefore, I will make an example of you,
bringing you to complete ruin.
You will be treated with contempt,
mocked by all who see you.”
Misery Turned to Hope
7 How miserable I am!
I feel like the fruit picker after the harvest
who can find nothing to eat.
Not a cluster of grapes or a single early fig
can be found to satisfy my hunger.
2 The godly people have all disappeared;
not one honest person is left on the earth.
They are all murderers,
setting traps even for their own brothers.
3 Both their hands are equally skilled at doing evil!
Officials and judges alike demand bribes.
The people with influence get what they want,
and together they scheme to twist justice.
4 Even the best of them is like a brier;
the most honest is as dangerous as a hedge of thorns.
But your judgment day is coming swiftly now.
Your time of punishment is here, a time of confusion.
5 Don’t trust anyone—
not your best friend or even your wife!
6 For the son despises his father.
The daughter defies her mother.
The daughter-in-law defies her mother-in-law.
Your enemies are right in your own household!
7 As for me, I look to the Lord for help.
I wait confidently for God to save me,
and my God will certainly hear me.
8 Do not gloat over me, my enemies!
For though I fall, I will rise again.
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.
9 I will be patient as the Lord punishes me,
for I have sinned against him.
But after that, he will take up my case
and give me justice for all I have suffered from my enemies.
The Lord will bring me into the light,
and I will see his righteousness.
10 Then my enemies will see that the Lord is on my side.
They will be ashamed that they taunted me, saying,
“So where is the Lord—
that God of yours?”
With my own eyes I will see their downfall;
they will be trampled like mud in the streets.
11 In that day, Israel, your cities will be rebuilt,
and your borders will be extended.
12 People from many lands will come and honor you—
from Assyria all the way to the towns of Egypt,
from Egypt all the way to the Euphrates River,[g]
and from distant seas and mountains.
13 But the land[h] will become empty and desolate
because of the wickedness of those who live there.
The Lord’s Compassion on Israel
14 O Lord, protect your people with your shepherd’s staff;
lead your flock, your special possession.
Though they live alone in a thicket
on the heights of Mount Carmel,[i]
let them graze in the fertile pastures of Bashan and Gilead
as they did long ago.
15 “Yes,” says the Lord,
“I will do mighty miracles for you,
like those I did when I rescued you
from slavery in Egypt.”
16 All the nations of the world will stand amazed
at what the Lord will do for you.
They will be embarrassed
at their feeble power.
They will cover their mouths in silent awe,
deaf to everything around them.
17 Like snakes crawling from their holes,
they will come out to meet the Lord our God.
They will fear him greatly,
trembling in terror at his presence.
18 Where is another God like you,
who pardons the guilt of the remnant,
overlooking the sins of his special people?
You will not stay angry with your people forever,
because you delight in showing unfailing love.
19 Once again you will have compassion on us.
You will trample our sins under your feet
and throw them into the depths of the ocean!
20 You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love
as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.
Footnotes
- 5:1 Verse 5:1 is numbered 4:14 in Hebrew text.
- 5:2 Verses 5:2-15 are numbered 5:1-14 in Hebrew text.
- 5:7 Hebrew in Jacob; also in 5:8. See note on 1:5a.
- 6:5 Hebrew Shittim.
- 6:9 Hebrew “Listen to the rod. / Who appointed it?”
- 6:10 Hebrew of using the short ephah? The ephah was a unit for measuring grain.
- 7:12 Hebrew the river.
- 7:13 Or earth.
- 7:14 Or surrounded by a fruitful land.
Micah 5-7
The Message
Micah 5-7
The Message
The Leader Who Will Shepherd-Rule Israel
5 But for now, prepare for the worst, victim daughter!
The siege is set against us.
They humiliate Israel’s king,
slapping him around like a rag doll.
2-4 But you, Bethlehem, David’s country,
the runt of the litter—
From you will come the leader
who will shepherd-rule Israel.
He’ll be no upstart, no pretender.
His family tree is ancient and distinguished.
Meanwhile, Israel will be in foster homes
until the birth pangs are over and the child is born,
And the scattered brothers come back
home to the family of Israel.
He will stand tall in his shepherd-rule by God’s strength,
centered in the majesty of God-Revealed.
And the people will have a good and safe home,
for the whole world will hold him in respect—
Peacemaker of the world!
5-6 And if some bullying Assyrian shows up,
invades and violates our land, don’t worry.
We’ll put him in his place, send him packing,
and watch his every move.
Shepherd-rule will extend as far as needed,
to Assyria and all other Nimrod-bullies.
Our shepherd-ruler will save us from old or new enemies,
from anyone who invades or violates our land.
7 The purged and select company of Jacob will be
like an island in the sea of peoples.
They’ll be like dew from God,
like summer showers
Not mentioned in the weather forecast,
not subject to calculation or control.
8-9 Yes, the purged and select company of Jacob will be
like an island in the sea of peoples,
Like the king of beasts among wild beasts,
like a young lion loose in a flock of sheep,
Killing and devouring the lambs
and no one able to stop him.
With your arms raised in triumph over your foes,
your enemies will be no more!
* * *
10-15 “The day is coming”
—God’s Decree—
“When there will be no more war. None.
I’ll slaughter your war horses and demolish your chariots.
I’ll dismantle military posts
and level your fortifications.
I’ll abolish your religious black markets,
your underworld traffic in black magic.
I will smash your carved and cast gods
and chop down your phallic posts.
No more taking control of the world,
worshiping what you do or make.
I’ll root out your sacred sex-and-power centers
and destroy the God-defiant.
In raging anger, I’ll make a clean sweep
of godless nations who haven’t listened.”
What God Is Looking For
6 1-2 Listen now, listen to God:
“Take your stand in court.
If you have a complaint, tell the mountains;
make your case to the hills.
And now, Mountains, hear God’s case;
listen, Jury Earth—
For I am bringing charges against my people.
I am building a case against Israel.
3-5 “Dear people, how have I done you wrong?
Have I burdened you, worn you out? Answer!
I delivered you from a bad life in Egypt;
I paid a good price to get you out of slavery.
I sent Moses to lead you—
and Aaron and Miriam to boot!
Remember what Balak king of Moab tried to pull,
and how Balaam son of Beor turned the tables on him.
Remember all those stories about Shittim and Gilgal.
Keep all God’s salvation stories fresh and present.”
6-7 How can I stand up before God
and show proper respect to the high God?
Should I bring an armload of offerings
topped off with yearling calves?
Would God be impressed with thousands of rams,
with buckets and barrels of olive oil?
Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child,
my precious baby, to cancel my sin?
* * *
8 But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,
what God is looking for in men and women.
It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don’t take yourself too seriously—
take God seriously.
9 Attention! God calls out to the city!
If you know what’s good for you, you’ll listen.
So listen, all of you!
This is serious business.
* * *
10-16 “Do you expect me to overlook obscene wealth
you’ve piled up by cheating and fraud?
Do you think I’ll tolerate shady deals
and shifty scheming?
I’m tired of the violent rich
bullying their way with bluffs and lies.
I’m fed up. Beginning now, you’re finished.
You’ll pay for your sins down to your last cent.
No matter how much you get, it will never be enough—
hollow stomachs, empty hearts.
No matter how hard you work, you’ll have nothing to show for it—
bankrupt lives, wasted souls.
You’ll plant grass
but never get a lawn.
You’ll make jelly
but never spread it on your bread.
You’ll press apples
but never drink the cider.
You have lived by the standards of your king, Omri,
the decadent lifestyle of the family of Ahab.
Because you’ve slavishly followed their fashions,
I’m forcing you into bankruptcy.
Your way of life will be laughed at, a tasteless joke.
Your lives will be derided as futile and fake.”
Stick Around to See What God Will Do
7 1-6 I’m overwhelmed with sorrow!
sunk in a swamp of despair!
I’m like someone who goes to the garden
to pick cabbages and carrots and corn
And returns empty-handed,
finds nothing for soup or sandwich or salad.
There’s not a decent person in sight.
Right-living humans are extinct.
They’re all out for one another’s blood,
animals preying on each other.
They’ve all become experts in evil.
Corrupt leaders demand bribes.
The powerful rich
make sure they get what they want.
The best and brightest are thistles.
The top of the line is crabgrass.
But no longer: It’s exam time.
Look at them slinking away in disgrace!
Don’t trust your neighbor,
don’t confide in your friend.
Watch your words,
even with your spouse.
Neighborhoods and families are falling to pieces.
The closer they are—sons, daughters, in-laws—
The worse they can be.
Your own family is the enemy.
* * *
7 But me, I’m not giving up.
I’m sticking around to see what God will do.
I’m waiting for God to make things right.
I’m counting on God to listen to me.
Spreading Your Wings
8-10 Don’t, enemy, crow over me.
I’m down, but I’m not out.
I’m sitting in the dark right now,
but God is my light.
I can take God’s punishing rage.
I deserve it—I sinned.
But it’s not forever. He’s on my side
and is going to get me out of this.
He’ll turn on the lights and show me his ways.
I’ll see the whole picture and how right he is.
And my enemy will see it, too,
and be discredited—yes, disgraced!
This enemy who kept taunting,
“So where is this God of yours?”
I’m going to see it with these, my own eyes—
my enemy disgraced, trash in the gutter.
* * *
11-13 Oh, that will be a day! A day for rebuilding your city,
a day for stretching your arms, spreading your wings!
All your dispersed and scattered people will come back,
old friends and family from faraway places,
From Assyria in the east to Egypt in the west,
from across the seas and out of the mountains.
But there’ll be a reversal for everyone else—massive depopulation—
because of the way they lived, the things they did.
14-17 Shepherd, O God, your people with your staff,
your dear and precious flock.
Uniquely yours in a grove of trees,
centered in lotus land.
Let them graze in lush Bashan
as in the old days in green Gilead.
Reproduce the miracle-wonders
of our exodus from Egypt.
And the godless nations: Put them in their place—
humiliated in their arrogance, speechless and clueless.
Make them slink like snakes, crawl like cockroaches,
come out of their holes from under their rocks
And face our God.
Fill them with holy fear and trembling.
* * *
18-20 Where is the god who can compare with you—
wiping the slate clean of guilt,
Turning a blind eye, a deaf ear,
to the past sins of your purged and precious people?
You don’t nurse your anger and don’t stay angry long,
for mercy is your specialty. That’s what you love most.
And compassion is on its way to us.
You’ll stamp out our wrongdoing.
You’ll sink our sins
to the bottom of the ocean.
You’ll stay true to your word to Father Jacob
and continue the compassion you showed Grandfather Abraham—
Everything you promised our ancestors
from a long time ago.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson