耶和华的应许

耶路撒冷的居民[a]啊,
现在你们要调集军队!
敌人正四面围攻我们,
要用杖击打以色列首领的脸颊。

以法他的伯利恒啊,
你在犹大各城中毫不起眼,
但将有一位从你那里出来,
为我统治以色列;
祂的根源自亘古,来自太初。

耶和华要将以色列人交给他们的敌人,
直到那临盆的妇人生下儿子。
那时,祂流亡的弟兄将重返他们的以色列同胞那里。
祂要挺身而起,
倚靠耶和华的能力,
奉祂上帝耶和华的威名牧养祂的群羊。
他们将安然居住,
因为那时祂必受尊崇,直达地极。
祂必给他们带来平安!

亚述人侵略我们的国土、践踏我们的宫殿时,
我们将选立七位牧者和八位首领抗击他们。
他们要用刀剑统治亚述,统治宁录地区。
亚述人侵入我们国境、践踏我们疆土时,
祂必拯救我们。

雅各余剩的子孙将在万民中像从耶和华那里降下的雨露,
又像洒在草上的甘霖。
他们不依靠人,
不冀望于世人。
在各国各民中,
雅各余剩的子孙犹如林间百兽中的狮子,
又像闯入羊群的猛狮,
将猎物扑倒撕碎,
无人能搭救。
愿你们伸手战胜仇敌!
愿你们的仇敌都被铲除!

10 耶和华说:
“到那日,
我要消灭你们的战马,
毁坏你们的战车。
11 我要摧毁你们境内的城邑,
拆除你们所有的堡垒。
12 我要除掉你们手中的巫术,
使你们那里不再有占卜的。
13 我要从你们中间除去雕刻的神像和神柱,
使你们不再跪拜自己所造的。
14 我要从你们中间铲除亚舍拉神像,
毁灭你们的偶像。
15 我要在烈怒中报应那些不听从我的国家。”

Footnotes

  1. 5:1 耶路撒冷的居民”希伯来文是“被围攻的女子”。

Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops; he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

(And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall he come forth unto me [who is] to be Ruler in Israel: whose goings forth are from of old, from the days of eternity.)

Therefore will he give them up, until the time when she which travaileth shall have brought forth: and the residue of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

And he shall stand and feed [his flock] in the strength of Jehovah, in the majesty of the name of Jehovah his God. And they shall abide; for now shall he be great even unto the ends of the earth.

And this [man] shall be Peace. When the Assyrian shall come into our land, and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight princes of men.

And they shall waste the land of Asshur with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof; and he shall deliver [us] from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.

And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples as dew from Jehovah, as showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, neither waiteth for the sons of men.

And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and there is none to deliver.

Thy hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.

10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith Jehovah, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots.

11 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and overthrow all thy strongholds.

12 And I will cut off sorceries out of thy hand; and thou shalt have no soothsayers.

13 Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy statues out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more bow down to the work of thy hands.

14 And I will pluck up thine Asherahs out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy cities.

15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and in fury upon the nations, such as they have not heard of.

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.

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.

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)
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)

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.
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)
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.”

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
  3. Micah 5:6 Or crush
  4. Micah 5:6 Or Nimrod in its gates
  5. Micah 5:14 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah

Now shalt thou be laid waste, O daughter of the robber: they have laid siege against us, with a rod shall they strike the cheek of the judge of Israel.

AND THOU, BETHLEHEM Ephrata, art a little one among the thousands of Juda: out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be the ruler in Israel: and his going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity.

Therefore will he give them up even till the time wherein she that travaileth shall bring forth: and the remnant of his brethren shall be converted to the children of Israel.

And he shall stand, and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the height of the name of the Lord his God: and they shall be converted, for now shall he be magnified even to the ends of the earth.

And this man shall be our peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land, and when he shall set his foot in our houses: and we shall raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.

And they shall feed the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nemrod with the spears thereof: and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian, when he shall come into our land, and when he shall tread in our borders.

And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples as a dew from the Lord, and as drops upon the grass, which waiteth not for man, nor tarrieth for the children of men.

And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many peoples as a lion among the beasts of the forests, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who when he shall go through and tread down, and take, there is none to deliver.

Thy hand shall be lifted up over thy enemies, and all thy enemies shall be cut off.

10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that I will take away thy horses out of the midst of thee, and will destroy thy chariots.

11 And I will destroy the cities of thy land, and will throw down all thy strong holds, and I will take away sorceries out of thy hand, and there shall be no divinations in thee.

12 And I will destroy thy graven things, and thy statues out of the midst of thee: and thou shalt no more adore the works of thy hands.

13 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: and will crush thy cities.

14 And I will execute vengeance in wrath and in indignation among all the nations that have not given ear.