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)

³Therefore 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.

⁴He 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.

⁵And 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)
⁶who 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)

⁷The 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.
⁸The 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)
⁹Your 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)
¹¹I will destroy the cities^(X) of your land
    and tear down all your strongholds.^(Y)
¹²I will destroy your witchcraft
    and you will no longer cast spells.^(Z)
¹³I 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)
¹⁴I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles^[e]^(AD)
    when I demolish your cities.
¹⁵I 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.
⁴I 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)
⁵My 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.”

⁶With 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)
⁷Will 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)
⁸He 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

⁹Listen! 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]
¹⁰Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house,
    and the short ephah,^[h] which is accursed?^(BF)
¹¹Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales,^(BG)
    with a bag of false weights?^(BH)
¹²Your rich people are violent;^(BI)
    your inhabitants are liars^(BJ)
    and their tongues speak deceitfully.^(BK)
¹³Therefore, I have begun to destroy^(BL) you,
    to ruin^[i] you because of your sins.
¹⁴You 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.
¹⁵You 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)
¹⁶You 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.
²The 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)
³Both 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.
⁴The 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)
⁵Do 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.
⁶For 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)

⁷But 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

⁸Do 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)
⁹Because 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)
¹⁰Then 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.

¹¹The day for building your walls^(CY) will come,
    the day for extending your boundaries.
¹²In 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)
¹³The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,
    as the result of their deeds.^(DB)

Prayer and Praise

¹⁴Shepherd^(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)”

¹⁶Nations 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.
¹⁷They 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.
¹⁸Who 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)
¹⁹You 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)
²⁰You 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

Hebrews 7

New International Version

Melchizedek the Priest

7 This Melchizedek was king of Salem^(A) and priest of God Most High.^(B) He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,^(C) ²and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” ³Without father or mother, without genealogy,^(D) without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God,^(E) he remains a priest forever.

⁴Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch^(F) Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!^(G) ⁵Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people^(H)—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. ⁶This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed^(I) him who had the promises.^(J) ⁷And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. ⁸In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living.^(K) ⁹One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, ¹⁰because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.

Jesus Like Melchizedek

¹¹If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people^(L) established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come,^(M) one in the order of Melchizedek,^(N) not in the order of Aaron? ¹²For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. ¹³He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe,^(O) and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar.^(P) ¹⁴For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah,^(Q) and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. ¹⁵And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, ¹⁶one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷For it is declared:

“You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.”^[a]^(R)

¹⁸The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless^(S) ¹⁹(for the law made nothing perfect),^(T) and a better hope^(U) is introduced, by which we draw near to God.^(V)

²⁰And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, ²¹but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:

“The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind:^(W)
‘You are a priest forever.’”^[b]^(X)

²²Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.^(Y)

²³Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; ²⁴but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.^(Z) ²⁵Therefore he is able to save^(AA) completely^[c] those who come to God^(AB) through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.^(AC)

²⁶Such a high priest^(AD) truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners,^(AE) exalted above the heavens.^(AF) ²⁷Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices^(AG) day after day, first for his own sins,^(AH) and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all^(AI) when he offered himself.^(AJ) ²⁸For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness;^(AK) but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son,^(AL) who has been made perfect^(AM) forever.