As for you, watchtower of the flock,
    stronghold[a] of Daughter Zion,
the former dominion will be restored(A) to you;
    kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.(B)

Why do you now cry aloud—
    have you no king[b](C)?
Has your ruler[c] perished,
    that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?(D)
10 Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion,
    like a woman in labor,
for now you must leave the city
    to camp in the open field.
You will go to Babylon;(E)
    there you will be rescued.
There the Lord will redeem(F) you
    out of the hand of your enemies.

11 But now many nations
    are gathered against you.
They say, “Let her be defiled,
    let our eyes gloat(G) over Zion!”
12 But they do not know
    the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,(H)
    that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 “Rise and thresh,(I) Daughter Zion,
    for I will give you horns of iron;
I will give you hooves of bronze,
    and you will break to pieces many nations.”(J)
You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,(K)
    their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem

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

“But you, Bethlehem(M) Ephrathah,(N)
    though you are small among the clans[e] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler(O) over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,(P)
    from ancient times.”(Q)

Therefore Israel will be abandoned(R)
    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(S)
    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(T)
    will reach to the ends of the earth.

And he will be our peace(U)
    when the Assyrians invade(V) our land
    and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
    even eight commanders,(W)
who will rule[f] the land of Assyria with the sword,
    the land of Nimrod(X) with drawn sword.[g](Y)
He will deliver us from the Assyrians
    when they invade our land
    and march across our borders.(Z)

The remnant(AA) of Jacob will be
    in the midst of many peoples
like dew(AB) from the Lord,
    like showers on the grass,(AC)
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,(AD)
    like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which mauls and mangles(AE) as it goes,
    and no one can rescue.(AF)
Your hand will be lifted up(AG) 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.(AH)
11 I will destroy the cities(AI) of your land
    and tear down all your strongholds.(AJ)
12 I will destroy your witchcraft
    and you will no longer cast spells.(AK)
13 I will destroy your idols(AL)
    and your sacred stones from among you;(AM)
you will no longer bow down
    to the work of your hands.(AN)
14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles[h](AO)
    when I demolish your cities.
15 I will take vengeance(AP) in anger and wrath
    on the nations that have not obeyed me.”

Notas al pie

  1. Micah 4:8 Or hill
  2. Micah 4:9 Or King
  3. Micah 4:9 Or Ruler
  4. Micah 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:14, and 5:2-15 is numbered 5:1-14.
  5. Micah 5:2 Or rulers
  6. Micah 5:6 Or crush
  7. Micah 5:6 Or Nimrod in its gates
  8. Micah 5:14 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah

And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.

Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.

10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

11 Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.

12 But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.

13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.

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.

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

And this man shall be the 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 principal men.

And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he 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 people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.

And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

Thine 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 the Lord, 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 throw down all thy strong holds:

12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:

13 Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands.

14 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.

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