Micah 4:8-5:15

New International Version

⁸As 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)”

⁹Why 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)
¹⁰Writhe 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.

¹¹But now many nations
    are gathered against you.
They say, “Let her be defiled,
    let our eyes gloat^(G) over Zion!”
¹²But 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

5 ^[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.

²“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)

³Therefore 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.

⁴He 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.

⁵And 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)
⁶who 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)

⁷The 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.
⁸The 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)
⁹Your 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)
¹¹I will destroy the cities^(AI) of your land
    and tear down all your strongholds.^(AJ)
¹²I will destroy your witchcraft
    and you will no longer cast spells.^(AK)
¹³I 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)
¹⁴I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles^[h]^(AO)
    when I demolish your cities.
¹⁵I will take vengeance^(AP) in anger and wrath
    on the nations that have not obeyed me.”