Micah 5-6
New American Standard Bible 1995
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)smite 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 go forth for Me to be (D)ruler in Israel.
[d]His goings 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 borne a child.
Then the (H)remainder of His brethren
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 [e]remain,
Because [f]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 [g]citadels,
Then we will raise against him
Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men.
6 They will (M)shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
The land of (N)Nimrod at its entrances;
And He will (O)deliver us from the Assyrian
When he attacks 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
Which do not wait for man
Or delay for the sons of men.
8 The remnant of Jacob
Will be among the nations,
Among many peoples
(S)Like a lion among the beasts of the forest,
Like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
Which, if he passes through,
(T)Tramples down and (U)tears,
And there is (V)none to rescue.
9 Your hand will be (W)lifted up against your adversaries,
And all your enemies will be cut off.
10 “It will be in that day,” declares the Lord,
“(X)That I will cut off your (Y)horses from among you
And destroy your chariots.
11 “I will also cut off the (Z)cities of your land
And tear down all your (AA)fortifications.
12 “I will cut off (AB)sorceries from your hand,
And you will have fortune-tellers no more.
13 “(AC)I will cut off your carved images
And your sacred pillars from among you,
So that you will no longer bow down
To the work of your hands.
14 “I will root out 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 of the Lord,
And you enduring (AF)foundations of the earth,
Because the (AG)Lord has a case against His people;
Even with Israel He will dispute.
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
And (AL)ransomed 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 counseled
And what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
And from (AP)Shittim to (AQ)Gilgal,
So [j]that you might know the (AR)righteous acts of the Lord.”
What God Requires of Man
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 delight in (AU)thousands of rams,
In ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I present my (AV)firstborn for my rebellious acts,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has (AW)told you, O man, what is good;
And (AX)what does the Lord require of you
But to (AY)do justice, to (AZ)love [k]kindness,
And to walk [l](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:
“Hear, O tribe. Who has appointed [m]its time?
10 “Is there yet a man in the wicked house,
Along with treasures of (BB)wickedness
And a [n](BC)short measure that is cursed?
11 “Can I justify wicked (BD)scales
And a bag of deceptive weights?
12 “For the rich men of the [o]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)Desolating you because of your sins.
14 “You will eat, but you will (BJ)not be satisfied,
And your [p]vileness will be in your midst.
You will try to remove for safekeeping,
But you will (BK)not preserve anything,
And what you do preserve I will give to the sword.
15 “You will sow but you will (BL)not reap.
You will tread the olive but will not anoint yourself with oil;
And the grapes, but you will (BM)not drink wine.
16 “The statutes of (BN)Omri
And all the works of the house of (BO)Ahab are observed;
And in their devices you (BP)walk.
Therefore I will give you up for (BQ)destruction
And [q]your inhabitants for (BR)derision,
And you will bear the (BS)reproach of My people.”
Footnotes
- Micah 5:1 Ch 4:14 in Heb
- Micah 5:1 Lit He has
- Micah 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Heb
- Micah 5:2 Or His appearances are from long ago, from days of old
- Micah 5:4 Or live in safety
- Micah 5:4 Lit now
- Micah 5:5 Or palaces
- Micah 5:14 I.e. wooden symbols of a female deity
- Micah 6:1 Lit with
- Micah 6:5 Lit to know
- Micah 6:8 Or loyalty
- Micah 6:8 Or circumspectly
- Micah 6:9 Lit it
- Micah 6:10 Lit shrunken ephah
- Micah 6:12 Lit her
- Micah 6:14 Or possibly garbage or excreta
- Micah 6:16 Lit her
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
