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Now shalt thou 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, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the [a]thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, [b]from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth: then the residue of his brethren shall return [c]unto the children of Israel. And he shall stand, and shall 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 unto the ends of the earth. And this man shall be our 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 [d]principal men. And they shall waste the land of Assyria 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 border. And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples as dew from Jehovah, as showers upon the grass, that tarry not for man, nor wait 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. Let thy hand be lifted up above thine adversaries, and let all thine enemies 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 will destroy thy chariots: 11 and I will cut off the cities of thy land, and will throw down all thy strongholds. 12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: 13 and I will cut off thy graven images and thy [e]pillars out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thy hands; 14 and I will pluck up thine Asherim out of the midst of thee; and I will destroy thy [f]cities. 15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations [g]which hearkened not.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 5:2 Or, families. See Judg. 6:15.
  2. Micah 5:2 Or, from ancient days
  3. Micah 5:3 Or, with
  4. Micah 5:5 Or, princes among men
  5. Micah 5:13 Or, obelisks
  6. Micah 5:14 Or, enemies
  7. Micah 5:15 Or, such as they have not heard

A Ruler from Bethlehem

[a] Now muster troops, O daughter of troops;
    a siege he puts against us.
They strike the ruler of Israel
    with a rod on the cheek.
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    too small to be among the clans of Judah,
from you one will go out for me,
    to be ruler in Israel;
and his origins are from of old,
    from ancient days.
Therefore he will give them up
    until the time of she who is with child has given birth.
And the rest of his brothers will return
    to the children of Israel.
And he will stand and shepherd his flock
    in the strength of Yahweh,
    in the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God.
And they will live,
    for now he will be great unto the ends of the earth.
And this one will be peace.
As for the Assyrian,[b] when he comes into our land
    and when he treads on our fortresses,
then we will raise up against him seven shepherds
    and eight leaders of men.
And they will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
    and the land of Nimrod at its entrances.
And he will rescue us from the Assyrian[c]
    when he comes into our land,
    and when they tread upon our border.

A Remnant Delivered

And the remnant of Jacob will be
    in the midst of many nations,
like dew from Yahweh,
    like showers upon the grass
which does not wait for a man,
    nor delays for the children of humankind.
And the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
    in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the wild animals of the forest,
    like a young lion among the herds of sheep
which, when it passes through and treads down
    and tears in pieces, there is none who can deliver.
Your hand will be lifted high over your enemies,
    and all your foes will be cut off.
10 “And it will happen that in that day,” declares[d] Yahweh,
    “then I will cut off your horses from among you,
    and I will destroy your chariots.
11 And I will cut off the cities of your land,
    and I will demolish all your fortifications.
12 And I will cut off sorceries from your hand,
    and you will not have soothsayers.
13 And I will cut off your idols
    and your stone pillars from among you,
and you will no longer bow down
    to the work of your hands.
14 And I will uproot your Asherahs from among you,
    and I will destroy your cities.
15 And in anger and in wrath I will execute vengeance
    on the nations who did not obey.”

Footnotes

  1. Micah 5:1 Micah 5:1–15 in the English Bible is 4:14–5:14 in the Hebrew Bible
  2. Micah 5:5 Hebrew “Assyria”
  3. Micah 5:6 Hebrew “Assyria”
  4. Micah 5:10 Literally “a declaration of”