Micah 5
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
5 [a]Now you are walled around with a wall;[b]
siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the ruler of Israel
upon the cheek.(A)
The Ruler from Bethlehem
2 [c]But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.(B)
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.(C)
4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth,(D)
5 and he shall be the one of peace.
If the Assyrians come into our land
and tread upon our soil,[d]
we will raise against them seven shepherds
and eight rulers.(E)
6 They shall rule the land of Assyria with the sword
and the land of Nimrod with the drawn sword;[e]
they[f] shall rescue us from the Assyrians
if they come into our land
or tread within our border.(F)
The Future Role of the Remnant
7 Then the remnant of Jacob,
surrounded by many peoples,
shall be like dew from the Lord,
like showers on the grass,
which do not depend upon people
or wait for any mortal.(G)
8 And among the nations the remnant of Jacob,
surrounded by many peoples,
shall be like a lion among the animals of the forest,
like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,
which, when it goes through, treads down
and tears in pieces, with no one to deliver.(H)
9 Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries,
and all your enemies shall be cut off.(I)
10 On that day, says the Lord,
I will cut off your horses from among you
and will destroy your chariots;(J)
11 and I will cut off the cities of your land
and destroy all your strongholds;(K)
12 and I will cut off sorceries from your hand,
and you shall have no more soothsayers;(L)
13 and I will cut off your images
and your pillars from among you,
and you shall bow down no more
to the work of your hands;
14 and I will uproot your sacred poles[g] from among you
and destroy your towns.(M)
15 And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance
on the nations that did not obey.(N)
Micah 5
Common English Bible
Call to arms; the future is secure
5 [a] Now muster your troops, Daughter Troop![b]
They have laid siege against us;
with a rod they will strike the cheek of the judge of Israel.
2 As for you, Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
though you are the least significant of Judah’s forces,
one who is to be a ruler in Israel on my behalf will come out from you.
His origin is from remote times, from ancient days.
3 Therefore, he will give them up
until the time when she who is in labor gives birth.
The rest of his kin will return to the people of Israel.
4 He will stand and shepherd his flock[c] in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
They will dwell secure,
because he will surely become great throughout the earth;
5 he will become one of peace.[d]
When Assyria invades our land and treads down our fortresses,
then we will raise up against him seven shepherds and eight human princes.
6 They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod with the drawn sword.
He will rescue us from Assyria
when he invades our land
and treads within our territory.
7 Then the few remaining in Jacob will be amid many peoples
like dew from the Lord,
like spring showers upon the grass,
which does not hope for humans or wait for human ones.
8 Then the few remaining in Jacob will be among the nations,
amid many peoples,
like a lion among the creatures of the forest,
like a young lion among flocks
of sheep, which when it passes by, tramples and tears to pieces
with no one to deliver.
9 Your hand will be lifted over your foes;
all your enemies will be cut off.
Doom for Israel’s enemies
10 On that day—says the Lord—
I will cut down your horses in your midst;
I will destroy your chariots!
11 I will cut down the cities of your land;
I will tear down your defenses!
12 I will demolish the sorceries you perform;
you will have no more diviners!
13 I will cut down your images
and your sacred pillars in your midst.
You will no longer bow down to the works of your hands!
14 I will tear down your sacred poles[e] in your midst;
I will destroy your cities!
15 I will exact vengeance in anger
and in wrath on the nations that don’t obey!
Footnotes
- Micah 5:1 4:14 in Heb
- Micah 5:1 Heb uncertain
- Micah 5:4 Heb lacks his flock.
- Micah 5:5 Or this will ensure peace.
- Micah 5:14 Heb asherim
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible