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Now you shall gather yourself in troops,
    daughter of troops.
He has laid siege against us.
    They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    being small among the clans of Judah,
    out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler in Israel;
    whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.
Therefore he will abandon them until the time that she who is in labor gives birth.
    Then the rest of his brothers will return to the children of Israel.
He shall stand, and shall shepherd in the strength of Yahweh,
    in the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God:
    and they will live, for then he will be great to the ends of the earth.
He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land,
    and when he marches through our fortresses,
    then we will raise against him seven shepherds,
    and eight leaders of men.
They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword,
    and the land of Nimrod in its gates.
He will deliver us from the Assyrian,
    when he invades our land,
    and when he marches within our border.
The remnant of Jacob will be among many peoples,
    like dew from Yahweh,
    like showers on the grass,
    that don’t wait for man,
    nor wait for the sons of men.
The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
    among many peoples,
    like a lion among the animals of the forest,
    like a young lion among the flocks of sheep;
    who, if he goes through, treads down and tears in pieces,
    and there is no one to deliver.
Let your hand be lifted up above your adversaries,
    and let all of your enemies be cut off.
10 “It will happen in that day”, says Yahweh,
    “that I will cut off your horses out from among you,
    and will destroy your chariots.
11 I will cut off the cities of your land,
    and will tear down all your strongholds.
12 I will destroy witchcraft from your hand;
    and you shall have no soothsayers.
13 I will cut off your engraved images and your pillars out from among you;
    and you shall no more worship the work of your hands.
14 I will uproot your Asherah poles out from among you;
    and I will destroy your cities.
15 I will execute vengeance in anger,
    and wrath on the nations that didn’t listen.”

Birth of the King in Bethlehem

[a]Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops;
[b]They have laid siege against us;
With a rod they will (A)strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.
[c]But as for (B)you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From (C)you One will come forth for Me to be (D)ruler in Israel.
His times of coming forth are (E)from long ago,
From the days of eternity.”
Therefore He will (F)give them up until the time
When she (G)who is in labor has given birth.
Then the (H)remainder of His kinsmen
Will return to the sons of Israel.
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 [d]remain,
Because [e]at that time He will be great
To the (J)ends of the earth.
This One (K)will be our peace.
When the (L)Assyrian invades our land,
When he tramples on our [f]citadels,
Then we will raise against him
Seven shepherds and eight leaders of people.
They will (M)shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
The land of (N)Nimrod at its entrances;
And He will (O)rescue us from the Assyrian
When he invades our land,
And when he tramples our territory.

Then the (P)remnant of Jacob
Will be among many peoples
Like (Q)dew from the Lord,
Like (R)showers on vegetation
That do not wait for man,
Or delay for [g]mankind.
The remnant of Jacob
Will be among the nations,
Among many peoples
(S)Like a lion among the animals of the forest,
Like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
Which, if he passes through,
(T)Tramples and (U)tears,
And there is (V)no one who can rescue.
Your hand will be (W)lifted up against your adversaries,
And all your enemies will be eliminated.

10 “And it will be on that day,” declares the Lord,
(X)That I will eliminate your (Y)horses from among you,
And destroy your chariots.
11 I will also eliminate the (Z)cities of your land,
And tear down all your (AA)fortifications.
12 I will eliminate (AB)sorceries from your hand,
And you will have no fortune-tellers.
13 (AC)I will eliminate your carved images
And your memorial stones from among you,
So that you will no longer bow down
To the work of your hands.
14 I will uproot 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.”

Footnotes

  1. Micah 5:1 Ch 4:14 in Heb
  2. Micah 5:1 Lit He has
  3. Micah 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Heb
  4. Micah 5:4 Or live in safety
  5. Micah 5:4 Lit now
  6. Micah 5:5 Or palaces
  7. Micah 5:7 Lit sons of mankind
  8. Micah 5:14 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)

A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem

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

“But you, Bethlehem(B) Ephrathah,(C)
    though you are small among the clans[b] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler(D) over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,(E)
    from ancient times.”(F)

Therefore Israel will be abandoned(G)
    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(H)
    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(I)
    will reach to the ends of the earth.

And he will be our peace(J)
    when the Assyrians invade(K) our land
    and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
    even eight commanders,(L)
who will rule[c] the land of Assyria with the sword,
    the land of Nimrod(M) with drawn sword.[d](N)
He will deliver us from the Assyrians
    when they invade our land
    and march across our borders.(O)

The remnant(P) of Jacob will be
    in the midst of many peoples
like dew(Q) from the Lord,
    like showers on the grass,(R)
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,(S)
    like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which mauls and mangles(T) as it goes,
    and no one can rescue.(U)
Your hand will be lifted up(V) 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.(W)
11 I will destroy the cities(X) of your land
    and tear down all your strongholds.(Y)
12 I will destroy your witchcraft
    and you will no longer cast spells.(Z)
13 I will destroy your idols(AA)
    and your sacred stones from among you;(AB)
you will no longer bow down
    to the work of your hands.(AC)
14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles[e](AD)
    when I demolish your cities.
15 I will take vengeance(AE) in anger and wrath
    on the nations that have not obeyed me.”

Footnotes

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