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Micah 5-7
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Micah 5-7
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)
God Challenges Israel
6 Hear what the Lord says:
Rise, plead your case before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice.(O)
2 Hear, you mountains, the case of the Lord,
and you enduring foundations of the earth,
for the Lord has a case against his people,
and he will contend with Israel.(P)
3 “O my people, what have I done to you?
In what have I wearied you? Answer me!(Q)
4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt
and redeemed you from the house of slavery,
and I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam.(R)
5 O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised,
what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.”(S)
What God Requires
6 “With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”(T)
8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good,
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice and to love kindness
and to walk humbly with your God?(U)
Cheating and Violence to Be Punished
9 The voice of the Lord cries to the city
(and he shall save those who fear his name[h]):
Hear, O tribe and assembly of the city![i]
10 Can I forget[j] the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked
and the despicable false measure?(V)
11 Can I tolerate wicked scales
and a bag of dishonest weights?(W)
12 Your[k] wealthy are full of violence;
your[l] inhabitants speak lies
with tongues of deceit in their mouths.
13 Therefore I have begun[m] to strike you down,
making you desolate because of your sins.(X)
14 You shall eat but not be satisfied,
and there shall be a gnawing hunger within you;
you shall put away but not save,
and what you save, I will hand over to the sword.(Y)
15 You shall sow but not reap;
you shall tread olives but not anoint yourselves with oil;
you shall tread grapes but not drink wine.(Z)
16 For you have kept the statutes of Omri[n]
and all the works of the house of Ahab,
and you have followed their counsels.
Therefore I will make you a desolation and your[o] inhabitants an object of hissing,
so you shall bear the scorn of my people.(AA)
The Total Corruption of the People
7 Woe is me! For I have become like one who,
after the summer fruit has been gathered,
after the vintage has been gleaned,
finds no cluster to eat;
there is no first-ripe fig for which I hunger.(AB)
2 The faithful have disappeared from the land,
and there is no one left who is upright;
they all lie in wait for blood,
and they hunt each other with nets.(AC)
3 Their hands are skilled to do evil;
the official and the judge ask for a bribe,
and the powerful dictate what they desire;
thus they pervert justice.[p](AD)
4 The best of them is like a brier,
the most upright of them a thorn hedge.
The day of their[q] sentinels, of their[r] punishment, has come;
now their confusion is at hand.(AE)
5 Put no trust in a friend;
have no confidence in a loved one;
guard the doors of your mouth
from her who lies in your embrace,
6 for the son treats the father with contempt,
the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
your enemies are members of your own household.(AF)
7 But as for me, I will look to the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me.(AG)
Penitence and Trust in God
8 Do not rejoice over me, my enemies;[s]
when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be a light to me.(AH)
9 I must bear the indignation of the Lord
because I have sinned against him,
until he takes my side
and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me out to the light;
I shall see his vindication.(AI)
10 Then my enemies[t] will see,
and shame will cover those[u] who said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will see their[v] downfall;[w]
now they[x] will be trodden down
like the mire of the streets.(AJ)
A Prophecy of Restoration
11 A day for the building of your walls!
On that day the boundary shall be far extended.(AK)
12 On that day they will come to you
from Assyria to[y] Egypt
and from Egypt to the River,
from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.(AL)
13 But the earth will be desolate
because of its inhabitants,
for the fruit of their doings.(AM)
14 Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock that belongs to you,
which lives alone in a forest
in the midst of a garden land;
let them feed in Bashan and Gilead
as in the days of old.
15 As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,
show us[z] marvelous things.(AN)
16 The nations shall see and be ashamed
of all their might;
they shall lay their hands on their mouths;
their ears shall be deaf;(AO)
17 they shall lick dust like a snake,
like the crawling things of the earth;
they shall come trembling out of their fortresses;
they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God,
and they shall stand in fear of you.(AP)
God’s Compassion and Steadfast Love
18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over the transgression
of the remnant of his possession?
He does not retain his anger forever
because he delights in showing steadfast love.(AQ)
19 He will again have compassion upon us;
he will tread our iniquities under foot.
You will cast all our[aa] sins
into the depths of the sea.(AR)
20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob
and steadfast love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our ancestors
from the days of old.(AS)
Footnotes
- 5.1 4.14 in Heb
- 5.1 Cn Compare Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 5.2 5.1 in Heb
- 5.5 Gk: Heb in our palaces
- 5.6 Cn: Heb in its entrances
- 5.6 Heb he
- 5.14 Or Asherahs
- 6.9 Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 6.9 Cn Compare Gk: Heb tribe, and who has appointed it yet?
- 6.10 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 6.12 Heb Whose
- 6.12 Heb whose
- 6.13 Gk Syr Vg: Heb have made sick
- 6.16 Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb the statutes of Omri are kept
- 6.16 Heb its
- 7.3 Cn: Heb they weave it
- 7.4 Heb your
- 7.4 Heb your
- 7.8 Heb enemy
- 7.10 Heb enemy
- 7.10 Heb she
- 7.10 Heb her
- 7.10 Heb lacks downfall
- 7.10 Heb she
- 7.12 Heb ms: MT Assyria and cities of
- 7.15 Cn: Heb I will show him
- 7.19 Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb their
Micah 5-7
New International Version
Micah 5-7
New International Version
A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem
5 [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.
2 “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)
3 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.
4 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.
5 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)
6 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)
7 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.
8 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)
9 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.”
The Lord’s Case Against Israel
6 Listen to what the Lord says:
“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;(AF)
let the hills hear what you have to say.
2 “Hear,(AG) you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;(AH)
listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.
For the Lord has a case(AI) against his people;
he is lodging a charge(AJ) against Israel.
3 “My people, what have I done to you?
How have I burdened(AK) you?(AL) Answer me.
4 I brought you up out of Egypt(AM)
and redeemed you from the land of slavery.(AN)
I sent Moses(AO) to lead you,
also Aaron(AP) and Miriam.(AQ)
5 My people, remember
what Balak(AR) king of Moab plotted
and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim(AS) to Gilgal,(AT)
that you may know the righteous acts(AU) of the Lord.”
6 With what shall I come before(AV) the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?(AW)
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,(AX)
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?(AY)
Shall I offer my firstborn(AZ) for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?(BA)
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly(BB) and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[f](BC) with your God.(BD)
Israel’s Guilt and Punishment
9 Listen! The Lord is calling to the city—
and to fear your name is wisdom—
“Heed the rod(BE) and the One who appointed it.[g]
10 Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house,
and the short ephah,[h] which is accursed?(BF)
11 Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales,(BG)
with a bag of false weights?(BH)
12 Your rich people are violent;(BI)
your inhabitants are liars(BJ)
and their tongues speak deceitfully.(BK)
13 Therefore, I have begun to destroy(BL) you,
to ruin[i] you because of your sins.
14 You will eat but not be satisfied;(BM)
your stomach will still be empty.[j]
You will store up but save nothing,(BN)
because what you save[k] I will give to the sword.
15 You will plant but not harvest;(BO)
you will press olives but not use the oil,
you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.(BP)
16 You have observed the statutes of Omri(BQ)
and all the practices of Ahab’s(BR) house;
you have followed their traditions.(BS)
Therefore I will give you over to ruin(BT)
and your people to derision;
you will bear the scorn(BU) of the nations.[l]”
Israel’s Misery
7 What misery is mine!
I am like one who gathers summer fruit
at the gleaning of the vineyard;
there is no cluster of grapes to eat,
none of the early figs(BV) that I crave.
2 The faithful have been swept from the land;(BW)
not one(BX) upright person remains.
Everyone lies in wait(BY) to shed blood;(BZ)
they hunt each other(CA) with nets.(CB)
3 Both hands are skilled in doing evil;(CC)
the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,(CD)
the powerful dictate what they desire—
they all conspire together.
4 The best of them is like a brier,(CE)
the most upright worse than a thorn(CF) hedge.
The day God visits you has come,
the day your watchmen sound the alarm.
Now is the time of your confusion.(CG)
5 Do not trust a neighbor;
put no confidence in a friend.(CH)
Even with the woman who lies in your embrace
guard the words of your lips.
6 For a son dishonors his father,
a daughter rises up against her mother,(CI)
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.(CJ)
7 But as for me, I watch(CK) in hope(CL) for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear(CM) me.
Israel Will Rise
8 Do not gloat over me,(CN) my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.(CO)
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.(CP)
9 Because I have sinned against him,
I will bear the Lord’s wrath,(CQ)
until he pleads my case(CR)
and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;(CS)
I will see his righteousness.(CT)
10 Then my enemy will see it
and will be covered with shame,(CU)
she who said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”(CV)
My eyes will see her downfall;(CW)
even now she will be trampled(CX) underfoot
like mire in the streets.
11 The day for building your walls(CY) will come,
the day for extending your boundaries.
12 In that day people will come to you
from Assyria(CZ) and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates
and from sea to sea
and from mountain to mountain.(DA)
13 The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,
as the result of their deeds.(DB)
Prayer and Praise
14 Shepherd(DC) your people with your staff,(DD)
the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
in fertile pasturelands.[m](DE)
Let them feed in Bashan(DF) and Gilead(DG)
as in days long ago.(DH)
15 “As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
I will show them my wonders.(DI)”
16 Nations will see and be ashamed,(DJ)
deprived of all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths(DK)
and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust(DL) like a snake,
like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling(DM) out of their dens;
they will turn in fear(DN) to the Lord our God
and will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God(DO) like you,
who pardons sin(DP) and forgives(DQ) the transgression
of the remnant(DR) of his inheritance?(DS)
You do not stay angry(DT) forever
but delight to show mercy.(DU)
19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities(DV) into the depths of the sea.(DW)
20 You will be faithful to Jacob,
and show love to Abraham,(DX)
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors(DY)
in days long ago.(DZ)
Footnotes
- Micah 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:14, and 5:2-15 is numbered 5:1-14.
- Micah 5:2 Or rulers
- Micah 5:6 Or crush
- Micah 5:6 Or Nimrod in its gates
- Micah 5:14 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
- Micah 6:8 Or prudently
- Micah 6:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
- Micah 6:10 An ephah was a dry measure.
- Micah 6:13 Or Therefore, I will make you ill and destroy you; / I will ruin
- Micah 6:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Micah 6:14 Or You will press toward birth but not give birth, / and what you bring to birth
- Micah 6:16 Septuagint; Hebrew scorn due my people
- Micah 7:14 Or in the middle of Carmel
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
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