From Defeated Ruler to Conquering King

[a]Now, daughter who is under attack,
you slash yourself in grief;
a siege is set against us!
They are striking the judge(A) of Israel
on the cheek with a rod.
[b]Bethlehem Ephrathah,(B)
you are small among the clans of Judah;
One will come from you(C)
to be ruler over Israel for Me.(D)
His origin[c] is from antiquity,(E)
from eternity.[d]
Therefore, He will abandon them(F) until the time
when she who is in labor(G) has given birth;
then the rest of His brothers(H) will return
to the people of Israel.(I)
He will stand and shepherd them(J)
in the strength of Yahweh,
in the majestic name of Yahweh His God.
They will live securely,
for then His greatness will extend
to the ends of the earth.(K)
He will be their peace.(L)
When Assyria invades our land,(M)
when it marches against our fortresses,
we will raise against it seven shepherds,
even eight leaders of men.

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 5:1 Mc 4:14 in Hb
  2. Micah 5:2 Mc 5:1 in Hb
  3. Micah 5:2 Lit His going out
  4. Micah 5:2 Or from ancient times

[a]“Now marshal yourselves as troops.[b]
He has laid siege to us.
    They will strike the judge[c] of Israel on the cheek with a rod.”

The Ruler from Bethlehem

[d]“As for you, Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
    even though you remain least among the clans[e] of Judah,
nevertheless, the one who rules in Israel for me
    will emerge from you.
His existence has been[f] from antiquity,
    even from eternity.
Therefore that ruler[g] will abandon them
    until the woman in labor gives birth.
Then the rest of his countrymen will return to the Israelis.”

“Then he will take his stand,
    shepherding by means of the strength of the Lord,
        by the power[h] of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will be firmly[i] established;
    indeed, from then on he will become great—
        to the ends of the earth.
And he will be our peace.”

God’s Judgment on Assyria

“When the Assyrian invades our land,
    trampling through our palaces,
we will raise up seven shepherds against him,
    even eight significant men.

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 5:1 5:1 is 4:14 in MT
  2. Micah 5:1 Lit. yourselves, you daughter of mobs
  3. Micah 5:1 Or ruler
  4. Micah 5:2 5:2 is 5:1 in MT, 5:3 is 5:2 in MT, and so throughout the chapter
  5. Micah 5:2 Or thousands
  6. Micah 5:2 The Heb. lacks has been
  7. Micah 5:3 Lit. Therefore he
  8. Micah 5:4 Or majesty
  9. Micah 5:4 The Heb. lacks firmly