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Micah 5
Contemporary English Version
Micah 5
Contemporary English Version
A Promised Ruler
5 Jerusalem, enemy troops
have surrounded you;[a]
they have struck Israel's ruler
in the face with a stick.
2 (A) Bethlehem Ephrath,
you are one of the smallest towns
in the nation of Judah.
But the Lord will choose
one of your people
to rule the nation—
someone whose family
goes back to ancient times.[b]
3 The Lord will abandon Israel
only until this ruler is born,
and the rest of his family[c]
returns to Israel.
4 Like a shepherd
taking care of his sheep,
this ruler will lead
and care for his people
by the power and glorious name
of the Lord his God.
His people will live securely,
and the whole earth will know
his true greatness,
5 because he will bring peace.
Assyria Will Be Defeated
Let Assyria attack our country
and our palaces.
We will counterattack,
led by a number of rulers
6 (B) whose strong army will defeat
the nation of Assyria.[d]
Yes, our leaders will rescue us,
if those Assyrians
dare to invade our land.
The Survivors Will Be Safe
7 A few of Jacob's descendants
survived and are scattered
among the nations.
But the Lord will let them
cover the earth like dew and rain
that refreshes the soil.
8 At present they are scattered,
but later they will attack,
as though they were fierce lions
pouncing on sheep.
Their enemies will be torn
to shreds,
with no one to save them;
9 they will be helpless,
completely destroyed.
Idols Will Be Destroyed in Israel
10 The Lord said:
At that time I will wipe out
your cavalry and chariots,
11 as well as your cities
and your fortresses.
12 I will stop you
from telling fortunes
and practicing witchcraft.
13 You will no longer worship
the idols or stone images
you have made—
I will destroy them,
14 together with the sacred poles[e]
and even your towns.
15 I will become furious
and take revenge on the nations
that refuse to obey me.
Footnotes
- 5.1 Jerusalem … you: Or “Jerusalem, you are slashing yourself in sorrow, because of the enemy troops.”
- 5.2 family … times: Or “kingdom is eternal.”
- 5.3 family: Or “people.”
- 5.6 the nation of Assyria: The Hebrew text uses both “land of Assyria” and “land of Nimrod,” which was a poetic name for Assyria.
- 5.14 sacred poles: Used in the worship of Asherah, the fertility goddess.
Micah 5
Evangelical Heritage Version
Micah 5
Evangelical Heritage Version
The Ruler From the Little Town of Bethlehem
5 Now, gather the troops, you daughter[a] of troops.
A siege is laid against us.
With a rod they will strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.[b]
2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
from you, will go out the one who will be the ruler for me in Israel.
His goings forth[c] are from the beginning, from the days of eternity.[d]
3 Therefore the Lord[e] will give them up,
until the time when the woman who is in labor bears a child.[f]
Then the remaining survivors from his brothers will return to the people of Israel.
4 He will stand and shepherd with the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
They will dwell securely, for at that time he will be great to the ends of the earth.
5 This one will be their peace.
When Assyria invades our land
and tramples on our citadels,
we will raise against him seven shepherds
and eight leaders of men.
6 They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword
and the land of Nimrod with a drawn blade.[g]
He will save us from Assyria
when it invades our land
and tramples on our territory.
The Remnant Among the Nations
7 There will be a surviving remnant of Jacob in the midst of many peoples,
like dew from the Lord,
like spring showers on the grass,
which do not wait around for a man,
and do not delay for human beings.[h]
8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among animals of the forest,
like a young lion among flocks of sheep.
As he passes through, he crushes and tears them.
There is no one who can save them from him.
9 Your hand will be high above your enemies.
All your enemies will be cut off.
God’s Judgment on His People
10 This is what will happen on that day, declares the Lord.
I will cut off your horses from your midst
and destroy your chariots.
11 I will cut off the cities of your land,
and I will destroy all your fortified cities.
12 I will cut off every form of witchcraft from your hands,
and you will have no one to read omens anymore.
13 I will cut off your carved images
and your sacred memorial stones from your midst,
and you will not worship the work of your hands anymore.
14 I will uproot your Asherah poles from your midst,
and I will destroy your cities.
15 In anger and wrath I will inflict vengeance
on the nations that have not listened to me.
Footnotes
- Micah 5:1 The term daughter refers to the city.
- Micah 5:1 English verse 5:1 is verse 4:14 in Hebrew. In chapter 5, the English verse numbers are one higher than the Hebrew.
- Micah 5:2 The term goings forth, which is plural in Hebrew, has been understood in three ways: 1) as a reference to the eternal generation (begetting) of the Son, who goes out from the Father; 2) as a reference to the human origins of the Messiah, who descends from the patriarchs; 3) as a reference to the appearances of Christ as the Angel of the Lord, throughout the Old Testament.
- Micah 5:2 Or from days of old
- Micah 5:3 The Hebrew reads he, without specifying the antecedent.
- Micah 5:3 This is the same woman and child who appear in Isaiah 7:14.
- Micah 5:6 Or at its entrances
- Micah 5:7 The meaning of the last two lines is uncertain. They seem to mean that just as dew and rain come at God’s time without human initiative, so the return of God’s people will not depend on a human timetable.
Micah 5
New International Version
Micah 5
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.”
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
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
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Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.