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El rey mesiánico

En cuanto a ti, Belén Efrata,
tan pequeña entre los clanes de Judá,
de ti saldrá el caudillo de Israel,
cuyo origen se remonta a días antiguos,
a un tiempo inmemorial.
Por eso el Señor abandonará a los suyos
hasta que dé a luz la que ha de dar a luz.
Y el que aún quede de sus hermanos
volverá a reunirse con el pueblo de Israel.
[El que ha de nacer] se mantendrá firme
y pastoreará con la fuerza del Señor
y con la majestad del Señor, su Dios.
Ellos, por su parte, vivirán seguros,
porque él extenderá su poder
hasta los confines mismos de la tierra.
Él nos traerá la paz;
y cuando Asiria invada nuestra tierra
e irrumpa en nuestros palacios,
nos enfrentaremos a ella
con siete pastores y ocho príncipes
que pastorearán Asiria con la espada
y el país de Nemrod con el acero.
Porque él será quien nos libre
cuando Asiria invada nuestra tierra
y ponga su pie en nuestro territorio.

Un resto entre las naciones

Será entonces el resto de Jacob
como rocío del Señor entre las naciones,
como lluvia que cae sobre la hierba
y para nada depende de humanos.
Será entonces el resto de Jacob,
entre pueblos y naciones numerosas,
como un león entre fieras salvajes,
como un cachorro de león
en medio de rebaños de ovejas:
penetra, pisotea y desgarra
sin que haya nadie que defienda.

No sirven los apoyos humanos ni los ídolos

¡Muestra tu poder contra tus adversarios
y destruye a todos tus enemigos!
Aquel día —oráculo del Señor—
exterminaré tus caballos
y haré desaparecer tus carros.
10 Eliminaré las ciudades de tu país
y demoleré todas tus fortalezas;
11 acabaré con tus hechicerías
y no te quedarán adivinos.
12 Destruiré tus ídolos y tus estelas
y no adorarás más la obra de tus manos;
13 Arrancaré tus postes sagrados
y convertiré en ruinas tus ciudades.
14 Con cólera y con furor me vengaré
de las naciones que no han obedecido.

Grandeza de la pequeña Belén

Yo, Miqueas, anuncio:

«Jerusalén, Jerusalén,
prepárate para la guerra.
Por medio de tus enemigos
Dios castigará duramente
al rey de Israel.

»Pero tú, Belén Efrata,
entre los pueblos de Judá
eres un pueblo pequeño,
pero llegarás a ser muy importante.
En ti nacerá un rey
de familia muy antigua,
que gobernará sobre Judá.

»Dios nos va a abandonar
hasta que nazca ese rey.
Luego de su nacimiento
los que hayan quedado con vida
se reunirán con los demás israelitas.
Entonces Dios le dará a ese rey
toda su fuerza y poder
para dirigir a su pueblo
y hacerlo vivir en paz.
Ese rey extenderá su dominio
hasta el último rincón de la tierra.

5-6 »Cuando vengan los asirios
para invadir nuestro país
y quieran ocupar nuestros palacios,
ese rey nos librará de ellos
y nos hará vivir en paz.
Ordenará que los ataquen
siete jefes y ocho capitanes.
¡Así conquistaremos por la fuerza
el país de Asiria, territorio de Nimrod!

Judá entre las naciones

7-8 »Los que quedemos con vida
seremos entre las naciones,
como la lluvia que Dios envía:
cae del cielo y riega la hierba
sin la intervención humana.
Seremos también como los leones:
cuando están entre un rebaño,
atrapan a las ovejas y las destrozan,
y no las dejan escapar.
¡Tú, mi Dios, atacarás a tus enemigos
y los destruirás por completo!»

Destrucción total

10 Dios dijo a su pueblo:

«Cuando llegue ese día,
mataré a todos tus caballos
y destruiré tus carros de guerra.
11 Destruiré también tus ciudades
y derribaré todas tus torres.
12 Pondré fin a tus hechicerías
y acabaré con todos tus adivinos.
13 Destruiré tus ídolos y tus imágenes,
y no volverás a adorar
a dioses que tú mismo hiciste.
14 ¡Yo destruiré tus ciudades
y las imágenes de tu diosa Astarté!
15 ¡Yo me vengaré con gran furia
de las naciones que no me obedecieron!»

[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

[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)
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)
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)
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)
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

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)
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)
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)

Footnotes

  1. 5.1 4.14 in Heb
  2. 5.1 Cn Compare Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  3. 5.2 5.1 in Heb
  4. 5.5 Gk: Heb in our palaces
  5. 5.6 Cn: Heb in its entrances
  6. 5.6 Heb he
  7. 5.14 Or Asherahs

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

Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.

And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.

And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.

And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.

10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots:

11 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:

12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:

13 Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands.

14 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.

15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.