Micah 5

1 Now, O daughter of troops, mobilize your troops; for a siege is laid against us! With a rod they will strike the cheek of the judge of Israel.

“Now cut yourself in bitter grief, daughter besieged by soldiers. They have set a wall around you. They strike the ruler of Israel, in the face with a rod.

2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel — One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.

“Bethlehem in Ephrathah, small among the tribes of Judah, from you will come a king who will rule for me over Israel, whose family line goes back to the distant past.”

3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of His brothers will return to the children of Israel.

So the Lord will only abandon Israel to its enemies until the woman in labor gives birth. Then the survivors will be reunited with their own people.

4 He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD His God. And they will dwell securely, for then His greatness will extend to the ends of the earth.

And he will stand and shepherd by the strength of the Lord, In the exalted name of the Lord his God; And they will live in security, for now he will be great, even to the ends of the earth.

5 And He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land and tramples our citadels. We will raise against it seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men.

This will be our peace: when Assyria comes into our land and treads on our soil, we will raise up against him seven shepherds, eight leaders of men.

6 And they will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the blade drawn. So He will deliver us when Assyria invades our land and marches into our borders.

They will shepherd Assyria with a sword, and the land of Nimrod with bared blades. They will deliver us from Assyria, when they come into our land, and tread within our borders.

7 Then the remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for man or linger for mankind.

And the survivors of Jacob will be disbursed among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which don’t wait for people to come or linger for mortals.

8 Then the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which tramples and tears as it passes through, with no one to rescue them.

And the survivors of Jacob will be disbursed among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the sheep-folds, who, when he passes through, pounces. He savages his prey. There is no rescuer.

9 Your hand will be lifted over your foes, and all your enemies will be cut off.

Let your hand triumph over your adversaries, let all your enemies be cut off.

10 “In that day,” declares the LORD, “I will remove your horses from among you and wreck your chariots.

On that day, says the Lord: “I will slaughter your horses from your midst, and destroy your chariots.

11 I will remove the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds.

I will devastate the cities in your land, and tear down your fortresses.

12 I will cut the sorceries from your hand, and you will have no fortune-tellers.

I will destroy your magic charms, and you will have no soothsayers.

13 I will also cut off the carved images and sacred pillars from among you, so that you will no longer bow down to the work of your own hands.

I will cut down your idols and sacred pillars, and you will not worship any more the work of your hands.

14 I will root out the Asherah poles from your midst and demolish your cities.

I will uproot your sacred poles, and destroy your idols.

15 I will take vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations that have not obeyed Me.”

In my wrath and my anger I will seek vengeance on the nations that ignore me.”