< Michaeas 5 >
1 Now shall the daughter [of Sion] be completely hedged in: he has laid siege against us: they shall strike the tribes of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
Now gather thyself together, O daughter of troops, A siege he hath laid against us, With a rod they smite on the cheek the judge of Israel.
2 And you, Bethleem, house of Ephratha, are few in number to be [reckoned] amongst the thousands of Juda; [yet] out of you shall one come forth to me, to be a ruler of Israel; and his goings forth were from the beginning, [even] from eternity.
And thou, Beth-Lehem Ephratah, Little to be among the chiefs of Judah! From thee to Me he cometh forth — to be ruler in Israel, And his comings forth [are] of old, From the days of antiquity.
3 Therefore shall he appoint them [to wait] till the time of her that travails: she shall bring forth, and [then] the remnant of their brethren shall return to the children of Israel.
Therefore he doth give them out till the time She who bringeth forth hath brought forth, And the remnant of his brethren return to the sons of Israel.
4 And the Lord shall stand, and see, and feed his flock with power, and they shall dwell in the glory of the name of the Lord their God: for now shall they be magnified to the ends of the earth.
And he hath stood and delighted in the strength of Jehovah, In the excellency of the name of Jehovah his God, And they have remained, For now he is great unto the ends of earth.
5 And she shall have peace when Assur shall come into your land, and when he shall come up upon your country; and there shall be raised up against him seven shepherds, and eight attacks of men.
And this [one] hath been peace, Asshur! when he doth come into our land, And when he doth tread in our palaces, We have raised against him seven shepherds, And eight anointed of man.
6 And they shall tend the Assyrian with a sword, and the land of Nebrod with her trench: and he shall deliver [you] from the Assyrian, when he shall come upon your land, and when he shall invade your coasts.
And they have afflicted the land of Asshur with the sword, And the land of Nimrod at its openings, And he hath delivered from Asshur when he doth come into our land, And when he treadeth in our borders.
7 And the remnant of Jacob shall be amongst the Gentiles in the midst of many peoples, as dew falling from the Lord, and as lambs on the grass; that none may assemble nor resist amongst the sons of men.
And the remnant of Jacob hath been in the midst of many peoples, As dew from Jehovah — as showers on the herb, That waiteth not for man, nor stayeth for the sons of men.
8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be amongst the Gentiles in the midst of many nations, as a lion in the forest amongst cattle, and as a [lion's] whelp amongst the flocks of sheep, even as when he goes through, and selects, and carries off [his prey], and there is none to deliver.
Yea, the remnant of Jacob hath been among nations, In the midst of many peoples, As a lion among beasts of a forest, As a young lion among ranks of a flock, Which if it hath passed through, Hath both trodden down and hath torn, And there is no deliverer.
9 Your hand shall be lifted up against them that afflict you, and all your enemies shall be utterly destroyed.
High is thy hand above thine adversaries, And all thine enemies are cut off.
10 And it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord, [that] I will utterly destroy the horses out of the midst of you, and destroy your chariots;
And it hath come to pass in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah, I have cut off thy horses from thy midst, And I have destroyed thy chariots,
11 and I will utterly destroy the cities of your land, and demolish all your strongholds:
And I have cut off the cities of thy land, And I have thrown down all thy fortresses,
12 and I will utterly destroy your sorceries out of your hands; and there shall be no soothsayers in you.
And have cut off sorcerers out of thy hand, And observers of clouds thou hast none.
13 And I will utterly destroy your graven images, and your statues out of the midst of you; and you shall never any more worship the works of your hands.
And I have cut off thy graven images, And thy standing-pillars out of thy midst, And thou dost not bow thyself any more To the work of thy hands.
14 And I will cut off the groves out of the midst of you, and I will abolish your cities.
And I have plucked up thy shrines out of thy midst, And I have destroyed thine enemies.
15 and I will execute vengeance on the heathen in anger and wrath, because they listened not.
And I have done vengeance in anger and in fury, With the nations who have not hearkened!