< Micah 5 >
1 Now you will be devastated, you daughter of a robber. They have placed a blockade against us, with a rod they will strike the jaw of the judge of Israel.
Now shalt thou 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.
2 And you, Bethlehem Ephrata, are a little one among the thousands of Judah. From you will go forth he who shall be the ruler in Israel, and his landing place has been set from the beginning, from the days of eternity.
But thou, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.
3 Because of this, he will provide for them, even until the time in which she who bears him gives birth. And the remnant of his brothers will be converted to the sons of Israel.
Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the residue of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
4 And he will stand firm and feed on the strength of the Lord, according to the sublime name of the Lord his God. And they will be converted, for now he will be magnified, even to the ends of the earth.
And he shall stand, and shall feed [his flock] 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.
5 And this man will be our peace, when the Assyrian will come into our land, and when he will trample on our houses; and we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight principal men.
And this [man] shall be [our] 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.
6 And they will graze on the land of Assur with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with its spears; and he will free us from Assur, when he will come into our land, and when he will trample our borders.
And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our border.
7 And there will be a remnant of Jacob in the midst of many peoples, like a dew from the Lord and like drops upon the grass, which awaits no man and does not stand before the sons of men.
And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples as dew from the LORD, as showers upon the grass; that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.
8 And there will be a remnant of Jacob within the Gentiles, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forests, and like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, when he will pass through and trample down and seize, there is none who can rescue.
And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and there is none to deliver.
9 Your hand will be exalted over your enemies, and all your adversaries will pass away.
Let thine hand be lifted up above thine adversaries, and let all thine enemies be cut off.
10 And it will be in that day, says the Lord: I will take away your horses from your midst, and I will utterly ruin your four-horse chariots.
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 will destroy thy chariots:
11 And I will destroy the cities of your land, and I will pull down all your fortifications,
and I will cut off the cities of thy land, and will throw down all thy strong holds:
12 and I will take away evil-doing from your hand, and there will be no divinations among you.
And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no [more] soothsayers:
13 And I will cause your graven images to perish, and your statues, from your midst. And you will no longer adore the works of your hands.
and I will cut off thy graven images and thy pillars out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands.
14 And I will root out your sacred groves from your midst, and I will crush your cities.
and I will pluck up thine Asherim out of the midst of thee: and I will destroy thy cities.
15 And I will exact vengeance, in fury and in indignation, among all the nations which have not listened.
And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the nations which hearkened not.