Micah 5

1 Now shalt thou be laid waste, O daughter of the robber: they have laid siege against us, with a rod shall they 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 AND THOU, BETHLEHEM Ephrata, art a little one among the thousands of Juda: out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be the ruler in Israel: and his going forth is from the beginning, 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 will he give them up even till the time wherein she that travaileth shall bring forth: and the remnant of his brethren shall be converted to the children of Israel.

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

4 And he shall stand, and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the height of the name of the Lord his God: and they shall be converted, for now shall he be magnified even 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 this man shall be our peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land, and when he shall set his foot in our houses: and we shall raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal 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 shall feed the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nemrod with the spears thereof: and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian, when he shall come into our land, and when he shall tread in 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 And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples as a dew from the Lord, and as drops upon the grass, which waiteth not for man, nor tarrieth for the children of men.

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 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many peoples as a lion among the beasts of the forests, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who when he shall go through and tread down, and take, there is none to deliver.

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 Thy hand shall be lifted up over thy enemies, and all thy enemies shall be cut off.

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

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

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

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

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

12 and I will take away sorceries out of thy hand, and there shall be no divinations in thee.

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

13 And I will destroy thy graven things, and thy statues out of the midst of thee: and thou shalt no more adore the works of thy hands.

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

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

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

15 And I will execute vengeance in wrath and in indignation among all the nations that have not given ear.

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