Micah 5

1 Gather your troops together, Jerusalem! An enemy is besieging us. They will strike Israel's leader on the cheek with a rod.

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.

2 But from you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, (though you are only a small place in Judah), will come a ruler of Israel to do my will. His existence is from the ages of eternity past.

And you, Bethleem, house of Ephratha, are few in number to be [reckoned] among 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.

3 So the Lord will give up on them until the woman in labor has given birth. Then the rest of his brothers will return to the people of Israel.

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.

4 He will stand up and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. They will live in safety because his greatness is recognized all over the world.

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.

5 He will be our source of peace when the Assyrians invade our land and destroy our fortresses. Then we will appoint many strong leaders,

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.

6 and they will rule Assyria with their swords, the land of Nimrod with drawn swords. He shall rescue us from the Assyrians when they invade our land, marching across our borders.

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.

7 Then those who are left of the people of Jacob shall be in the center of many nations, like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which wait for no one, and which no one can delay.

And the remnant of Jacob shall be among 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 among the sons of men.

8 Those who are left of the people of Jacob shall be among many nations, in the center of many peoples. They will be like a lion among the wild animals of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, clawing and tearing as it passes through, with no one to come to the rescue.

And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many nations, as a lion in the forest among cattle, and as a [lion's] whelp among the flocks of sheep, even as when he goes through, and selects, and carries off [his prey], and there is none to deliver.

9 Lift your hand in triumph against your enemies; all of them will be destroyed.

Your hand shall be lifted up against them that afflict you, and all your enemies shall be utterly destroyed.

10 On that day, says the Lord, I will kill your horses and break your chariots.

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;

11 I will tear down your city walls and demolish your fortresses.

and I will utterly destroy the cities of your land, and demolish all your strongholds:

12 I will stop the witchcraft you practice; there will be no more fortune-tellers for you.

and I will utterly destroy your sorceries out of your hands; and there shall be no soothsayers in you.

13 I will smash down the idols and stone pillars that stand among you: you shall not bow down and worship idols that you make with your own hands any more.

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.

14 I will pull up the Asherah poles that you have and destroy your pagan places.

And I will cut off the groves out of the midst of you, and I will abolish your cities.

15 In anger and fury I will execute vengeance on those nations that do not obey me.

and I will execute vengeance on the heathen in anger and wrath, because they listened not.