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 come together in battle ranks, daughter of soldiers; the soldiers have set up a siege around city, with a rod they will strike the judge of Israel on 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.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, even though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come to me to rule in Israel, whose beginning is from ancient times, from everlasting.

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 God will give them up, until the time when she who is in labor bears a child, and the rest of his brothers return to the people 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.

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of Yahweh, in the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God. They will remain, for then he will be great 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,

For this shall be the peace— when the Assyrians come into our land, and when they march against our fortresses, then we will raise against them seven shepherds and eight leaders over 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.

They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its entrances. He will rescue us from the Assyrians, when they come into our land, when they march inside our borders.

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.

The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from Yahweh, like showers on the grass, that do not wait for a man, and they do not wait for the children of mankind.

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.

The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, among many peoples, like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep. When he goes through them, he will trample over them and tear them to pieces, and there will be no one to save them.

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

Your hand will be lifted against your enemies, and it will destroy them.

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

“It will happen in that day”—this is Yahweh's declaration— “that I will destroy your horses from among you and will demolish your chariots.

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

I will destroy the cities in your land and throw down all your strongholds.

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

I will destroy the witchcraft in your hand, and you will no longer have any diviners.

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.

I will destroy your carved figures and your stone pillars from among you. You will no longer worship the workmanship of your hands.

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

I will uproot your Asherah poles from among you, and I will destroy your cities.

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

I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that have not listened.”