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 you shall gather yourself in troops, daughter of troops. He has laid siege against us. They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod 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, being small amongst the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me who is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.

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 he will abandon them until the time that she who is in labour gives birth. Then the rest of his brothers will 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.

He shall stand, and shall shepherd in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. They will live, 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,

He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land and when he marches through our fortresses, then we will raise against him seven shepherds, and eight leaders 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.

They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its gates. He will deliver us from the Assyrian, when he invades our land, and when he marches within our border.

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 amongst many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, that don’t wait for man nor wait for 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.

The remnant of Jacob will be amongst the nations, amongst many peoples, like a lion amongst the animals of the forest, like a young lion amongst the flocks of sheep; who, if he goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is no one to deliver.

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

Let your hand be lifted up above your adversaries, and let all of your enemies be cut off.

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

“It will happen in that day”, says the LORD, “that I will cut off your horses from amongst you and will destroy your chariots.

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

I will cut off the cities of your land and will tear down all your strongholds.

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

I will destroy witchcraft from your hand. You shall have no soothsayers.

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 cut off your engraved images and your pillars from amongst you; and you shall no more worship the work 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 amongst 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 didn’t listen.”