Micah 5

1 Now 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.

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 thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, [though] thou be little among the thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall he come forth unto me [that is] to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [have been] from of old, from everlasting.

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 Therefore will he give them up, until the time [that] she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children 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 And he shall stand and feed 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.

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 And this [man] shall be the 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.

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 shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver [us] from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within 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 And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.

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 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

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 Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.

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

10 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 I will destroy thy 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 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:

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

12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no [more] soothsayers:

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

13 Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands.

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

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

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

15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.

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