Micah 5

1 Now gather yourself together, O daughter of troops, He has laid a siege against us, They strike [the] judge of Israel on the cheek with a rod.

Now you will give yourselves deep wounds for grief; they will put up a wall round us: they will give the judge of Israel a blow on the face with a rod.

2 “And you, Beth-Lehem Ephratah, Little to be among the chiefs of Judah! From you He comes forth to Me—to be ruler in Israel, And His comings forth [are] of old, From the days of antiquity.”

And you, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, the least among the families of Judah, out of you one will come to me who is to be ruler in Israel; whose going out has been purposed from time past, from the eternal days.

3 Therefore He gives them up until the time she who brings forth has brought forth, And the remnant of His brothers return to the sons of Israel.

For this cause he will give them up till the time when she who is with child has given birth: then the rest of his brothers will come back to the children of Israel.

4 And He has stood and delighted in the strength of YHWH, In the excellence of the Name of His God YHWH, And they have remained, For now He is great to the ends of the earth.

And he will take his place and give food to his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the glory of the name of the Lord his God; and their resting-place will be safe: for now he will be great to the ends of the earth.

5 And this [One] has been peace. Asshur, when he comes into our land, And when he treads in our palaces, We have raised against him seven shepherds, And eight anointed of man.

And this will be our peace: when the Assyrian comes into our country and his feet are in our land, then we will put up against him seven keepers of the flocks and eight chiefs among men.

6 And they have afflicted the land of Asshur with the sword, And the land of Nimrod at its openings, And He has delivered from Asshur when he comes into our land, And when he treads in our borders.

And they will make waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the edge of the sword: he will give us salvation from the Assyrian when he comes into our country, when his feet come inside the limit of our land.

7 And the remnant of Jacob has been in the midst of many peoples, As dew from YHWH—as showers on the herb, That does not wait for man, nor stays for the sons of men.

And the rest of Jacob will be among the mass of peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which may not be kept back by man, or be waiting for the sons of men.

8 Indeed, the remnant of Jacob has been among nations, In the midst of many peoples, As a lion among beasts of a forest, As a young lion among ranks of a flock, Which if it has passed through, Has both trodden down and has torn, And there is no deliverer.

And the rest of Jacob will be among the nations, in the middle of the mass of peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the woods, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep: if he goes through, they will be crushed under foot and pulled to bits, and there will be no saviour.

9 High is your hand above your adversaries, And all your enemies are cut off.

Your hand is lifted up against those who are against you, and all your haters will be cut off.

10 “And it has come to pass in that day,” A declaration of YHWH, “I have cut off your horses from your midst, And I have destroyed your chariots,

And it will come about in that day, says the Lord, that I will take away your horses from you, and will give your war-carriages to destruction:

11 And I have cut off the cities of your land, And I have thrown down all your fortresses,

I will have the towns of your land cut off and all your strong places pulled down:

12 And have cut off sorcerers out of your hand, And observers of clouds—you have none.

I will put an end to your use of secret arts, and you will have no more readers of signs:

13 And I have cut off your carved images, And your standing-pillars out of your midst, And you do not bow yourself anymore To the work of your hands.

And I will have your images and your pillars cut off from you; and you will no longer give worship to the work of your hands.

14 And I have plucked up your Asherim out of your midst, And I have destroyed your enemies.

I will have your Asherahs pulled up from among you: and I will send destruction on your images.

15 And I have done vengeance in anger and in fury, With the nations who have not listened!”

And my punishment will be effected on the nations with such burning wrath as they have not had word of.