< 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 be devastated, you daughter of a robber. They have placed a blockade against us, with a rod they will strike the jaw of the judge of Israel.
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, Bethlehem Ephrata, are a little one among the thousands of Judah. From you will go forth he who shall be the ruler in Israel, and his landing place has been set from the beginning, from the days of eternity.
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.
Because of this, he will provide for them, even until the time in which she who bears him gives birth. And the remnant of his brothers will be converted to the sons 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 stand firm and feed on the strength of the Lord, according to the sublime name of the Lord his God. And they will be converted, for now he will be magnified, even 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 man will be our peace, when the Assyrian will come into our land, and when he will trample on our houses; and we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight principal 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 graze on the land of Assur with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with its spears; and he will free us from Assur, when he will come into our land, and when he will trample our borders.
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 there will be a remnant of Jacob in the midst of many peoples, like a dew from the Lord and like drops upon the grass, which awaits no man and does not stand before 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 there will be a remnant of Jacob within the Gentiles, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forests, and like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, when he will pass through and trample down and seize, there is none who can rescue.
9 High is your hand above your adversaries, And all your enemies are cut off.
Your hand will be exalted over your enemies, and all your adversaries will pass away.
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 be in that day, says the Lord: I will take away your horses from your midst, and I will utterly ruin your four-horse chariots.
11 And I have cut off the cities of your land, And I have thrown down all your fortresses,
And I will destroy the cities of your land, and I will pull down all your fortifications,
12 And have cut off sorcerers out of your hand, And observers of clouds—you have none.
and I will take away evil-doing from your hand, and there will be no divinations among you.
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 cause your graven images to perish, and your statues, from your midst. And you will no longer adore the works of your hands.
14 And I have plucked up your Asherim out of your midst, And I have destroyed your enemies.
And I will root out your sacred groves from your midst, and I will crush your cities.
15 And I have done vengeance in anger and in fury, With the nations who have not listened!”
And I will exact vengeance, in fury and in indignation, among all the nations which have not listened.