< 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 gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops; they lay siege against us: with the rod they smite upon the cheek 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.”
But thou, Beth-lechem Ephratah, the least [though] thou be among the thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from olden times, from most ancient 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.
Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth: then shall the remnant of his brethren return with 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 shall stand forward and feed [Israel] through the strength of the Lord, through the excellency of the name of the Lord his God: and they shall abide [safely]; for now shall he be great even unto 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 in this [manner] shall there be peace: If Asshur should come into our land; and if he should tread in our palaces, then will we raise up against him seven shepherds, and eight anointed 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 shall lay waste the land of Asshur with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the gates of its [cities]: thus will he deliver us from Asshur, if he should come into our land, and if he should tread within 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 the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people like dew from the Lord, like showers upon the herbs, that wait not for man, nor hope for the sons of man.
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 remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many people, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep: who, if he break in, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, while none can deliver.
9 High is your hand above your adversaries, And all your enemies are cut off.
High shall thy hand be lifted up above thy adversaries, and all thy enemies shall 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 shall come to pass on that day, saith the Lord, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots;
11 And I have cut off the cities of your land, And I have thrown down all your fortresses,
And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and I will throw down all thy strongholds;
12 And have cut off sorcerers out of your hand, And observers of clouds—you have none.
And I will cut off the arts of witchcraft out of thy hand; and soothsayers shalt thou have no more;
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 cut off thy graven images, and thy statues out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more prostrate thyself to the work of thy hands;
14 And I have plucked up your Asherim out of your midst, And I have destroyed your enemies.
And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee; and I will destroy thy enemies.
15 And I have done vengeance in anger and in fury, With the nations who have not listened!”
And I will in anger and in fury execute vengeance upon the nations, upon those that have not hearkened.

< Micah 5 >