Micah 5

1 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.

Gather your troops together, Jerusalem! An enemy is besieging us. They will strike Israel's leader on the cheek with a rod.

2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come forth to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.

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.

3 Therefore he will abandon them until the time that she who is in labor gives birth. Then the rest of his brothers will return to the children of Israel.

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.

4 He shall stand, and shall shepherd in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God: and they will live, for then he will be great to the farthest parts of the earth.

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.

5 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.

He will be our source of peace when the Assyrians invade our land and destroy our fortresses. Then we will appoint many strong leaders,

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

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.

7 The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, that do not wait for man, nor wait for the sons of men.

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.

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

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.

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

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

10 "It will happen in that day," says the LORD, "That I will cut off your horses out of the midst of you, and will destroy your chariots.

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

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

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

12 I will destroy witchcraft from your hand; and you shall have no soothsayers.

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

13 I will cut off your engraved images and your pillars out of your midst; and you shall no more worship the work of your hands.

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.

14 I will uproot your Asherim out of your midst; and I will destroy your cities.

I will pull up the Asherah poles that you have and destroy your pagan places.

15 I will execute vengeance in anger, and wrath on the nations that did not listen."

In anger and fury I will execute vengeance on those nations that do not obey me.