Micah 5

1 “But now, [you people of Jerusalem, gather your troops together, ] [because even though] you have a wall [around your city to protect it], [enemy soldiers] are surrounding the city. And [soon] they will strike your leader on his face, with a rod.”

Now thou shall gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops. He has laid siege against us. They shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

2 But you [people of] [APO] Bethlehem in Ephrathah [district need to know that] even though your [town] is a very small one among all the towns in Judah, someone who will rule Israel will be born in your town. [He will be] someone whose family has existed a very long time ago [DOU].

But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, which are little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee he shall come forth to me who is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.

3 [But now] you people of Israel will be conquered by your enemies; [but it will be for only a short time], like [MET] [the short time that] women have great pain while their babies are being born. After that, your fellow-countrymen who were (exiled/forced to go to other countries) will return to their own country.

Therefore he will give them up until the time that she who travails has brought forth. Then the residue of his brothers shall return to the sons of Israel.

4 And that man who will be ruling [there in Jerusalem] will stand and lead his people well, because Yahweh, his God, will cause him to be strong and greatly honored. Then the people whom he rules will live [in Jerusalem] safely; he will be greatly honored by people all over the earth, [so no one will dare to attack Jerusalem].

And he shall stand, and shall feed his flock in the strength of Jehovah, in the majesty of the name of Jehovah his God, and they shall abide. For now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.

5 And he will cause things to go well [for his people]. When [the army of] Assyria attacks our country and breaks though our fortresses, we will appoint (seven or eight/several) leaders [to lead our army] to fight against them.

And this man shall be our peace. When the Assyrian shall come into our land, and when he shall tread in our palaces, then we shall raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.

6 With their swords [our army] will defeat the [army of] Assyria, [whose capital was founded by] Nimrod [long ago]. So our army will rescue us from the Assyrian [army] when they invade our country [DOU].

And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances of it. And he shall deliver us from the Assyrian, when he comes into our land, and when he treads within our border.

7 The (descendants of Jacob/Israelis) who survive will be [a blessing] to the people of other nations, like [SIM] dew and rain sent by Yahweh do good to the grass. The Israelis will not trust in humans [to help them]; instead, they will rely on Yahweh.

And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples as dew from Jehovah, as showers upon the grass, that tarry not for man, nor wait for the sons of men.

8 In the midst of [their enemies in] many people-groups [DOU], the descendants of Jacob who remain alive will be like [SIM] a lion among the [other] wild beasts of the forest, like [SIM] a young lion who goes among a flock of sheep and pounces [on one] and (mauls it/tears it to pieces), and no one will be able to rescue [that sheep].

And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver.

9 You Israelis will defeat [MTY] all your enemies and completely destroy them.

Let thy hand be lifted up above thine adversaries, and let all thine enemies be cut off.

10 Yahweh says, “At that time, I will destroy [you Israeli people’s] horses [that your soldiers use in war] and your chariots.

And it shall come to pass in that day, says Jehovah, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and will destroy thy chariots,

11 I will tear down your city [walls] and destroy all your fortified cities.

and I will cut off the cities of thy land, and will throw down all thy strongholds.

12 I will get rid of all those among you who practice magic and the (fortune-tellers/those who say that they can predict what will happen in the future).

And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy hand, and thou shall have no more soothsayers.

13 I will destroy [all] your idols and [sacred stone] pillars, and then you will no longer bow down [and worship] things that you yourselves [SYN] have made.

And I will cut off thy graven images and thy pillars out of the midst of thee, and thou shall no more worship the work of thy hands.

14 I will get rid of your poles [that represent the goddess] Asherah, and [I will also] destroy all your idols.

And I will pluck up thine Asherim out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy cities.

15 And because I will be very angry, I will [also] punish [the people of] all the nations who have not obeyed [me].”

And I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations that did not hearken.