< 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.”
עַתָּה תִּתְגֹּדְדִי בַת־גְּדוּד מָצוֹר שָׂם עָלֵינוּ בַּשֵּׁבֶט יַכּוּ עַֽל־הַלְּחִי אֵת שֹׁפֵט יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
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].
וְאַתָּה בֵּֽית־לֶחֶם אֶפְרָתָה צָעִיר לִֽהְיוֹת בְּאַלְפֵי יְהוּדָה מִמְּךָ לִי יֵצֵא לִֽהְיוֹת מוֹשֵׁל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וּמוֹצָאֹתָיו מִקֶּדֶם מִימֵי עוֹלָֽם׃
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.
לָכֵן יִתְּנֵם עַד־עֵת יוֹלֵדָה יָלָדָה וְיֶתֶר אֶחָיו יְשׁוּבוּן עַל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
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].
וְעָמַד וְרָעָה בְּעֹז יְהֹוָה בִּגְאוֹן שֵׁם יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהָיו וְיָשָׁבוּ כִּֽי־עַתָּה יִגְדַּל עַד־אַפְסֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃
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.
וְהָיָה זֶה שָׁלוֹם אַשּׁוּר ׀ כִּֽי־יָבוֹא בְאַרְצֵנוּ וְכִי יִדְרֹךְ בְּאַרְמְנוֹתֵינוּ וַהֲקֵמֹנוּ עָלָיו שִׁבְעָה רֹעִים וּשְׁמֹנָה נְסִיכֵי אָדָֽם׃
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].
וְרָעוּ אֶת־אֶרֶץ אַשּׁוּר בַּחֶרֶב וְאֶת־אֶרֶץ נִמְרֹד בִּפְתָחֶיהָ וְהִצִּיל מֵֽאַשּׁוּר כִּֽי־יָבוֹא בְאַרְצֵנוּ וְכִי יִדְרֹךְ בִּגְבוּלֵֽנוּ׃
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.
וְהָיָה ׀ שְׁאֵרִית יַעֲקֹב בְּקֶרֶב עַמִּים רַבִּים כְּטַל מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה כִּרְבִיבִים עֲלֵי־עֵשֶׂב אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־יְקַוֶּה לְאִישׁ וְלֹא יְיַחֵל לִבְנֵי אָדָֽם׃
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].
וְהָיָה שְׁאֵרִית יַעֲקֹב בַּגּוֹיִם בְּקֶרֶב עַמִּים רַבִּים כְּאַרְיֵה בְּבַהֲמוֹת יַעַר כִּכְפִיר בְּעֶדְרֵי־צֹאן אֲשֶׁר אִם־עָבַר וְרָמַס וְטָרַף וְאֵין מַצִּֽיל׃
9 You Israelis will defeat [MTY] all your enemies and completely destroy them.
תָּרֹם יָדְךָ עַל־צָרֶיךָ וְכׇל־אֹיְבֶיךָ יִכָּרֵֽתוּ׃
10 Yahweh says, “At that time, I will destroy [you Israeli people’s] horses [that your soldiers use in war] and your chariots.
וְהָיָה בַיּוֹם־הַהוּא נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וְהִכְרַתִּי סוּסֶיךָ מִקִּרְבֶּךָ וְהַאֲבַדְתִּי מַרְכְּבֹתֶֽיךָ׃
11 I will tear down your city [walls] and destroy all your fortified cities.
וְהִכְרַתִּי עָרֵי אַרְצֶךָ וְהָרַסְתִּי כׇּל־מִבְצָרֶֽיךָ׃
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).
וְהִכְרַתִּי כְשָׁפִים מִיָּדֶךָ וּֽמְעוֹנְנִים לֹא יִֽהְיוּ־לָֽךְ׃
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.
וְהִכְרַתִּי פְסִילֶיךָ וּמַצֵּבוֹתֶיךָ מִקִּרְבֶּךָ וְלֹא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה עוֹד לְמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶֽיךָ׃
14 I will get rid of your poles [that represent the goddess] Asherah, and [I will also] destroy all your idols.
וְנָתַשְׁתִּי אֲשֵׁירֶיךָ מִקִּרְבֶּךָ וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּי עָרֶֽיךָ׃
15 And because I will be very angry, I will [also] punish [the people of] all the nations who have not obeyed [me].”
וְעָשִׂיתִי בְּאַף וּבְחֵמָה נָקָם אֶת־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא שָׁמֵֽעוּ׃

< Micah 5 >