< Micah 5 >
1 Now come together in battle ranks, daughter of soldiers; the soldiers have set up a siege around city, with a rod they will strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.
Now shall the daughter [of Sion] be completely hedged in: he has laid siege against us: they shall strike the tribes of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, even though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come to me to rule in Israel, whose beginning is from ancient times, from everlasting.
And you, Bethleem, house of Ephratha, are few in number to be [reckoned] among the thousands of Juda; [yet] out of you shall one come forth to me, to be a ruler of Israel; and his goings forth were from the beginning, [even] from eternity.
3 Therefore God will give them up, until the time when she who is in labor bears a child, and the rest of his brothers return to the people of Israel.
Therefore shall he appoint them [to wait] till the time of her that travails: she shall bring forth, and [then] the remnant of their brethren shall return to the children of Israel.
4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of Yahweh, in the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God. They will remain, for then he will be great to the ends of the earth.
And the Lord shall stand, and see, and feed his flock with power, and they shall dwell in the glory of the name of the Lord their God: for now shall they be magnified to the ends of the earth.
5 For this shall be the peace— when the Assyrians come into our land, and when they march against our fortresses, then we will raise against them seven shepherds and eight leaders over men.
And she shall have peace when Assur shall come into your land, and when he shall come up upon your country; and there shall be raised up against him seven shepherds, and eight attacks of men.
6 They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its entrances. He will rescue us from the Assyrians, when they come into our land, when they march inside our borders.
And they shall tend the Assyrian with a sword, and the land of Nebrod with her trench: and he shall deliver [you] from the Assyrian, when he shall come upon your land, and when he shall invade your coasts.
7 The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from Yahweh, like showers on the grass, that do not wait for a man, and they do not wait for the children of mankind.
And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many peoples, as dew falling from the Lord, and as lambs on the grass; that none may assemble nor resist among the sons of men.
8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, among many peoples, like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep. When he goes through them, he will trample over them and tear them to pieces, and there will be no one to save them.
And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many nations, as a lion in the forest among cattle, and as a [lion's] whelp among the flocks of sheep, even as when he goes through, and selects, and carries off [his prey], and there is none to deliver.
9 Your hand will be lifted against your enemies, and it will destroy them.
Your hand shall be lifted up against them that afflict you, and all your enemies shall be utterly destroyed.
10 “It will happen in that day”—this is Yahweh's declaration— “that I will destroy your horses from among you and will demolish your chariots.
And it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord, [that] I will utterly destroy the horses out of the midst of you, and destroy your chariots;
11 I will destroy the cities in your land and throw down all your strongholds.
and I will utterly destroy the cities of your land, and demolish all your strongholds:
12 I will destroy the witchcraft in your hand, and you will no longer have any diviners.
and I will utterly destroy your sorceries out of your hands; and there shall be no soothsayers in you.
13 I will destroy your carved figures and your stone pillars from among you. You will no longer worship the workmanship of your hands.
And I will utterly destroy your graven images, and your statues out of the midst of you; and you shall never any more worship the works of your hands.
14 I will uproot your Asherah poles from among you, and I will destroy your cities.
And I will cut off the groves out of the midst of you, and I will abolish your cities.
15 I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that have not listened.”
and I will execute vengeance on the heathen in anger and wrath, because they listened not.