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 cut yourself in bitter grief, daughter besieged by soldiers. They have set a wall around you. They strike the ruler of Israel, in the face with a rod.

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.

“Bethlehem in Ephrathah, small among the tribes of Judah, from you will come a king who will rule for me over Israel, whose family line goes back to the distant past.”

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.

So the Lord will only abandon Israel to its enemies until the woman in labor gives birth. Then the survivors will be reunited with their own people.

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 he will stand and shepherd by the strength of the Lord, In the exalted name of the Lord his God; And they will live in security, for now he will be great, even 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.

This will be our peace: when Assyria comes into our land and treads on our soil, we will raise up against him seven shepherds, eight leaders 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.

They will shepherd Assyria with a sword, and the land of Nimrod with bared blades. They will deliver us from Assyria, when they come into our land, and tread within our borders.

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 survivors of Jacob will be disbursed among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which don’t wait for people to come or linger for mortals.

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 survivors of Jacob will be disbursed among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the sheep-folds, who, when he passes through, pounces. He savages his prey. There is no rescuer.

9 Your hand will be lifted against your enemies, and it will destroy them.

Let your hand triumph over your adversaries, let all your enemies be cut off.

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.

On that day, says the Lord: “I will slaughter your horses from your midst, and destroy your chariots.

11 I will destroy the cities in your land and throw down all your strongholds.

I will devastate the cities in your land, and tear down your fortresses.

12 I will destroy the witchcraft in your hand, and you will no longer have any diviners.

I will destroy your magic charms, and you will have no soothsayers.

13 I will destroy your carved figures and your stone pillars from among you. You will no longer worship the workmanship of your hands.

I will cut down your idols and sacred pillars, and you will not worship any more the work of your hands.

14 I will uproot your Asherah poles from among you, and I will destroy your cities.

I will uproot your sacred poles, and destroy your idols.

15 I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that have not listened.”

In my wrath and my anger I will seek vengeance on the nations that ignore me.”