Micah 5

1 Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

Now, O daughter of troops, mobilize your troops; for a siege is laid against us! With a rod they will strike the cheek of the judge of Israel.

2 But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, [though] thou art little among the thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall he come forth to me [that is] to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [have been] from of old, from everlasting.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel — One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.

3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time [that] she who travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel.

Therefore Israel will be abandoned until she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of His brothers will return to the children of Israel.

4 And he will stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now will he be great to the ends of the earth.

He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD His God. And they will dwell securely, for then His greatness will extend to the ends of the earth.

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

And He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land and tramples our citadels. We will raise against it seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men.

6 And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its entrances: thus will he deliver [us] from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.

And they will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the blade drawn. So He will deliver us when Assyria invades our land and marches into our borders.

7 And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.

Then the remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for man or linger for mankind.

8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he goeth through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

Then the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which tramples and tears as it passes through, with no one to rescue them.

9 Thy hand shall be lifted up upon thy adversaries, and all thy enemies shall be cut off.

Your hand will be lifted over your foes, and all your enemies will be cut off.

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

“In that day,” declares the LORD, “I will remove your horses from among you and wreck your chariots.

11 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:

I will remove the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds.

12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy hand; and thou shalt have no [more] sooth-sayers:

I will cut the sorceries from your hand, and you will have no fortune-tellers.

13 Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thy hands.

I will also cut off the carved images and sacred pillars from among you, so that you will no longer bow down to the work of your own hands.

14 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.

I will root out the Asherah poles from your midst and demolish your cities.

15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.

I will take vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations that have not obeyed Me.”