< Micah 5 >
1 Now thou, douyter of a theef, schalt be distried; thei puttiden on vs bisegyng, in a yerde thei schulen smyte the cheke of the iuge of Israel.
Gather your troops together, Jerusalem! An enemy is besieging us. They will strike Israel's leader on the cheek with a rod.
2 And thou, Bethleem Effrata, art litil in the thousyndis of Juda; he that is the lordli gouernour in Israel, schal go out of thee to me; and the goyng out of hym is fro bigynnyng, fro daies of euerlastyngnesse.
But from you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, (though you are only a small place in Judah), will come a ruler of Israel to do my will. His existence is from the ages of eternity past.
3 For this thing he shal yyue hem til to the tyme in which the trauelinge of child schal bere child, and the relifs of hise britheren schulen be conuertid to the sones of Israel.
So the Lord will give up on them until the woman in labor has given birth. Then the rest of his brothers will return to the people of Israel.
4 And he schal stonde, and schal fede in the strengthe of the Lord, in the heiythe of the name of his Lord God; and thei schulen be conuertid, for now he schal be magnefied til to the endis of al erthe.
He will stand up and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. They will live in safety because his greatness is recognized all over the world.
5 And this schal be pees, whanne Assirius schal come in to oure lond, and whanne he schal trede in oure housis; and we schulen reise on hym seuene scheepherdis, and eiyte primatis men, ether the firste in dignytee.
He will be our source of peace when the Assyrians invade our land and destroy our fortresses. Then we will appoint many strong leaders,
6 And thei schulen frete the lond of Assur bi swerd, and the lond of Nembroth bi speris of hym; and he schal delyuere vs fro Assur, whanne he schal come in to oure lond, and whanne he schal trede in oure coostis.
and they will rule Assyria with their swords, the land of Nimrod with drawn swords. He shall rescue us from the Assyrians when they invade our land, marching across our borders.
7 And relifs of Jacob schulen be in the myddil of many puplis, as dew of the Lord, and as dropis on erbe, whiche abidith not man, and schal not abide sones of men.
Then those who are left of the people of Jacob shall be in the center of many nations, like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which wait for no one, and which no one can delay.
8 And relifs of Jacob schulen be in hethene men, in the myddil of many puplis, as a lioun in beestis of the woodis, and as a whelpe of a lioun rorynge in flockis of scheep; and whanne he passith, and defoulith, and takith, there is not that schal delyuere.
Those who are left of the people of Jacob shall be among many nations, in the center of many peoples. They will be like a lion among the wild animals of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, clawing and tearing as it passes through, with no one to come to the rescue.
9 And thin hond schal be reisid on thin enemyes, and alle thin enemyes schulen perische.
Lift your hand in triumph against your enemies; all of them will be destroyed.
10 And it schal be, in that dai, seith the Lord, Y schal take awei thin horsis fro the myddil of thee, and Y schal distrie thi foure horsid cartis.
On that day, says the Lord, I will kill your horses and break your chariots.
11 And Y schal leese the citees of thi lond, and Y schal distrie alle thi strengthis;
I will tear down your city walls and demolish your fortresses.
12 and Y schal do awei witchecraftis fro thin hond, and dyuynaciouns schulen not be in thee.
I will stop the witchcraft you practice; there will be no more fortune-tellers for you.
13 And Y schal make for to perische thi `grauun ymagis, and Y schal breke togidere fro the myddil of thee thin ymagis, and thou schalt no more worschipe the werkis of thin hondis.
I will smash down the idols and stone pillars that stand among you: you shall not bow down and worship idols that you make with your own hands any more.
14 And Y schal drawe out of the middis of thee thi woodis, and Y schal al to-breke thi citees.
I will pull up the Asherah poles that you have and destroy your pagan places.
15 And Y schal make in woodnesse and indignacioun veniaunce in alle folkis, whiche herden not.
In anger and fury I will execute vengeance on those nations that do not obey me.