Micah 5

1 ‘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.

Now you shall gather yourself in troops, daughter of troops. He has laid siege against us. They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.

2 ‘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.’

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small amongst the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me who is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.

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

Therefore he will abandon them until the time that she who is in labour gives birth. Then the rest of his brothers will return to the children of Israel.

4 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.

He shall stand, and shall shepherd in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. They will live, for then he will be great to the ends of the earth.

5 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.

He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land and when he marches through our fortresses, then we will raise against him seven shepherds, and eight leaders of men.

6 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.

They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its gates. He will deliver us from the Assyrian, when he invades our land, and when he marches within our border.

7 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.

The remnant of Jacob will be amongst many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, that don’t wait for man nor wait for the sons of men.

8 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.

The remnant of Jacob will be amongst the nations, amongst many peoples, like a lion amongst the animals of the forest, like a young lion amongst the flocks of sheep; who, if he goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is no one to deliver.

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

Let your hand be lifted up above your adversaries, and let all of your enemies be cut off.

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

“It will happen in that day”, says the LORD, “that I will cut off your horses from amongst you and will destroy your chariots.

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

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

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

I will destroy witchcraft from your hand. You shall have no soothsayers.

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

I will cut off your engraved images and your pillars from amongst you; and you shall no more worship the work of your hands.

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

I will uproot your Asherah poles from amongst you; and I will destroy your cities.

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

I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that didn’t listen.”