< Micah 5 >

1 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.
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.
2 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.
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.
3 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.
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.
4 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.
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.
5 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.
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.
6 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.
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.
7 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.
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.
8 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.
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.
9 Let your hand be lifted up above your adversaries, and let all of your enemies be cut off.
Thy hand shall be lifted up upon thy adversaries, and all thy enemies shall be cut off.
10 “It will happen in that day”, says the LORD, “that I will cut off your horses from amongst you and will destroy your chariots.
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:
11 I will cut off the cities of your land and will tear down all your strongholds.
And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:
12 I will destroy witchcraft from your hand. You shall have no soothsayers.
And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy hand; and thou shalt have no [more] sooth-sayers:
13 I will cut off your engraved images and your pillars from amongst you; and you shall no more worship the work of your hands.
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.
14 I will uproot your Asherah poles from amongst you; and I will destroy your cities.
And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.
15 I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that didn’t listen.”
And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.

< Micah 5 >