Micah 5

1 “But now, [you people of Jerusalem, gather your troops together, ] [because even though] you have a wall [around your city to protect it], [enemy soldiers] are surrounding the city. And [soon] they will strike your leader on his face, with a rod.”

Now shall the daughter [of Sion] be completely hedged in: he has laid siege against us: they shall strike the tribes of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

2 But you [people of] [APO] Bethlehem in Ephrathah [district need to know that] even though your [town] is a very small one among all the towns in Judah, someone who will rule Israel will be born in your town. [He will be] someone whose family has existed a very long time ago [DOU].

And you, Bethleem, house of Ephratha, are few in number to be [reckoned] among the thousands of Juda; [yet] out of you shall one come forth to me, to be a ruler of Israel; and his goings forth were from the beginning, [even] from eternity.

3 [But now] you people of Israel will be conquered by your enemies; [but it will be for only a short time], like [MET] [the short time that] women have great pain while their babies are being born. After that, your fellow-countrymen who were (exiled/forced to go to other countries) will return to their own country.

Therefore shall he appoint them [to wait] till the time of her that travails: she shall bring forth, and [then] the remnant of their brethren shall return to the children of Israel.

4 And that man who will be ruling [there in Jerusalem] will stand and lead his people well, because Yahweh, his God, will cause him to be strong and greatly honored. Then the people whom he rules will live [in Jerusalem] safely; he will be greatly honored by people all over the earth, [so no one will dare to attack Jerusalem].

And the Lord shall stand, and see, and feed his flock with power, and they shall dwell in the glory of the name of the Lord their God: for now shall they be magnified to the ends of the earth.

5 And he will cause things to go well [for his people]. When [the army of] Assyria attacks our country and breaks though our fortresses, we will appoint (seven or eight/several) leaders [to lead our army] to fight against them.

And she shall have peace when Assur shall come into your land, and when he shall come up upon your country; and there shall be raised up against him seven shepherds, and eight attacks of men.

6 With their swords [our army] will defeat the [army of] Assyria, [whose capital was founded by] Nimrod [long ago]. So our army will rescue us from the Assyrian [army] when they invade our country [DOU].

And they shall tend the Assyrian with a sword, and the land of Nebrod with her trench: and he shall deliver [you] from the Assyrian, when he shall come upon your land, and when he shall invade your coasts.

7 The (descendants of Jacob/Israelis) who survive will be [a blessing] to the people of other nations, like [SIM] dew and rain sent by Yahweh do good to the grass. The Israelis will not trust in humans [to help them]; instead, they will rely on Yahweh.

And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many peoples, as dew falling from the Lord, and as lambs on the grass; that none may assemble nor resist among the sons of men.

8 In the midst of [their enemies in] many people-groups [DOU], the descendants of Jacob who remain alive will be like [SIM] a lion among the [other] wild beasts of the forest, like [SIM] a young lion who goes among a flock of sheep and pounces [on one] and (mauls it/tears it to pieces), and no one will be able to rescue [that sheep].

And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many nations, as a lion in the forest among cattle, and as a [lion's] whelp among the flocks of sheep, even as when he goes through, and selects, and carries off [his prey], and there is none to deliver.

9 You Israelis will defeat [MTY] all your enemies and completely destroy them.

Your hand shall be lifted up against them that afflict you, and all your enemies shall be utterly destroyed.

10 Yahweh says, “At that time, I will destroy [you Israeli people’s] horses [that your soldiers use in war] and your chariots.

And it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord, [that] I will utterly destroy the horses out of the midst of you, and destroy your chariots;

11 I will tear down your city [walls] and destroy all your fortified cities.

and I will utterly destroy the cities of your land, and demolish all your strongholds:

12 I will get rid of all those among you who practice magic and the (fortune-tellers/those who say that they can predict what will happen in the future).

and I will utterly destroy your sorceries out of your hands; and there shall be no soothsayers in you.

13 I will destroy [all] your idols and [sacred stone] pillars, and then you will no longer bow down [and worship] things that you yourselves [SYN] have made.

And I will utterly destroy your graven images, and your statues out of the midst of you; and you shall never any more worship the works of your hands.

14 I will get rid of your poles [that represent the goddess] Asherah, and [I will also] destroy all your idols.

And I will cut off the groves out of the midst of you, and I will abolish your cities.

15 And because I will be very angry, I will [also] punish [the people of] all the nations who have not obeyed [me].”

and I will execute vengeance on the heathen in anger and wrath, because they listened not.