Micah 5

1 Now come together in battle ranks, daughter of soldiers; the soldiers have set up a siege around city, with a rod they will strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.

Now you will give yourselves deep wounds for grief; they will put up a wall round us: they will give the judge of Israel a blow on the face with a rod.

2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, even though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come to me to rule in Israel, whose beginning is from ancient times, from everlasting.

And you, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, the least among the families of Judah, out of you one will come to me who is to be ruler in Israel; whose going out has been purposed from time past, from the eternal days.

3 Therefore God will give them up, until the time when she who is in labor bears a child, and the rest of his brothers return to the people of Israel.

For this cause he will give them up till the time when she who is with child has given birth: then the rest of his brothers will come back to the children of Israel.

4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of Yahweh, in the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God. They will remain, for then he will be great to the ends of the earth.

And he will take his place and give food to his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the glory of the name of the Lord his God; and their resting-place will be safe: for now he will be great to the ends of the earth.

5 For this shall be the peace— when the Assyrians come into our land, and when they march against our fortresses, then we will raise against them seven shepherds and eight leaders over men.

And this will be our peace: when the Assyrian comes into our country and his feet are in our land, then we will put up against him seven keepers of the flocks and eight chiefs among men.

6 They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its entrances. He will rescue us from the Assyrians, when they come into our land, when they march inside our borders.

And they will make waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the edge of the sword: he will give us salvation from the Assyrian when he comes into our country, when his feet come inside the limit of our land.

7 The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from Yahweh, like showers on the grass, that do not wait for a man, and they do not wait for the children of mankind.

And the rest of Jacob will be among the mass of peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which may not be kept back by man, or be waiting for the sons of men.

8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, among many peoples, like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep. When he goes through them, he will trample over them and tear them to pieces, and there will be no one to save them.

And the rest of Jacob will be among the nations, in the middle of the mass of peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the woods, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep: if he goes through, they will be crushed under foot and pulled to bits, and there will be no saviour.

9 Your hand will be lifted against your enemies, and it will destroy them.

Your hand is lifted up against those who are against you, and all your haters will be cut off.

10 “It will happen in that day”—this is Yahweh's declaration— “that I will destroy your horses from among you and will demolish your chariots.

And it will come about in that day, says the Lord, that I will take away your horses from you, and will give your war-carriages to destruction:

11 I will destroy the cities in your land and throw down all your strongholds.

I will have the towns of your land cut off and all your strong places pulled down:

12 I will destroy the witchcraft in your hand, and you will no longer have any diviners.

I will put an end to your use of secret arts, and you will have no more readers of signs:

13 I will destroy your carved figures and your stone pillars from among you. You will no longer worship the workmanship of your hands.

And I will have your images and your pillars cut off from you; and you will no longer give worship to the work of your hands.

14 I will uproot your Asherah poles from among you, and I will destroy your cities.

I will have your Asherahs pulled up from among you: and I will send destruction on your images.

15 I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that have not listened.”

And my punishment will be effected on the nations with such burning wrath as they have not had word of.