Micah 5
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
5 [a] Now you are walled around with a wall;[b]
siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the ruler of Israel
upon the cheek.
The Ruler from Bethlehem
2 [c] But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth;
5 and he shall be the one of peace.
If the Assyrians come into our land
and tread upon our soil,[d]
we will raise against them seven shepherds
and eight installed as rulers.
6 They shall rule the land of Assyria with the sword,
and the land of Nimrod with the drawn sword;[e]
they[f] shall rescue us from the Assyrians
if they come into our land
or tread within our border.
The Future Role of the Remnant
7 Then the remnant of Jacob,
surrounded by many peoples,
shall be like dew from the Lord,
like showers on the grass,
which do not depend upon people
or wait for any mortal.
8 And among the nations the remnant of Jacob,
surrounded by many peoples,
shall be like a lion among the animals of the forest,
like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,
which, when it goes through, treads down
and tears in pieces, with no one to deliver.
9 Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries,
and all your enemies shall be cut off.
10 In that day, says the Lord,
I will cut off your horses from among you
and will destroy your chariots;
11 and I will cut off the cities of your land
and throw down all your strongholds;
12 and I will cut off sorceries from your hand,
and you shall have no more soothsayers;
13 and I will cut off your images
and your pillars from among you,
and you shall bow down no more
to the work of your hands;
14 and I will uproot your sacred poles[g] from among you
and destroy your towns.
15 And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance
on the nations that did not obey.
Micah 5
Contemporary English Version
A Promised Ruler
5 Jerusalem, enemy troops
have surrounded you;[a]
they have struck Israel's ruler
in the face with a stick.
2 (A) Bethlehem Ephrath,
you are one of the smallest towns
in the nation of Judah.
But the Lord will choose
one of your people
to rule the nation—
someone whose family
goes back to ancient times.[b]
3 The Lord will abandon Israel
only until this ruler is born,
and the rest of his family[c]
returns to Israel.
4 Like a shepherd
taking care of his sheep,
this ruler will lead
and care for his people
by the power and glorious name
of the Lord his God.
His people will live securely,
and the whole earth will know
his true greatness,
5 because he will bring peace.
Assyria Will Be Defeated
Let Assyria attack our country
and our palaces.
We will counterattack,
led by a number of rulers
6 (B) whose strong army will defeat
the nation of Assyria.[d]
Yes, our leaders will rescue us,
if those Assyrians
dare to invade our land.
The Survivors Will Be Safe
7 A few of Jacob's descendants
survived and are scattered
among the nations.
But the Lord will let them
cover the earth like dew and rain
that refreshes the soil.
8 At present they are scattered,
but later they will attack,
as though they were fierce lions
pouncing on sheep.
Their enemies will be torn
to shreds,
with no one to save them;
9 they will be helpless,
completely destroyed.
Idols Will Be Destroyed in Israel
10 The Lord said:
At that time I will wipe out
your cavalry and chariots,
11 as well as your cities
and your fortresses.
12 I will stop you
from telling fortunes
and practicing witchcraft.
13 You will no longer worship
the idols or stone images
you have made—
I will destroy them,
14 together with the sacred poles[e]
and even your towns.
15 I will become furious
and take revenge on the nations
that refuse to obey me.
Footnotes
- 5.1 Jerusalem … you: Or “Jerusalem, you are slashing yourself in sorrow, because of the enemy troops.”
- 5.2 family … times: Or “kingdom is eternal.”
- 5.3 family: Or “people.”
- 5.6 the nation of Assyria: The Hebrew text uses both “land of Assyria” and “land of Nimrod,” which was a poetic name for Assyria.
- 5.14 sacred poles: Used in the worship of Asherah, the fertility goddess.
Micah 5
Authorized (King James) Version
5 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 thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah,
though thou be little among the thousands of Judah,
yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel;
whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
3 Therefore will he give them up,
until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth:
then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
4 And he shall 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 shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
5 And this man shall 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 And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword,
and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof:
thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian,
when he cometh into our land,
and when he treadeth within our borders.
7 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 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 go through,
both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces,
and none can deliver.
9 Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries,
and all thine enemies shall be cut off.
10 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 and I will cut off the cities of thy land,
and throw down all thy strong holds:
12 and I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand;
and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:
13 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 thine hands.
14 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee:
so will I destroy thy cities.
15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen,
such as they have not heard.
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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