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Micah 5-7
English Standard Version
Micah 5-7
English Standard Version
The Ruler to Be Born in Bethlehem
5 [a] Now muster your troops, O daughter[b] of troops;
siege is laid against us;
with a rod (A)they strike the judge of Israel
on the cheek.
2 [c] (B)But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of (C)Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be (D)ruler in Israel,
(E)whose coming forth is (F)from of old,
from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up (G)until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
then (H)the rest of his brothers shall return
to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand (I)and shepherd his flock (J)in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now (K)he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.
5 And he shall be (L)their peace.
(M)When the Assyrian comes into our land
and treads in our palaces,
then we will raise against him seven (N)shepherds
and eight princes of men;
6 they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
and the land of (O)Nimrod at its entrances;
and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian
(P)when he comes into our land
and treads within our border.
A Remnant Shall Be Delivered
7 Then (Q)the remnant of Jacob shall be
in the midst of many peoples
like dew from the Lord,
like showers on the grass,
which delay not for a man
nor wait for the children of man.
8 And (R)the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations,
in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,
like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,
(S)which, when it goes through, treads down
and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver.
9 Your hand shall (T)be lifted up over your adversaries,
and all your enemies shall be cut off.
10 And (U)in that day, declares the Lord,
(V)I will cut off your horses from among you
and will destroy your chariots;
11 (W)and I will cut off the cities of your land
and throw down all your strongholds;
12 and I will cut off (X)sorceries from your hand,
and (Y)you shall have no more tellers of fortunes;
13 and (Z)I will cut off your carved images
and (AA)your pillars from among you,
(AB)and you shall bow down no more
to the work of your hands;
14 and I will root out your (AC)Asherah images from among you
(AD)and destroy your cities.
15 And in anger and wrath (AE)I will execute vengeance
on the nations that did not obey.
The Indictment of the Lord
6 (AF)Hear what the Lord says:
Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice.
2 (AG)Hear, you mountains, (AH)the indictment of the Lord,
and you enduring foundations of the earth,
for the Lord has an indictment against his people,
and he will contend with Israel.
3 “O my people, (AI)what have I done to you?
(AJ)How have I wearied you? Answer me!
4 For (AK)I brought you up from the land of Egypt
and (AL)redeemed you from the house of slavery,
and I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and (AM)Miriam.
5 O my people, remember (AN)what Balak king of Moab devised,
and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,
and what happened from (AO)Shittim to Gilgal,
that you may know (AP)the righteous acts of the Lord.”
What Does the Lord Require?
6 (AQ)“With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before (AR)God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7 (AS)Will the Lord be pleased with[d] thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
(AT)Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
and (AU)what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,[e]
and to (AV)walk humbly with your God?
Destruction of the Wicked
9 The voice of the Lord cries to the city—
and it is sound wisdom to fear (AW)your name:
“Hear of (AX)the rod and of him who appointed it![f]
10 Can I forget any longer the treasures[g] of wickedness in the house of the wicked,
and the scant measure that is accursed?
11 Shall I acquit the man (AY)with wicked scales
and with a bag of deceitful weights?
12 Your[h] rich men are (AZ)full of violence;
your inhabitants (BA)speak lies,
and (BB)their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13 Therefore I strike you with a grievous blow,
(BC)making you desolate because of your sins.
14 (BD)You shall eat, but not be satisfied,
and there shall be hunger within you;
you shall put away, but not preserve,
and what you preserve I will give to the sword.
15 (BE)You shall sow, but not reap;
you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine.
16 For you have kept the statutes of (BF)Omri,[i]
and all the works of the house of (BG)Ahab;
and you have walked in their counsels,
that I may make you (BH)a desolation, and your[j] inhabitants (BI)a hissing;
so you shall bear (BJ)the scorn of my people.”
Wait for the God of Salvation
7 Woe is me! For I have become
(BK)as when the summer fruit has been gathered,
as when the grapes have been gleaned:
there is no cluster to eat,
no (BL)first-ripe fig that my soul desires.
2 (BM)The godly has perished from the earth,
and (BN)there is no one upright among mankind;
(BO)they all lie in wait for blood,
and (BP)each hunts the other with a net.
3 (BQ)Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well;
(BR)the prince and (BS)the judge ask for a bribe,
and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul;
thus they weave it together.
4 The best of them is (BT)like a brier,
the most upright of them a thorn hedge.
The day of (BU)your watchmen, of your punishment, has come;
(BV)now their confusion is at hand.
5 (BW)Put no trust in a neighbor;
have no confidence in a friend;
guard (BX)the doors of your mouth
from her who lies in your arms;[k]
6 for (BY)the son treats the father with contempt,
the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
(BZ)a man's enemies are the men of his own house.
7 But as for me, I will look to the Lord;
(CA)I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me.
8 (CB)Rejoice not over me, O (CC)my enemy;
(CD)when I fall, I shall rise;
(CE)when I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be a light to me.
9 (CF)I will bear the indignation of the Lord
because I have sinned against him,
until (CG)he pleads my cause
and executes judgment for me.
(CH)He will bring me out to the light;
I shall look upon his vindication.
10 Then (CI)my enemy will see,
and shame will cover her who (CJ)said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”
(CK)My eyes will look upon her;
now she will be trampled down
(CL)like the mire of the streets.
11 (CM)A day for the building of your walls!
In that day the boundary shall be far extended.
12 In that day they[l] will come to you,
(CN)from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
and from Egypt to (CO)the River,[m]
(CP)from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.
13 But (CQ)the earth will be desolate
because of its inhabitants,
for the fruit of their deeds.
14 (CR)Shepherd your people (CS)with your staff,
the flock of your inheritance,
who dwell alone in a forest
(CT)in the midst of (CU)a garden land;[n]
let them graze in Bashan and Gilead
as in the days of old.
15 (CV)As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,
I will show them[o] marvelous things.
16 (CW)The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might;
(CX)they shall lay their hands on their mouths;
their ears shall be deaf;
17 (CY)they shall lick the dust like a serpent,
like the crawling things of the earth;
(CZ)they shall come trembling out of their strongholds;
(DA)they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God,
and they shall be in fear of you.
God's Steadfast Love and Compassion
18 (DB)Who is a God like you, (DC)pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
(DD)for the remnant of his inheritance?
(DE)He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love.
19 He will (DF)again have compassion on us;
(DG)he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
(DH)You will cast all our[p] sins
into the depths of the sea.
20 (DI)You will show faithfulness to Jacob
and steadfast love to Abraham,
(DJ)as you have sworn to our fathers
from the days of old.
Footnotes
- Micah 5:1 Ch 4:14 in Hebrew
- Micah 5:1 That is, city
- Micah 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Hebrew
- Micah 6:7 Or Will the Lord accept
- Micah 6:8 Or steadfast love
- Micah 6:9 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
- Micah 6:10 Or Are there still treasures
- Micah 6:12 Hebrew whose
- Micah 6:16 Hebrew For the statutes of Omri are kept
- Micah 6:16 Hebrew its
- Micah 7:5 Hebrew bosom
- Micah 7:12 Hebrew he
- Micah 7:12 That is, the Euphrates
- Micah 7:14 Hebrew of Carmel
- Micah 7:15 Hebrew him
- Micah 7:19 Hebrew their
Micah 5-7
New International Version
Micah 5-7
New International Version
A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem
5 [a]Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
on the cheek(A) with a rod.
2 “But you, Bethlehem(B) Ephrathah,(C)
though you are small among the clans[b] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler(D) over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,(E)
from ancient times.”(F)
3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned(G)
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.
4 He will stand and shepherd his flock(H)
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness(I)
will reach to the ends of the earth.
5 And he will be our peace(J)
when the Assyrians invade(K) our land
and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
even eight commanders,(L)
6 who will rule[c] the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod(M) with drawn sword.[d](N)
He will deliver us from the Assyrians
when they invade our land
and march across our borders.(O)
7 The remnant(P) of Jacob will be
in the midst of many peoples
like dew(Q) from the Lord,
like showers on the grass,(R)
which do not wait for anyone
or depend on man.
8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,(S)
like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which mauls and mangles(T) as it goes,
and no one can rescue.(U)
9 Your hand will be lifted up(V) in triumph over your enemies,
and all your foes will be destroyed.
10 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will destroy your horses from among you
and demolish your chariots.(W)
11 I will destroy the cities(X) of your land
and tear down all your strongholds.(Y)
12 I will destroy your witchcraft
and you will no longer cast spells.(Z)
13 I will destroy your idols(AA)
and your sacred stones from among you;(AB)
you will no longer bow down
to the work of your hands.(AC)
14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles[e](AD)
when I demolish your cities.
15 I will take vengeance(AE) in anger and wrath
on the nations that have not obeyed me.”
The Lord’s Case Against Israel
6 Listen to what the Lord says:
“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;(AF)
let the hills hear what you have to say.
2 “Hear,(AG) you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;(AH)
listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.
For the Lord has a case(AI) against his people;
he is lodging a charge(AJ) against Israel.
3 “My people, what have I done to you?
How have I burdened(AK) you?(AL) Answer me.
4 I brought you up out of Egypt(AM)
and redeemed you from the land of slavery.(AN)
I sent Moses(AO) to lead you,
also Aaron(AP) and Miriam.(AQ)
5 My people, remember
what Balak(AR) king of Moab plotted
and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim(AS) to Gilgal,(AT)
that you may know the righteous acts(AU) of the Lord.”
6 With what shall I come before(AV) the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?(AW)
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,(AX)
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?(AY)
Shall I offer my firstborn(AZ) for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?(BA)
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly(BB) and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[f](BC) with your God.(BD)
Israel’s Guilt and Punishment
9 Listen! The Lord is calling to the city—
and to fear your name is wisdom—
“Heed the rod(BE) and the One who appointed it.[g]
10 Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house,
and the short ephah,[h] which is accursed?(BF)
11 Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales,(BG)
with a bag of false weights?(BH)
12 Your rich people are violent;(BI)
your inhabitants are liars(BJ)
and their tongues speak deceitfully.(BK)
13 Therefore, I have begun to destroy(BL) you,
to ruin[i] you because of your sins.
14 You will eat but not be satisfied;(BM)
your stomach will still be empty.[j]
You will store up but save nothing,(BN)
because what you save[k] I will give to the sword.
15 You will plant but not harvest;(BO)
you will press olives but not use the oil,
you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.(BP)
16 You have observed the statutes of Omri(BQ)
and all the practices of Ahab’s(BR) house;
you have followed their traditions.(BS)
Therefore I will give you over to ruin(BT)
and your people to derision;
you will bear the scorn(BU) of the nations.[l]”
Israel’s Misery
7 What misery is mine!
I am like one who gathers summer fruit
at the gleaning of the vineyard;
there is no cluster of grapes to eat,
none of the early figs(BV) that I crave.
2 The faithful have been swept from the land;(BW)
not one(BX) upright person remains.
Everyone lies in wait(BY) to shed blood;(BZ)
they hunt each other(CA) with nets.(CB)
3 Both hands are skilled in doing evil;(CC)
the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,(CD)
the powerful dictate what they desire—
they all conspire together.
4 The best of them is like a brier,(CE)
the most upright worse than a thorn(CF) hedge.
The day God visits you has come,
the day your watchmen sound the alarm.
Now is the time of your confusion.(CG)
5 Do not trust a neighbor;
put no confidence in a friend.(CH)
Even with the woman who lies in your embrace
guard the words of your lips.
6 For a son dishonors his father,
a daughter rises up against her mother,(CI)
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.(CJ)
7 But as for me, I watch(CK) in hope(CL) for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear(CM) me.
Israel Will Rise
8 Do not gloat over me,(CN) my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.(CO)
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.(CP)
9 Because I have sinned against him,
I will bear the Lord’s wrath,(CQ)
until he pleads my case(CR)
and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;(CS)
I will see his righteousness.(CT)
10 Then my enemy will see it
and will be covered with shame,(CU)
she who said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”(CV)
My eyes will see her downfall;(CW)
even now she will be trampled(CX) underfoot
like mire in the streets.
11 The day for building your walls(CY) will come,
the day for extending your boundaries.
12 In that day people will come to you
from Assyria(CZ) and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates
and from sea to sea
and from mountain to mountain.(DA)
13 The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,
as the result of their deeds.(DB)
Prayer and Praise
14 Shepherd(DC) your people with your staff,(DD)
the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
in fertile pasturelands.[m](DE)
Let them feed in Bashan(DF) and Gilead(DG)
as in days long ago.(DH)
15 “As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
I will show them my wonders.(DI)”
16 Nations will see and be ashamed,(DJ)
deprived of all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths(DK)
and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust(DL) like a snake,
like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling(DM) out of their dens;
they will turn in fear(DN) to the Lord our God
and will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God(DO) like you,
who pardons sin(DP) and forgives(DQ) the transgression
of the remnant(DR) of his inheritance?(DS)
You do not stay angry(DT) forever
but delight to show mercy.(DU)
19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities(DV) into the depths of the sea.(DW)
20 You will be faithful to Jacob,
and show love to Abraham,(DX)
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors(DY)
in days long ago.(DZ)
Footnotes
- Micah 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:14, and 5:2-15 is numbered 5:1-14.
- Micah 5:2 Or rulers
- Micah 5:6 Or crush
- Micah 5:6 Or Nimrod in its gates
- Micah 5:14 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
- Micah 6:8 Or prudently
- Micah 6:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
- Micah 6:10 An ephah was a dry measure.
- Micah 6:13 Or Therefore, I will make you ill and destroy you; / I will ruin
- Micah 6:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Micah 6:14 Or You will press toward birth but not give birth, / and what you bring to birth
- Micah 6:16 Septuagint; Hebrew scorn due my people
- Micah 7:14 Or in the middle of Carmel
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.