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So, strong city, gather your soldiers together,
    because we are surrounded and attacked.
They will hit the leader of Israel
    in the face with a club.

The Ruler to Be Born in Bethlehem

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are too small to be among the army groups from Judah,
from you will come one who will rule Israel for me.
    He comes from very old times,
    from days long ago.”

The Lord will give up his people
    until the one who is having a baby gives birth;
then the rest of his relatives will return
    to the people of Israel.
At that time the ruler of Israel will stand
    and take care of his people
with the Lord’s strength
    and with the power of the name of the Lord his God.
The Israelites will live in safety,
    because his greatness will reach all over the earth.
He will bring peace.

Rescue and Punishment

Assyria will surely come into our country
    and walk over our large buildings.
We will set up seven shepherds,
    eight leaders of the people.
They will destroy the Assyrians with their swords;
    they will conquer the land of Assyria with their swords drawn.
They will rescue us from the Assyrians when they come into our land,
    when they walk over our borders.

Then the people of Jacob who are left alive
    will be to other people
like dew from the Lord
    or rain on the grass—
it does not wait for human beings;
    it does not pause for any person.
Those of Jacob’s people who are left alive
    will be scattered among many nations and peoples.
They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,
    like a young lion in a flock of sheep:
As it goes, it jumps on them
    and tears them to pieces,
    and no one can save them.
So you will raise your fist in victory over your enemies,
    and all your enemies will be destroyed.

10 The Lord says, “At that time,
    I will take your horses from you
    and destroy your chariots.
11 I will destroy the cities in your country
    and tear down all your defenses.
12 I will take away the magic charms you use
    so you will have no more fortune-tellers.
13 I will destroy your statues of gods
    and the stone pillars you worship
so that you will no longer worship
    what your hands have made.
14 I will tear down Asherah idols from you
    and destroy your cities.
15 In my anger and rage,
    I will pay back the nations that have not listened.”

A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem

[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.

“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)

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.

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.

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)
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)

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.
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)
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.”

Footnotes

  1. Micah 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:14, and 5:2-15 is numbered 5:1-14.
  2. Micah 5:2 Or rulers
  3. Micah 5:6 Or crush
  4. Micah 5:6 Or Nimrod in its gates
  5. Micah 5:14 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah