Micah 5

Micah 5

¹Now you are walled around with a wall;[#1 Kings 22.24; Jer 4.7; Lam 3.30; #5.1 4.14 in Heb; #5.1 Cn Compare Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain]

siege is laid against us;

with a rod they strike the ruler of Israel

upon the cheek.

The Ruler from Bethlehem

²But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,[#1 Sam 17.12; 23.23; Isa 9.6; Mt 2.6; Lk 2.4; #5.2 5.1 in Heb]

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.

³Therefore he shall give them up until the time[#Isa 10.20–22; Hos 11.8; Mic 4.10]

when she who is in labor has brought forth;

then the rest of his kindred shall return

to the people of Israel.

⁴And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord ,[#Isa 40.11; 52.13; Ezek 34.23; Lk 1.32]

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,

⁵and he shall be the one of peace. If the Assyrians come into our land[#Isa 8.7, 8; 9.6; Rev 11.15]

and tread upon our soil,

we will raise against them seven shepherds

and eight rulers.

⁶They shall rule the land of Assyria with the sword[#Gen 10.8; Isa 37.36, 37; Nah 2.11–13; Zeph 2.13]

and the land of Nimrod with the drawn sword;

they shall rescue us from the Assyrians

if they come into our land

or tread within our border.

The Future Role of the Remnant

⁷Then the remnant of Jacob,[#Deut 32.2; Hos 14.5; Mic 2.12]

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.

⁸And among the nations the remnant of Jacob,[#Ps 50.22; Hos 5.14; Mic 4.13; Zech 10.5]

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.

⁹Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries,[#Ps 10.12; 21.8; Isa 26.11]

and all your enemies shall be cut off.

¹⁰On that day, says the Lord ,[#Isa 2.7; Hos 14.3; Zech 9.10]

I will cut off your horses from among you

and will destroy your chariots;

¹¹and I will cut off the cities of your land[#Isa 1.7; Hos 10.14; Am 5.9]

and destroy all your strongholds;

¹²and I will cut off sorceries from your hand,[#Deut 18.10–12; Isa 2.6]

and you shall have no more soothsayers;

¹³and 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;

¹⁴and I will uproot your sacred poles from among you[#Ex 34.13; Isa 17.8; 27.9; #5.14 Or Asherahs]

and destroy your towns.

¹⁵And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance[#Ps 149.7; Isa 65.12]

on the nations that did not obey.