Micah

A Ruler from Bethlehem

1Now, O daughter of troops,mobilize your troops; for a siege is laid against us!With a rod they will strike the cheekof the judge of Israel.

2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,who are small among the clansof Judah,out of you will come forth for MeOne to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old,from the days of eternity.

3Therefore Israel will be abandoneduntil she who is in labor has given birth;then the rest of His brothers will returnto the children of Israel.

4He will stand and shepherd His flockin the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD His God.And they will dwell securely,for then His greatness will extend to the ends of the earth.

5And He will be our peacewhen Assyria invades our land and tramples our citadels.We will raise against it seven shepherds,even eight leaders of men.

6And they will rule the land of Assyria with the sword,and the land of Nimrod with the blade drawn.So He will deliver uswhen Assyria invades our land and marches into our borders.

The Remnant of Jacob

7Then the remnant of Jacob will bein the midst of many peopleslike dew from the LORD,like showers on the grass,which do not wait for manor linger for mankind.

8Then the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,in the midst of many peoples,like a lion among the beasts of the forest,like a young lion among flocks of sheep,which tramples and tears as it passes through,with no one to rescue them.

9Your hand will be lifted over your foes,and all your enemies will be cut off.

10“In that day,”declares the LORD,“I will remove your horses from among youand wreck your chariots.

11I will remove the cities of your landand tear down all your strongholds.

12I will cut the sorceries from your hand,and you will have no fortune-tellers.

13I will also cut off the carved imagesand sacred pillars from among you,so that you will no longer bow downto the work of your own hands.

14I will root out the Asherah poles from your midstand demolish your cities.

15I will take vengeance in anger and wrathupon the nations that have not obeyed Me.”

1Now you shall gather yourself in troops,daughter of troops.He has laid siege against us.They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.

2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me who is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.

3Therefore he will abandon them until the time that she who is in labor gives birth.Then the rest of his brothers will return to the children of Israel.

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

5He will be our peace when Assyria invades our landand when he marches through our fortresses, then we will raise against him seven shepherds, and eight leaders of men.

6They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword,and the land of Nimrod in its gates.He will deliver us from the Assyrian,when he invades our land, and when he marches within our border.

7The remnant of Jacob will be among many peopleslike dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, that don’t wait for man nor wait for the sons of men.

8The 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; who, if he goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is no one to deliver.

9Let your hand be lifted up above your adversaries,and let all of your enemies be cut off.

10“It will happen in that day”, says the LORD,“that I will cut off your horses from among you and will destroy your chariots.

11I will cut off the cities of your landand will tear down all your strongholds.

12I will destroy witchcraft from your hand.You shall have no soothsayers.

13I will cut off your engraved images and your pillars from among you;and you shall no more worship the work of your hands.

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

15I will execute vengeance in angerand wrath on the nations that didn’t listen.”