1[1] Now muster your troops, O daughter[2] of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. (1Ki 22:24)2[3] But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. (Ge 49:10; Ps 90:2; Pr 8:22; Isa 9:6; Jer 30:21; Ho 6:3; Zec 9:9; Mt 2:6; Joh 1:1; Joh 7:42; Heb 7:14)3Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. (Mic 4:7; Mic 4:9)4And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. (Ps 72:8; Isa 11:3; Isa 40:11; Isa 52:13; Mic 7:14; Lu 1:32)5And he shall be their peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men; (2Ki 18:13; Isa 3:2; Isa 9:6; Zec 9:10; Eph 2:14)6they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances; and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land and treads within our border. (Ge 10:8; Ge 10:10; Mic 5:5)
A Remnant Shall Be Delivered
7Then 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. (Mic 5:3)8And 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, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver. (Ho 5:14; Mic 5:3)9Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off. (Isa 26:11)10And in that day, declares the Lord, I will cut off your horses from among you and will destroy your chariots; (Isa 2:7; Mic 4:1; Mic 4:6; Hag 2:22; Zec 9:10)11and I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds; (Isa 17:9; Isa 27:10; Ho 8:14; Mic 5:14; Zec 2:4)12and I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more tellers of fortunes; (De 18:10; 2Ki 9:22; Isa 2:6)13and I will cut off your carved images and your pillars from among you, and you shall bow down no more to the work of your hands; (Isa 17:8; Ho 3:4; Zec 13:2)14and I will root out your Asherah images from among you and destroy your cities. (Ex 34:13; De 16:21; Mic 5:11)15And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey. (Ps 149:7; Mic 5:8; 2Th 1:8)
Micah 5
New International Version
A promised ruler from Bethlehem
1[1] Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod.2‘But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans[2] of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.’3Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labour bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.4He will stand and shepherd his flock 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 will reach to the ends of the earth.5And he will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses. We will raise against them seven shepherds, even eight commanders,6who will rule[3] the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with drawn sword.[4] He will deliver us from the Assyrians when they invade our land and march across our borders.7The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for anyone or depend on man.8The 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 mauls and mangles as it goes, and no-one can rescue.9Your hand will be lifted up 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.11I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds.12I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells.13I will destroy your idols and your sacred stones from among you; you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands.14I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles[5] when I demolish your cities.15I will take vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that have not obeyed me.’
Micah 5
King James Version
1Now 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.2But thou, Bethlehem 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.3Therefore 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.4And 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.5And 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.6And 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.7And 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.8And 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.9Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.10And 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:11And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:12And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:13Thy 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.14And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.15And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.
Micah 5
New International Reader’s Version
A promised ruler will come from Bethlehem
1Jerusalem, you are being attacked. So bring your troops together. Our enemies have surrounded us. They want to slap the face of Israel’s ruler.2The LORD says, ‘Bethlehem Ephrathah, you might not be an important town in the nation of Judah. But out of you will come for me a ruler over Israel. His family line goes back to the early years of your nation. It goes all the way back to days of long ago.’3The LORD will hand over his people to their enemies. That will last until the pregnant woman bears her promised son. Then the rest of his relatives in Judah will return to their land.4That promised son will stand firm and be a shepherd for his flock. The LORD will give him the strength to do it. The LORD his God will give him the authority to rule. His people will live safely. His greatness will reach from one end of the earth to the other.5And he will be our peace when the Assyrians attack our land. They will march through our forts. But we will raise up against them many shepherds. We’ll send out against them as many commanders as we need to.6They will use their swords to rule over Assyria. They’ll rule the land of Nimrod with swords that are ready to strike. The Assyrians will march across our borders and attack our land. But the promised ruler will save us from them.7Jacob’s people who are still left alive will be scattered among many nations. They will be like dew the LORD has sent. Dew doesn’t depend on any human being. They will be like rain that falls on the grass. Rain doesn’t wait for someone to give it orders.8So Jacob’s people will be scattered among many nations. They will be like a lion among the animals in the forest. They’ll be like a young lion among flocks of sheep. Lions attack and tear apart their prey as they move along. No one can keep them from killing what they want.9LORD, your power will win the battle over your enemies. All of them will be destroyed.10‘At that time I will destroy your war horses,’ announces the LORD. ‘I will smash your chariots.11I will destroy the cities in your land. I will tear down all your forts.12I will destroy your worship of evil powers. You will no longer be able to put a spell on anyone.13I will destroy the statues of your gods. I will take your sacred stones away from you. You will no longer bow down to the gods your hands have made.14I will pull down the poles you used to worship the female god named Asherah. That will happen when I completely destroy your cities.15I will pay back the nations that have not obeyed me. I will direct my anger against them.’