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.’
Micah 5
English Standard Version
The Ruler to Be Born in Bethlehem
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)