Micah (Douay: Micheas) 5

¹ Now 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.

² But 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.

³ Therefore 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.

⁴ He 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.

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

⁶ They 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.

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

⁸ The 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.

⁹ Let 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.

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

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

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

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

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

¹ NNow shalt thou be laid waste, O daughter of the robber: they have laid siege against us, with a rod shall they strike the cheek of the judge of Israel.

² And thou Bethlehem Ephrata, art a little one among the thousands of Juda, out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be the ruler in Israel: and his going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity.

³ Therefore will he give them up even till the time wherein she that travaileth shall bring forth: and the remnant of his brethren shall be converted to the children of Israel.

⁴ And he shall stand, and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the height of the name of the Lord, his God: and they shall be converted, for now shall he be magnified even to the ends of the earth.

⁵ And this man shall be our peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land, and when he shall set his foot in our houses: and we shall raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.

⁶ And they shall feed the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nemrod with the spears thereof: and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he shall come into our land, and when he shall tread in our borders.

⁷ And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, as a dew from the Lord, and as drops upon the grass, which waiteth not for man, nor tarrieth for the children of men.

⁸ And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, in the midst of many peoples, as a lion among the beasts of the forests, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, when he shall go through, and tread down, and take there is none to deliver.

⁹ Thy hand shall be lifted up over thy enemies, and all thy enemies shall be cut off.

¹⁰ And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that I will take away thy horses out of the midst of thee, and will destroy thy chariots.

¹¹ And I will destroy the cities of thy land, and will throw down all thy strong holds, and I will take away sorceries out of thy hand, and there shall be no divinations in thee.

¹² And I will destroy thy graven things, and thy statues, out of the midst of thee: and thou shalt no more adore the works of thy hands.

¹³ And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: and will crush thy cities.

¹⁴ And I will execute vengeance in wrath, and in indignation, among all the nations that have not given ear.