Micah 5

¹ Now you are walled about with a wall; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike upon the cheek the ruler of Israel.

² But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.

³ Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in travail has brought forth; then the rest of his brethren shall return to the people of Israel.

⁴ And he shall stand and feed 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.

⁵ And this shall be peace, when the Assyrian comes into our land and treads upon our soil, that we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men;

⁶ they shall rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the drawn sword; and they shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land and treads within our border.

⁷ Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers upon the grass, which tarry not for men nor wait for the sons of men.

⁸ And 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.

⁹ Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off.

¹⁰ And in that day, says the LORD, I will cut off your horses from among you and will destroy your chariots;

¹¹ and I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds;

¹² and I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more soothsayers;

¹³ and 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;

¹⁴ and I will root out your Asherim from among you and destroy your cities.

¹⁵ And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance upon the nations that did not obey.