ToC | Hebrew Scriptures. . . Micah | ToC

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

The Ruler from Bethlehem

 2  But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
         who are one of the little clans of Judah,
     from you shall come forth for me
         one who is to rule 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 labor has brought forth;
     then the rest of his kindred 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 live secure, for now he shall be great
         to the ends of the earth;
 5  and he shall be the one of peace.

         If the Assyrians come into our land
         and tread upon our soil,b
     we will raise against them seven shepherds
         and eight installed as rulers.
 6  They shall rule the land of Assyria with the sword,
         and the land of Nimrod with the drawn sword;c
     theyd shall rescue us from the Assyrians
         if they come into our land
         or tread within our border.

The Future Role of the Remnant

 7  Then the remnant of Jacob,
         surrounded by many peoples,
     shall be like dew from the LORD,
         like showers on the grass,
     which do not depend upon people
         or wait for any mortal.
 8  And among the nations the remnant of Jacob,
         surrounded by many peoples,
     shall be like a lion among the animals of the forest,
         like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,
     which, when it goes through, treads down
         and tears in pieces, with no one to deliver.
 9  Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries,
         and all your enemies shall be cut off.

 10  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 uproot your sacred polese from among you
         and destroy your towns.
 15  And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance
         on the nations that did not obey.

a Cn Compare Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain  b Gk: Heb in our palaces  c Cn: Heb in its entrances  d Heb he  e Heb Asherim  
ToC | Hebrew Scriptures. . . Micah | ToC

The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyrighted 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America, and are used by permission. All rights reserved.