Micah 5

1Now gather your troops, daughter of troops; a siege is laid against us. With a rod they strike the ruler of Israel on the cheek.

2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you one will come out for me to be ruler in Israel, one whose origins go back to the distant past, to ancient days.

3Therefore he will give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers will return to the people of Israel.

4He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of Yahweh, in the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God. They will live securely, for now he will be great to the ends of the earth.

5And he will be peace. When Assyria invades our land and marches through our fortresses, we will raise against it seven shepherds, even eight leaders of men.

6They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod at its gates. He will rescue us from Assyria when it invades our land and marches into our territory.

7The remnant of Jacob will be among many peoples like dew from Yahweh, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for anyone or depend on human beings.

8The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which tramples and tears as it goes, and there is no one to rescue.

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

10On that day, declares Yahweh, I will cut off your horses from among you and destroy your chariots.

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

12I will cut off sorcery from your hand, and you will no longer have fortune-tellers.

13I will cut off your carved images and your sacred pillars from among you, and you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands.

14I will pull up your Asherah poles from among you and destroy your cities.

15In anger and wrath I will take vengeance on the nations that have not obeyed.