Micah 5
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

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

The Ruler from Bethlehem

2[c] 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.
3Therefore 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.
4And 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;
5and he shall be the one of peace.

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

The Future Role of the Remnant

7Then 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.
8And 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.
9Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries,
    and all your enemies shall be cut off.

10In that day, says the Lord,
    I will cut off your horses from among you
    and will destroy your chariots;
11and I will cut off the cities of your land
    and throw down all your strongholds;
12and I will cut off sorceries from your hand,
    and you shall have no more soothsayers;
13and 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;
14and I will uproot your sacred poles[g] from among you
    and destroy your towns.
15And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance
    on the nations that did not obey.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 5:1 Ch 4.14 in Heb
  2. Micah 5:1 Cn Compare Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  3. Micah 5:2 Ch 5.1 in Heb
  4. Micah 5:5 Gk: Heb in our palaces
  5. Micah 5:6 Cn: Heb in its entrances
  6. Micah 5:6 Heb he
  7. Micah 5:14 Heb Asherim
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.





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