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The ruler that God chooses will be born in Bethlehem

5 Soldiers in Jerusalem, come together!
Get ready, because your enemies are attacking you.
They are all round the city, ready to fight.
They will hit Israel's ruler on his face with a stick. [ a ]

2 But God tells us this:

‘Bethlehem Ephrathah is only a little town,
among all the many towns in Judah,’ God says.
‘But I will choose someone who is born there. [ b ]
He will rule Israel for me.
Long, long ago, I prepared for him to come.’
3 So God will turn away from his people,
until the time that the woman gives birth to this baby in Bethlehem.
Then this ruler's own people who are still alive will return to Israel.
4 And this ruler will stay strong because the Lord will make him strong.
He will supply what his people need.
He will be like a man who supplies everything for his sheep.
He will rule with authority from the Lord his God,
and his people will be safe.
So then, all over the world, people will know that he is great.
5 And he will cause the people to rest,
so that they have no trouble.
Assyria's soldiers will come to attack our country.
They will march through our large, strong buildings.
Then we will choose seven or eight leaders to fight against them. [ c ]
6 These leaders will use their swords to destroy Assyria.
They will beat the people in the country called Nimrod with swords in their hands. [ d ]
Assyria's soldiers will come into our country.
They will march across our borders,
but our ruler will save us from them.

God's people will be strong again

7 And later, Jacob's people who are still alive will be in many countries.
They will be everywhere,
like water on the ground in the early morning,
or rain on the grass.
The Lord sends the water to help the plants,
but no human can make it stay.
8 Jacob's people who are still alive will be living among people in many other countries.
They will become like a dangerous lion among the other animals in the forest. [ e ]
They will become like a young lion among people's sheep.
The lion attacks other animals.
It knocks them down and it tears them in pieces.
Nobody can save them. [ f ]
9 You will be strong like that and so you will beat your enemies.
You will kill all of them.

God wants people to obey him

10 ‘At that time,’ the Lord says, ‘I will take your horses away from you.
I will destroy your chariots.
11 I will destroy the cities in your country.
I will knock down all your strong buildings.
12 You make bad spirits help you.
But I will destroy the things that you use to talk to them.
You will have nobody to tell you about future times.
13 You bend down to worship tall stones and idols. [ g ]
But I will destroy all of them.
You will stop worshipping things that you have made with your own hands.
14 You worship the false god Asherah, [ h ]
but I will pull her poles from the ground.
I will even destroy your cities.
15 Also I will punish all the people in other countries who refuse to obey me.
I will show them that I am very angry with them.’

Footnotes

  1. 5:1 This verse tells us again about the enemies who were coming to fight against Jerusalem. They will hit the king on his face, because they will almost win the war. This will show that they have authority over him. (An army from Assyria attacked Jerusalem in 701 BC but they did not completely beat Judah's soldiers. An army from Babylon came years later and beat them.)
  2. 5:2 This verse tells people that the birth of the ruler will be in Bethlehem, a very small town. Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem.
  3. 5:5 ‘Seven or eight leaders’ means ‘as many leaders as we need’. The idea is that Israel will have more than enough leaders to beat their enemy at that time.
  4. 5:6 Nimrod is another name for Assyria. ( Genesis 10:8-11 says that Nimrod was a strong hunter. He lived in the same place as Assyria, but many years earlier.)
  5. 5:8 A lion is a big wild animal. It kills other animals and it eats them.
  6. 5:8 Verses 7-8 These verses tell about the future time when God's people will be strong again. This time is the ‘last days’, as in Chapter 4:1. Jacob's people can bring life to people from other countries as water brings life to plants. But some of those other people may not want to obey God. To them, Jacob's people will bring death, as a lion kills other animals.
  7. 5:13 An idol is a thing that people have made from stone, wood or metal. Then they worship and pray to the idol instead of God.
  8. 5:14 Asherah was the mother-god of the people called Canaanites. Israel's people took their country from the Canaanites and they lived there. They learned to worship the Canaanites' god, Asherah. They used the poles to worship Asherah. But God had told Israel's people not to worship any other gods.

5 Now strong city, [ a ] gather your soldiers!
They are surrounding us for the attack!
They will hit the Judge of Israel
on the cheek with a stick.

The Messiah to Be Born in Bethlehem

2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are the smallest town in Judah.
Your family is almost too small to count,
but the “Ruler of Israel” will come from you to rule for me.
His beginnings [ b ] are from ancient times,
from long, long ago.
3 The Lord will let his people be defeated
until the woman gives birth to her child, the promised king.
Then the rest of his brothers will come back
to join the people of Israel.
4 He will begin to rule Israel in the power of the Lord .
Like a shepherd, he will lead his people in the wonderful name of the Lord his God.
And they will live in safety
because then his greatness will be known all over the world.
5 He will bring a time of peace.

Yes, the Assyrian army will come into our country
and march through our land. [ c ]
But we have plenty of leaders [ d ]
we can send against them.
6 With swords in hand our leaders will defeat the Assyrians
and rule the land of Nimrod. [ e ]
They [ f ] will save us from the Assyrians
when they come into our land and march through our territory.
7 But those from Jacob who are still living and scattered among the nations
will be like dew from the Lord that does not depend on anyone.
They will be like rain on the grass
that does not wait for anyone.
8 Those from Jacob who are still living
are scattered among the nations.
But they will be like a lion among the animals in the forest.
They will be like a young lion among flocks of sheep.
If the lion passes through,
he goes where he wants to go.
If he attacks an animal,
no one can save it.
The survivors will be like that.
9 You will lift your hand against your enemies,
and you will destroy them.

People Will Depend on God

10 The Lord says,
“At that time I will take away your horses,
and I will destroy your chariots.
11 I will destroy the cities in your country.
I will pull down all your fortresses.
12 You will no longer try to do magic.
You will have no more fortunetellers.
13 I will destroy your statues of false gods.
I will pull down your memorial stones.
You will not worship what your hands have made.
14 I will destroy the Asherah poles
and your false gods. [ g ]
15 Some nations will not listen to me,
but I will show my anger and get my revenge.”

Footnotes

  1. Micah 5:1 strong city Literally, “daughter of troops.”
  2. Micah 5:2 beginnings Or “family origins.”
  3. Micah 5:5 march … land Or “trample our palaces.”
  4. Micah 5:5 plenty of leaders Literally, “seven shepherds, no eight leaders.”
  5. Micah 5:6 land of Nimrod Another name for Assyria.
  6. Micah 5:6 They Literally, “He.”
  7. Micah 5:14 false gods Or “cities.”

5 Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord , in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

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

6 And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.

7 And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord , as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.

8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

9 Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.

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

11 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:

12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:

13 Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands.

14 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.

15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.

Birth of the King in Bethlehem

5 “ [ a ] Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops;
[ b ] They have laid siege against us;
With a rod they will ( A ) strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.
2 [ c ] But as for ( B ) you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From ( C ) you One will come forth for Me to be ( D ) ruler in Israel.
His times of coming forth are ( E ) from long ago,
From the days of eternity.”
3 Therefore He will ( F ) give them up until the time
When she ( G ) who is in labor has given birth.
Then the ( H ) remainder of His kinsmen
Will return to the sons of Israel.
4 And He will arise and ( I ) shepherd His flock
In the strength of the Lord ,
In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God.
And they will [ d ] remain,
Because [ e ] at that time He will be great
To the ( J ) ends of the earth.
5 This One ( K ) will be our peace.
When the ( L ) Assyrian invades our land,
When he tramples on our [ f ] citadels,
Then we will raise against him
Seven shepherds and eight leaders of people.
6 They will ( M ) shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
The land of ( N ) Nimrod at its entrances;
And He will ( O ) rescue us from the Assyrian
When he invades our land,
And when he tramples our territory.

7 Then the ( P ) remnant of Jacob
Will be among many peoples
Like ( Q ) dew from the Lord ,
Like ( R ) showers on vegetation
That do not wait for man,
Or delay for [ g ] mankind.
8 The remnant of Jacob
Will be among the nations,
Among many peoples
( S ) Like a lion among the animals of the forest,
Like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
Which, if he passes through,
( T ) Tramples and ( U ) tears,
And there is ( V ) no one who can rescue.
9 Your hand will be ( W ) lifted up against your adversaries,
And all your enemies will be eliminated.

10 “And it will be on that day,” declares the Lord ,
“ ( X ) That I will eliminate your ( Y ) horses from among you,
And destroy your chariots.
11 I will also eliminate the ( Z ) cities of your land,
And tear down all your ( AA ) fortifications.
12 I will eliminate ( AB ) sorceries from your hand,
And you will have no fortune-tellers.
13 ( AC ) I will eliminate your carved images
And your memorial stones from among you,
So that you will no longer bow down
To the work of your hands.
14 I will uproot your [ h ] ( AD ) Asherim from among you,
And destroy your cities.
15 And I will ( AE ) execute vengeance in anger and wrath
On the nations which have not obeyed.”

Footnotes

  1. Micah 5:1 Ch 4:14 in Heb
  2. Micah 5:1 Lit He has
  3. Micah 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Heb
  4. Micah 5:4 Or live in safety
  5. Micah 5:4 Lit now
  6. Micah 5:5 Or palaces
  7. Micah 5:7 Lit sons of mankind
  8. Micah 5:14 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)

A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem

5 [ a ] Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
on the cheek ( A ) with a rod.

2 “But you, Bethlehem ( B ) Ephrathah, ( C )
though you are small among the clans [ b ] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler ( D ) over Israel,
whose origins are from of old, ( E )
from ancient times.” ( F )

3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned ( G )
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.

4 He will stand and shepherd his flock ( H )
in the strength of the Lord ,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness ( I )
will reach to the ends of the earth.

5 And he will be our peace ( J )
when the Assyrians invade ( K ) our land
and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
even eight commanders, ( L )
6 who will rule [ c ] the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod ( M ) with drawn sword. [ d ] ( N )
He will deliver us from the Assyrians
when they invade our land
and march across our borders. ( O )

7 The remnant ( P ) of Jacob will be
in the midst of many peoples
like dew ( Q ) from the Lord ,
like showers on the grass, ( R )
which do not wait for anyone
or depend on man.
8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest, ( S )
like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which mauls and mangles ( T ) as it goes,
and no one can rescue. ( U )
9 Your hand will be lifted up ( V ) in triumph over your enemies,
and all your foes will be destroyed.

10 “In that day,” declares the Lord ,

“I will destroy your horses from among you
and demolish your chariots. ( W )
11 I will destroy the cities ( X ) of your land
and tear down all your strongholds. ( Y )
12 I will destroy your witchcraft
and you will no longer cast spells. ( Z )
13 I will destroy your idols ( AA )
and your sacred stones from among you; ( AB )
you will no longer bow down
to the work of your hands. ( AC )
14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles [ e ] ( AD )
when I demolish your cities.
15 I will take vengeance ( AE ) in anger and wrath
on the nations that have not obeyed me.”

Footnotes

  1. Micah 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:14, and 5:2-15 is numbered 5:1-14.
  2. Micah 5:2 Or rulers
  3. Micah 5:6 Or crush
  4. Micah 5:6 Or Nimrod in its gates
  5. Micah 5:14 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
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