Micah 5

1 But you, Bethlehem, house of Ephrath, you are too small to be counted among Judah’s thousands. Yet from you one will come out for me to be a ruler in Israel. His origins are from the beginning, from the days of eternity.

2 Therefore he will give them up until the time when the woman in labor gives birth. Then those who remain of their brothers will return to the people of Israel.

3 He will stand, look on, and shepherd his flock in the Lord’s strength. They will live in the glory of the name of the Lord their God, for now he will be made great to the ends of the earth.

4 This will be peace when Assyria enters your land and comes up into your country. Seven shepherds will be raised against him, and eight attacks of men.

5 They will shepherd Assyria with a sword and the land of Nimrod with her trench. He will rescue you from Assyria when it enters your land and invades your borders.

6 Those who remain from Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like dew falling from the Lord, like lambs on the grass, so that no one among humanity can assemble against them or resist.

7 Those who remain from Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among livestock in a forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep. When it passes through, it chooses and carries off its prey, and no one can rescue it.

8 Your hand will be raised against those who trouble you, and all your enemies will be completely destroyed.

9 “On that day,” says the Lord, “I will completely destroy your horses from among you and destroy your chariots.

10 I will completely destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your fortresses.

11 I will remove the sorceries from your hands, and you will have no fortune-tellers.

12 I will completely destroy your carved images and your sacred pillars from among you. You will never again bow down to what your own hands have made.

13 I will cut down your sacred groves from among you and wipe out your cities.

14 I will take vengeance on the nations with anger and wrath, because they did not listen.”