Micah 5

1Now gash yourself in grief, daughter of raiders; a siege has been laid against us. With a rod they strike the ruler of Israel on the cheek.

2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too small to be counted among the clans of Judah, from you one will come out for me to be ruler over Israel, one whose origins are from of old, from ancient days. 3So he will abandon them until the woman in labor has borne her child; then the rest of his kinsmen will come back to the people of Israel. 4He will stand firm and shepherd his flock by the power of the LORD, by the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. His people will live in safety, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. 5And he will be our peace. When the Assyrians invade our land and march into our strongholds, we will raise up seven shepherds against it, eight leaders of the people. 6They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod at its gates. He will rescue us from Assyria when it invades our land and marches across our borders.

7The remnant of Jacob will be among many peoples like dew sent by the LORD, like showers on the grass, which wait for no one and depend on no human being. 8The remnant of Jacob will live among the nations, surrounded by many peoples, like a lion among the wild animals, like a young lion prowling among flocks of sheep, which tramples and tears as it goes, with no one to rescue. 9May your hand be raised in triumph over your foes, and may all your enemies be cut off.

10On that day, declares the LORD, I will cut off your horses from among you and destroy your chariots. 11I will cut off the cities of your land and pull down all your strongholds. 12I will cut off the sorceries you practice, and you will have no more fortune-tellers. 13I will cut off your carved idols and your sacred stones from among you, and you will never again bow down to what your own hands have made. 14I will uproot your Asherah poles from among you and destroy your cities. 15In anger and fury I will take vengeance on the nations that have not obeyed.