Micah 5-6

New Living Translation

5 ^[a]Mobilize! Marshal your troops!
The enemy is laying siege to Jerusalem.
They will strike Israel’s leader
in the face with a rod.

A Ruler from Bethlehem

²^[b]But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel,
    whose origins are in the distant past,
    will come from you on my behalf.
³The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies
    until the woman in labor gives birth.
Then at last his fellow countrymen
    will return from exile to their own land.
⁴And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
Then his people will live there undisturbed,
    for he will be highly honored around the world.
⁵    And he will be the source of peace.

When the Assyrians invade our land
    and break through our defenses,
we will appoint seven rulers to watch over us,
    eight princes to lead us.
⁶They will rule Assyria with drawn swords
    and enter the gates of the land of Nimrod.
He will rescue us from the Assyrians
    when they pour over the borders to invade our land.

The Remnant Purified

⁷Then the remnant left in Israel^[c]
    will take their place among the nations.
They will be like dew sent by the Lord
    or like rain falling on the grass,
which no one can hold back
    and no one can restrain.
⁸The remnant left in Israel
    will take their place among the nations.
They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,
    like a strong young lion among flocks of sheep and goats,
pouncing and tearing as they go
    with no rescuer in sight.
⁹The people of Israel will stand up to their foes,
    and all their enemies will be wiped out.

¹⁰“In that day,” says the Lord,
“I will slaughter your horses
    and destroy your chariots.
¹¹I will tear down your walls
    and demolish your defenses.
¹²I will put an end to all witchcraft,
    and there will be no more fortune-tellers.
¹³I will destroy all your idols and sacred pillars,
    so you will never again worship the work of your own hands.
¹⁴I will abolish your idol shrines with their Asherah poles
    and destroy your pagan cities.
¹⁵I will pour out my vengeance
    on all the nations that refuse to obey me.”

The Lord’s Case against Israel

6 Listen to what the Lord is saying:

“Stand up and state your case against me.
    Let the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints.
²And now, O mountains,
    listen to the Lord’s complaint!
He has a case against his people.
    He will bring charges against Israel.

³“O my people, what have I done to you?
    What have I done to make you tired of me?
    Answer me!
⁴For I brought you out of Egypt
    and redeemed you from slavery.
    I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.
⁵Don’t you remember, my people,
    how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed
    and how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead?
And remember your journey from Acacia Grove^[d] to Gilgal,
    when I, the Lord, did everything I could
    to teach you about my faithfulness.”

⁶What can we bring to the Lord?
    Should we bring him burnt offerings?
Should we bow before God Most High
    with offerings of yearling calves?
⁷Should we offer him thousands of rams
    and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children
    to pay for our sins?

⁸No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

⁹Fear the Lord if you are wise!
    His voice calls to everyone in Jerusalem:
“The armies of destruction are coming;
    the Lord is sending them.^[e]
¹⁰What shall I say about the homes of the wicked
    filled with treasures gained by cheating?
What about the disgusting practice
    of measuring out grain with dishonest measures?^[f]
¹¹How can I tolerate your merchants
    who use dishonest scales and weights?
¹²The rich among you have become wealthy
    through extortion and violence.
Your citizens are so used to lying
    that their tongues can no longer tell the truth.

¹³“Therefore, I will wound you!
    I will bring you to ruin for all your sins.
¹⁴You will eat but never have enough.
    Your hunger pangs and emptiness will remain.
And though you try to save your money,
    it will come to nothing in the end.
You will save a little,
    but I will give it to those who conquer you.
¹⁵You will plant crops
    but not harvest them.
You will press your olives
    but not get enough oil to anoint yourselves.
You will trample the grapes
    but get no juice to make your wine.
¹⁶You keep only the laws of evil King Omri;
    you follow only the example of wicked King Ahab!
Therefore, I will make an example of you,
    bringing you to complete ruin.
You will be treated with contempt,
    mocked by all who see you.”

Footnotes

5:1 Verse 5:1 is numbered 4:14 in Hebrew text.
5:2 Verses 5:2-15 are numbered 5:1-14 in Hebrew text.
5:7 Hebrew in Jacob; also in 5:8. See note on 1:5a.
6:5 Hebrew Shittim.
6:9 Hebrew “Listen to the rod. / Who appointed it?”
6:10 Hebrew of using the short ephah? The ephah was a unit for measuring grain.