Micah 5

God will choose a ruler who will be born in Bethlehem

1 People of Jerusalem, prepare your soldiers to fight!

Our enemies are all around the city.

They are ready to attack us.

They will use a stick to hit Israel's ruler on his face.

2 ‘I speak to you, Bethlehem Ephrathah.

You are only a very small town among all the towns of Judah.

But I will cause someone to be born in you

who will rule Israel on my behalf.

He will be someone whose family started a very long time ago.’

3 So the Lord will put Israel's people under the power of their enemies.

That will continue until the time when the pregnant woman gives birth.

Then the ruler's own people will return.

They will join again with their relatives, Israel's people.

4 This ruler will take his place as king.

He will take care of his people,

as a shepherd takes care of his sheep.

He will rule with the strength of the Lord.

The Lord his God will give him royal authority to rule.

His people will live safely

because all people will give him honour.

People everywhere in the whole earth

will know that he is great.

5 He is the one who will give peace to his people.

If Assyria's army attacks our country,

they may try to destroy our strong buildings.

But we will choose our best leaders to fight against them,

seven or eight leaders, as many as we need.

6 These leaders will use their weapons

to take power over Assyria, Nimrod's land.

Assyria's soldiers may march into our land and try to attack us.

But our ruler will save us from them.

God's people will win against their enemies

7 Jacob's descendants who remain

will live among many nations.

The Lord will cause them to bless other people.

They will be like dew or rain which helps plants to grow.

They will not hope for other people to help them.

Instead, they will trust in the Lord.

8 Jacob's descendants who remain

will live among other people in many different nations.

They will be like a lion

that lives among other animals in the forest.

They will be like a strong young lion that is in a field of sheep.

It catches the sheep and it tears them in pieces.

Nobody can save those sheep.

9 Israel's people, you will win against your enemies.

You will remove them from the earth!

God wants people to obey him

10 The Lord says,

‘At that time, I will remove your horses from you.

I will also destroy your chariots.

11 I will destroy the cities in your land.

I will knock down all your strong buildings.

12 I will remove the magic things that you use.

You will have no magicians to tell you about future times.

13 I will remove the idols and the stone pillars

that are among you.

You will no longer worship

those things that you yourselves have made.

14 I will pull out the Asherah poles that you worship.

Yes, I will destroy all your images of false gods.

15 I will also punish the people of all nations that refuse to obey me.

I will show them that I am very angry with them.’