Micah 5 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Now gather your troops, daughter of troops. They have thrown up a siege wall against us. They take a stick to the cheek of the one who judges Israel.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too small to be counted among the clans of Judah, out of you will come one for me, a ruler over Israel, whose beginnings are from far back, from days beyond anyone's counting.

So he will give them up until the time the woman in labor gives birth, and the rest of his brothers come back to the people of Israel.

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of Yahweh, in the high name of Yahweh his God. And they will live without fear, because by then he will be great to the far edge of the earth.

And he himself will be peace. When Assyria comes into our land and walks through our fortified houses, we will raise up against him seven shepherds, eight leaders of men.

They will shepherd Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with blades drawn. He will pull us out of Assyria's hands when it comes into our land and walks across our border.

Then what is left of Jacob will be, out among many peoples, like dew that comes down from Yahweh, like rain on the grass, which waits for no one and holds back for nobody.

What is left of Jacob will be among the nations, out in the middle of many peoples, like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion in a flock of sheep, who tramples through and tears, and nobody takes the kill back.

Your hand will be raised over the ones who fight you, and every enemy you have will be cut down.

On that day, Yahweh says, I will cut the horses out from among you and smash your chariots.

I will cut off the cities of your land and pull down every stronghold you have.

I will cut the spells out of your hand, and you will have no fortune-tellers left.

I will cut off your carved gods and the standing stones among you, and you will not bow again to anything your own hands have made.

I will pull up the Asherah poles standing among you and wipe out your towns.

And in anger, in heat, I will pay back the nations that would not listen.