The Ruler to Be Born in Bethlehem

Micah 5

¹ ₁ Now you are walled around with a wall; ₂

siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the ruler of Israel
upon the cheek.
² ₃ But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
³ Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
⁴ And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth;

⁵ and he shall be the one of peace.

If the Assyrians come into our land
and tread upon our soil, ₄
we will raise against them seven shepherds
and eight installed as rulers.
⁶ They shall rule the land of Assyria with the sword,
and the land of Nimrod with the drawn sword; ₅
they ₆ shall rescue us from the Assyrians
if they come into our land
or tread within our border.