The Remnant, the Ruler, and the God Who Forgives
World English Bible Classic (WEB)
Chapter 5
1 Now you shall gather yourself in troops, daughter of troops. He has laid siege against us. They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.
2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me who is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.
3 Therefore he will abandon them until the time that she who is in labor gives birth. Then the rest of his brothers will return to the children of Israel.
4 He shall stand, and shall shepherd in the strength of Yahweh, in the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God. They will live, for then he will be great to the ends of the earth.
5 He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land, and when he marches through our fortresses, then we will raise against him seven shepherds, and eight leaders of men.
6 They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its gates. He will deliver us from the Assyrian, when he invades our land, and when he marches within our border.
7 The remnant of Jacob will be among many peoples, like dew from Yahweh, like showers on the grass, that don’t wait for man, nor wait for the sons of men.
8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, among many peoples, like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep; who, if he goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is no one to deliver.
9 Let your hand be lifted up above your adversaries, and let all of your enemies be cut off.
10 “It will happen in that day,” says Yahweh, “that I will cut off your horses out of the middle of you, and I will destroy your chariots.
11 I will cut off the cities of your land, and will throw down all your strongholds.
12 I will destroy witchcraft from your hand; and you shall have no soothsayers.
13 I will cut off your engraved images and your pillars out of your middle; and you shall no more worship the work of your hands.
14 I will uproot your Asherah poles out of your middle; and I will destroy your cities.
15 I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that didn’t listen.”
Chapter 6
1 Listen now to what Yahweh says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.
2 Hear, you mountains, Yahweh’s controversy, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for Yahweh has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel.
3 My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me!
4 For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage. I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him; remember from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of Yahweh.”
6 How shall I come before Yahweh, and bow myself before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
7 Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams? With ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my disobedience? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
9 Yahweh’s voice calls to the city—and wisdom sees your name—“Listen to the rod, and he who appointed it.
10 Are there yet treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and a short ephah that is accursed?
11 Shall I be pure with dishonest scales, and with a bag of deceitful weights?
12 Her rich men are full of violence, her inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13 Therefore I also have struck you with a grievous wound. I have made you desolate because of your sins.
14 You shall eat, but not be satisfied; and your humiliation will be within you. You will store up, but not save; and that which you save I will give up to the sword.
15 You will sow, but you won’t reap. You will tread the olives, but you won’t anoint yourself with oil; and crush grapes, but won’t drink the wine.
16 For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of Ahab’s house, and you walk in their counsels; that I may make you a desolation, and her inhabitants a hissing; and you will bear the reproach of my people.”
Chapter 7
1 Misery is mine! Indeed, I am like one who gathers the summer fruits, as gleanings of the vineyard: there is no cluster of grapes to eat; nor early figs, which my soul desires.
2 The godly man has perished out of the earth, and there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; every man hunts his brother with a net.
3 Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler asks for a bribe; the judge is ready for a reward; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.
4 The best of them is like a brier. The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, even your visitation, has come. Now is the time of their confusion.
5 Don’t trust in a neighbor. Don’t put confidence in a friend. With the woman lying in your embrace, be careful of the words of your mouth!
6 For the son dishonors the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.
7 But as for me, I will look to Yahweh. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
8 Don’t rejoice against me, my enemy. When I fall, I will arise. When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light to me.
9 I will bear the indignation of Yahweh, because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my case, and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light. I will see his righteousness.
10 Then my enemy will see it, and shame will cover her who said to me, “Where is Yahweh your God?” My eyes will see her desire fulfilled on her. Now she will be trodden down like the mire of the streets.
11 A day to build your walls! In that day, the boundary will be far extended.
12 In that day they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt even to the River, and from sea to sea, and mountain to mountain.
13 Yet the land will be desolate because of those who dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.
14 Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your heritage, which dwell by themselves in a forest, in the middle of fertile pasture land. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
15 “As in the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things.”
16 The nations will see and be ashamed of all their might. They will lay their hand on their mouth. Their ears will be deaf.
17 They will lick the dust like a serpent. Like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their dens. They will come with fear to Yahweh our God, and will be afraid because of you.
18 Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn’t retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness.
19 He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
20 You will give truth to Jacob, and mercy to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.
