וְאַתָּה בֵּית־לֶחֶם אֶפְרָתָה צָעִיר לִהְיוֹת בְּאַלְפֵי יְהוּדָה מִמְּךָ לִי יֵצֵא לִהְיוֹת מוֹשֵׁל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וּמוֹצָאֹתָיו מִקֶּדֶם מִימֵי עוֹלָם

But you, resident of Bethlehem Efrata, young to be among the thousands of Judah. The Davidic royal family, which came from Bethlehem Efrata, was the youngest or least important family in the tribe of Judah. From you, this branch, one will emerge for Me to be a future ruler in Israel, his origin from ancient times, from days of old. Alternatively, this means that you are the place of origin of the king of Israel, from where he came forth.

לָכֵן יִתְּנֵם ה' עַד־עֵת יוֹלֵדָה יָלָדָה וְיֶתֶר אֶחָיו יְשׁוּבוּן עַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

Therefore, He will give them, Judah, up into the hands of strangers, until the time that a woman in childbirth gives birth, until the hour of the redemption, which is described as a birth accompanied by shock and fear (see 4:9–10); and the rest of his, the leader’s, brethren will return to their land with the children of Israel from the other tribes.

וְעָמַד וְרָעָה בְּעֹז ה' בִּגְאוֹן שֵׁם ה' אֱלֹהָיו וְיָשָׁבוּ כִּי־עַתָּה יִגְדַּל עַד־אַפְסֵי אָרֶץ

When the time comes he will stand, and that youth from the thousands of Judah will shepherd his flock of Israel with the strength of the Lord, with the majesty, the greatness, strength, and exaltedness of the name of the Lord his God, and they, all Israel, will settle down in their place in security, as now it, the glory of that king, will be great to the ends of the earth.

וְהָיָה זֶה שָׁלוֹם אַשּׁוּר כִּי יָבוֹא בְאַרְצֵנוּ וְכִי יִדְרֹךְ בְּאַרְמְנוֹתֵינוּ וַהֲקֵמֹנוּ עָלָיו שִׁבְעָה רֹעִים וּשְׁמֹנָה נְסִיכֵי אָדָם

This shall be absolute peace: When Assyria will enter our land to harm us, and when it will tread in our palaces, we shall raise against it seven shepherds, and eight princes of men, rulers and military commanders. This may be a reference to a large group of warriors, a symbolic spiritual metaphor, or a reference to specific people and events. The Talmud cites a tradition that identifies the seven shepherds and eight princes as figures from biblical and Jewish history.

וְרָעוּ אֶת־אֶרֶץ אַשּׁוּר בַּחֶרֶב וְאֶת־אֶרֶץ נִמְרוֹד בִּפְתָחֶיהָ וְהִצִּיל מֵאַשּׁוּר כִּי־יָבוֹא בְאַרְצֵנוּ וְכִי יִדְרֹךְ בִּגְבוּלֵנוּ

They, those warriors, will crush the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod, Assyria, at its gates, at the entrance to the land. And he, the king of Israel, will rescue us from Assyria, when it will come into our land and when it will tread within our border. Assyria will be considered the mightiest kingdom in that period, and the foremost military and political power in the region. The prophet is saying that when the time comes, Israel will have the strength to force the Assyrians to retreat to their land, where Israel will impose order.

וְהָיָה שְׁאֵרִית יַעֲקֹב בְּקֶרֶב עַמִּים רַבִּים כְּטַל מֵאֵת ה' כִרְבִיבִים עֲלֵי־עֵשֶׂב אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יְקַוֶּה לְאִישׁ וְלֹא יְיַחֵל לִבְנֵי אָדָם

At the end of days, it will be for the remnant of Jacob that is in the midst of many peoples, like the blessing of dew from the Lord, like the blessing of raindrops on vegetation that does not hope for a man and does not long for, depend upon, human beings. Grass receives all it requires naturally and has no need of artificial irrigation. Likewise, Israel will not depend on man.

וְהָיָה שְׁאֵרִית יַעֲקֹב בַּגּוֹיִם בְּקֶרֶב עַמִּים רַבִּים כְּאַרְיֵה בְּבַהֲמוֹת יַעַר כִּכְפִיר בְּעֶדְרֵי־צֹאן אֲשֶׁר אִם עָבַר וְרָמַס וְטָרַף וְאֵין מַצִּיל

The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, strong and secure like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, whom it does not fear; rather, they are afraid of the young lion; from whom, when he passes among them, and tramples and mauls as he wishes, there is no rescuer. When Israel reaches its exalted status, it will not require the assistance of others, and all will fear it.

תָּרֹם יָדְךָ עַל־צָרֶיךָ וְכָל־אֹיְבֶיךָ יִכָּרֵתוּ

The prophet addresses God: Your hand will be raised over Your foes, and all Your enemies will be eliminated. Some maintain that Micah is speaking to Israel here.

וְהָיָה בַיּוֹם־הַהוּא נְאֻם־ה' וְהִכְרַתִּי סוּסֶיךָ מִקִּרְבֶּךָ וְהַאֲבַדְתִּי מַרְכְּבֹתֶיךָ

It shall be on that day – the utterance of the Lord – that I will eliminate your horses from your midst, and I will destroy your chariots of war, as they will no longer be needed. Like chariots, horses were used for battle at that time.

וְהִכְרַתִּי עָרֵי אַרְצֶךָ וְהָרַסְתִּי כָּל־מִבְצָרֶיךָ

I will eliminate the walled cities of your land and I will destroy all your fortresses, as you will no longer need fortifications;

וְהִכְרַתִּי כְשָׁפִים מִיָּדֶךָ וּמְעוֹנְנִים לֹא יִהְיוּ־לָךְ

I will eliminate sorcery from your hand and you will not have soothsayers [me’onenim], a term indicating that they claim to reveal the future by referring to the appearance of clouds [ananim], or based on the seasons [onot], considering specific times to be auspicious for particular activities. The soothsayers and sorcerers, who are trusted by those who turn to them, and who help them divine the moves of their enemies, will also vanish from the world.

וְהִכְרַתִּי פְסִילֶיךָ וּמַצֵּבוֹתֶיךָ מִקִּרְבֶּךָ וְלֹא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה עוֹד לְמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ

I will eliminate your idols and your monuments from your midst, and you will no longer worship the work of your hands.

וְנָתַשְׁתִּי אֲשֵׁירֶיךָ מִקִּרְבֶּךָ וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּי עָרֶיךָ

I will uproot your sacred trees, trees of idol worship, from your midst, and I will destroy your enemies.

וְעָשִׂיתִי בְּאַף וּבְחֵמָה נָקָם אֶת־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא שָׁמעוּ

With wrath and with fury I will take vengeance upon the nations who did not heed My voice.