Micah 5-7; Psalms 131 - Prayer Tents

5Mobilize! Marshal your troops! The enemy is laying siege to Jerusalem. They will strike Israel’s leader in the face with a rod.H1413H1416H1323H1416H7760H4692H5221H8199H3478H7626H3895

A Ruler from Bethlehem

2But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.H1035H672H6810H505H3063H3318H4910H3478H4163H6924H3117H5769 3The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the woman in labor gives birth. Then at last his fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land.H5414H6256H3205H3205H3499H251H7725H1121H3478 4And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored around the world.H5975H7462H5797H3068H1347H8034H3068H430H3427H1431H657H776 5And he will be the source of peace. When the Assyrians invade our land and break through our defenses, we will appoint seven rulers to watch over us, eight princes to lead us.H7965H804H935H776H1869H759H6965H7651H7462H8083H5257H120 6They will rule Assyria with drawn swords and enter the gates of the land of Nimrod. He will rescue us from the Assyrians when they pour over the borders to invade our land.H7462H776H804H2719H776H5248H6607H5337H804H935H776H1869H1366

The Remnant Purified

7Then the remnant left in Israel will take their place among the nations. They will be like dew sent by the Lord or like rain falling on the grass, which no one can hold back and no one can restrain.H7611H3290H7130H7227H5971H2919H3068H7241H6212H6960H376H3176H1121H120 8The remnant left in Israel will take their place among the nations. They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a strong young lion among flocks of sheep and goats, pouncing and tearing as they go with no rescuer in sight.H7611H3290H1471H7130H7227H5971H738H929H3293H3715H5739H6629H5674H7429H2963H5337 9The people of Israel will stand up to their foes, and all their enemies will be wiped out.H3027H7311H6862H341H3772 10“In that day,” says the Lord, “I will slaughter your horses and destroy your chariots.H3117H5002H3068H3772H5483H7130H6H4818 11I will tear down your walls and demolish your defenses.H3772H6145H5892H776H2040H4013 12I will put an end to all witchcraft, and there will be no more fortune-tellers.H3772H3785H3027H6049 13I will destroy all your idols and sacred pillars, so you will never again worship the work of your own hands.H6456H3772H4676H7130H7812H4639H3027 14I will abolish your idol shrines with their Asherah poles and destroy your pagan cities.H5428H842H7130H8045H6145H5892 15I will pour out my vengeance on all the nations that refuse to obey me.”H6213H5359H639H2534H1471H8085

The Lord’s Case against Israel

6Listen to what the Lord is saying. “Stand up and state your case against me. Let the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints.H8085H3068H559H6965H7378H2022H1389H8085H6963 2And now, O mountains, listen to the Lord’s complaint! He has a case against his people. He will bring charges against Israel.H8085H2022H3068H7379H386H4146H776H3068H7379H5971H3198H3478 3“O my people, what have I done to you? What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me!H5971H6213H3811H6030 4For I brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.H5927H776H4714H6299H1004H5650H7971H6440H4872H175H4813 5Don’t you remember, my people, how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed and how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead? And remember your journey from Acacia Grove to Gilgal, when I, the Lord, did everything I could to teach you about my faithfulness.”H5971H2142H1111H4428H4124H3289H1109H1121H1160H6030H7851H1537H3045H6666H3068 6What can we bring to the Lord? What kind of offerings should we give him? Should we bow before God with offerings of yearling calves?H6923H3068H3721H4791H430H6923H5930H5695H8141H1121 7Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins?H3068H7521H505H352H7233H5158H8081H5414H1060H6588H6529H990H2403H5315 8No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you. to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.H5046H120H2896H3068H1875H6213H4941H160H2617H3212H6800H430

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

9Fear the Lord if you are wise! His voice calls to everyone in Jerusalem. “The armies of destruction are coming; the Lord is sending them.H3068H6963H7121H5892H8454H7200H8034H8085H4294H3259 10What shall I say about the homes of the wicked filled with treasures gained by cheating? What about the disgusting practice of measuring out grain with dishonest measures?H786H214H7562H376H1004H7563H7332H374H2194 11How can I tolerate your merchants who use dishonest scales and weights?H2135H7562H3976H3599H4820H68 12The rich among you have become wealthy through extortion and violence. Your citizens are so used to lying that their tongues can no longer tell the truth.H6223H4390H2555H3427H1696H8267H3956H7423H6310 13“Therefore, I will wound you! I will bring you to ruin for all your sins.H2470H5221H8074H2403 14You will eat but never have enough. Your hunger pangs and emptiness will remain. And though you try to save your money, it will come to nothing in the end. You will save a little, but I will give it to those who conquer you.H398H7646H3445H7130H5253H6403H6403H5414H2719 15You will plant crops but not harvest them. You will press your olives but not get enough oil to anoint yourselves. You will trample the grapes but get no juice to make your wine.H2232H7114H1869H2132H5480H8081H8492H8354H3196 16You keep only the laws of evil King Omri; you follow only the example of wicked King Ahab! Therefore, I will make an example of you, bringing you to complete ruin. You will be treated with contempt, mocked by all who see you.”H2708H6018H8104H4639H1004H256H3212H4156H5414H8047H3427H8322H5375H2781H5971

Misery Turned to Hope

7How miserable I am! I feel like the fruit picker after the harvest who can find nothing to eat. Not a cluster of grapes or a single early fig can be found to satisfy my hunger.H480H625H7019H5955H1210H811H398H5315H183H1063 2The godly people have all disappeared; not one honest person is left on the earth. They are all murderers, setting traps even for their own brothers.H2623H6H776H3477H120H693H1818H6679H376H251H2764 3Both their hands are equally skilled at doing evil! Officials and judges alike demand bribes. The people with influence get what they want, and together they scheme to twist justice.H7451H3709H3190H8269H7592H8199H7966H1419H1696H1942H5315H5686 4Even the best of them is like a brier; the most honest is as dangerous as a hedge of thorns. But your judgment day is coming swiftly now. Your time of punishment is here, a time of confusion.H2896H2312H3477H4534H3117H6822H6486H935H3998 5Don’t trust anyone—not your best friend or even your wife!H539H7453H982H441H8104H6607H6310H7901H2436 6For the son despises his father. The daughter defies her mother. The daughter-in-law defies her mother-in-law. Your enemies are right in your own household!H1121H5034H1H1323H6965H517H3618H2545H376H341H582H1004 7As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.H6822H3068H3176H430H3468H430H8085 8Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.H8055H341H5307H6965H3427H2822H3068H216 9I will be patient as the Lord punishes me, for I have sinned against him. But after that, he will take up my case and give me justice for all I have suffered from my enemies. The Lord will bring me into the light, and I will see his righteousness.H5375H2197H3068H2398H7378H7379H6213H4941H3318H216H7200H6666 10Then my enemies will see that the Lord is on my side. They will be ashamed that they taunted me, saying, “So where is the Lord—that God of yours?” With my own eyes I will see their downfall; they will be trampled like mud in the streets.H341H7200H955H3680H559H3068H430H5869H7200H4823H2916H2351 11In that day, Israel, your cities will be rebuilt, and your borders will be extended.H3117H1447H1129H3117H2706H7368 12People from many lands will come and honor you—from Assyria all the way to the towns of Egypt, from Egypt all the way to the Euphrates River, and from distant seas and mountains.H3117H935H804H4693H5892H4693H5104H3220H3220H2022H2022 13But the land will become empty and desolate because of the wickedness of those who live there.H776H8077H3427H6529H4611

The Lord’s Compassion on Israel

14O Lord, protect your people with your shepherd’s staff; lead your flock, your special possession. Though they live alone in a thicket on the heights of Mount Carmel, let them graze in the fertile pastures of Bashan and Gilead as they did long ago.H7462H5971H7626H6629H5159H7931H910H3293H8432H3760H7462H1316H1568H3117H5769 15“Yes,” says the Lord, “I will do mighty miracles for you, like those I did when I rescued you from slavery in Egypt.”H3117H3318H776H4714H7200H6381 16All the nations of the world will stand amazed at what the Lord will do for you. They will be embarrassed at their feeble power. They will cover their mouths in silent awe, deaf to everything around them.H1471H7200H954H1369H7760H3027H6310H241H2790 17Like snakes crawling from their holes, they will come out to meet the Lord our God. They will fear him greatly, trembling in terror at his presence.H3897H6083H5175H7264H4526H2119H776H6342H3068H430H3372 18Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love.H410H5375H5771H5674H6588H7611H5159H2388H639H5703H2654H2617 19Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!H7725H7355H3533H5771H7993H2403H4688H3220 20You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.H5414H571H3290H2617H85H7650H1H3117H6924

131[A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.] Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp.H7892H4609H1732H3068H3820H1361H5869H7311H1980H1419H6381 2Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.H7737H1826H5315H1580H517H5315H1580 3O Israel, put your hope in the Lord—now and always.H3478H3176H3068H5704H5769