6  they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,

and the land of dNimrod at its entrances;

and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian

bwhen he comes into our land

and treads within our border.

A Remnant Shall Be Delivered

7  Then wthe remnant of Jacob shall be

in the midst of many peoples

like dew from the Lord,

like showers on the grass,

which delay not for a man

nor wait for the children of man.

8  And wthe remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations,

in the midst of many peoples,

like a lion among the beasts of the forest,

like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,

ewhich, when it goes through, treads down

and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver.

9  Your hand shall fbe lifted up over your adversaries,

and all your enemies shall be cut off.

10  And gin that day, declares the Lord,

hI will cut off your horses from among you

and will destroy your chariots;

11  iand I will cut off the cities of your land

and throw down all your strongholds;

12  and I will cut off jsorceries from your hand,

and kyou shall have no more tellers of fortunes;

13  and lI will cut off your carved images

and myour pillars from among you,

nand you shall bow down no more

to the work of your hands;

14  and I will root out your oAsherah images from among you

iand destroy your cities.

15  And in anger and wrath pI will execute vengeance

on the nations that did not obey.

The Indictment of the Lord

6 qHear what the Lord says:

Arise, plead your case before the mountains,

and let the hills hear your voice.

2  rHear, you mountains, sthe indictment of the Lord,

and you enduring foundations of the earth,

for the Lord has an indictment against his people,

and he will contend with Israel.

3  “O my people, twhat have I done to you?

uHow have I wearied you? Answer me!

4  For vI brought you up from the land of Egypt

and wredeemed you from the house of slavery,

and I sent before you Moses,

Aaron, and xMiriam.

5  O my people, remember ywhat Balak king of Moab devised,

and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,

and what happened from zShittim to Gilgal,

that you may know athe righteous acts of the Lord.”

What Does the Lord Require?

6  b“With what shall I come before the Lord,

and bow myself before cGod on high?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

with calves a year old?

7  dWill the Lord be pleased with1 thousands of rams,

with ten thousands of rivers of oil?

eShall I give my firstborn for my transgression,

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

8  He has told you, O man, what is good;

and fwhat does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,2

and to gwalk humbly with your God?