There follows upon this prophecy of the Shepherd a curious fragment which divides His office among a number of His order, though the grammar returns towards the end to One. The mention of Assyria stamps this oracle also as of the eighth century. Mark the refrain which opens and closes it.[896]
_When Asshûr cometh into our land,_ _And when he marcheth on our borders,_[897] _Then shall we raise against him seven shepherds_ _And eight princes of men._ _And they shall shepherd Asshûr with a sword,_ _And Nimrod's land with her own bare blades_ _And He shall deliver from Asshûr,_ _When he cometh into our land._ _And marcheth upon our borders._
There follows an oracle in which there is no evidence of Micah's hand or of his times; but if it carries any proof of a date, it seems a late one.
_And the remnant of Jacob shall be among many peoples_ _Like the dew from Jehovah,_ _Like showers upon grass,_ _Which wait not for a man,_ _Nor tarry for the children of men._ _And the remnant of Jacob_ (_among nations_,) _among many peoples,_ _Shall be like the lion among the beasts of the jungle,_ _Like a young lion among the sheepfolds,_ _Who, when he cometh by, treadeth and teareth,_ _And none may deliver._ _Let thine hand be high on thine adversaries,_ _And all thine enemies be cut off!_
Finally in this section we have an oracle full of the notes we had from Micah in the first two chapters. It explains itself. Compare Micah ii. and Isaiah ii.
_And it shall be in that day--'tis the oracle of Jehovah--_ _That I will cut off thy horses from the midst of thee,_ _And I will destroy thy chariots;_ _That I will cut off the cities of thy land,_ _And tear down all thy fortresses,_ _And I will cut off thine enchantments from thy hand,_ _And thou shall have no more soothsayers;_ _And I will cut off thine images and thy pillars from the midst of thee,_ _And thou shall not bow down any more to the work of thy hands;_ _And I will uproot thine Asheras from the midst of thee,_ _And will destroy thine idols._ _So shall I do, in My wrath and Mine anger,_ _Vengeance to the nations, who have not known Me._