Micah 4

1 And this shall be: In the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be prepared at the top of the mountains and high above the hills. And the people will flow to it.

In the days to come the mountain of the Lord will be established, the house of our God on the top of the mountain, lifted above the hills. All the nations will flow to it,

2 And many nations will hurry, and will say: “Come, let us ascend to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob. And he will teach us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

and many peoples will go and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mount, to the house of the God of Jacob, so that he may instruct us in his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’ For from Zion proceeds instruction and the Lord’s word from Jerusalem.

3 And he will judge among the many peoples, and he will correct strong nations, even from afar. And they will cut up their swords into plows, and their spears into hoes. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, and they will no longer learn to wage war.

He will arbitrate between many peoples, and render decisions for numerous nations, They will beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, they will learn war no more.

4 And a man will sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will be no one to fear, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.

They will live each under his vine, and under his fig tree, with none to terrify them. For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.

5 For all people will walk, each one in the name of his god. But we will walk in the name of the Lord our God, forever and ever.

Each nation trusts in the names of their gods, but we will worship the Lord our God forever.

6 In that day, says the Lord, I will gather together the lame. And I will recover her whom I had rejected, and her whom I had afflicted.

‘On that day,’ says the Lord, ‘I will assemble the lame. I will gather exiles I punished.

7 And I will place the lame within the remnant, and she who had been in distress, within a healthy people. And the Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion, from the present time and even unto eternity.

I will restore the lame as a remnant, the exiles into a great nation. The Lord will rule over them on Mount Zion from that time forever.’

8 And you, cloudy tower of the flock of the daughter of Zion, even to you it will come. And the first power will arrive, the kingdom to the daughter of Jerusalem.

But you, watchtower for the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you will return your former rule.

9 Now, why have you come together in grief? Is there not a king in you, or has your counselor gone away? For sorrow has overtaken you, like the pain of giving birth.

So why do you now cry aloud? Haven’t you any king? Or has your counsellor perished, so you writhe in pain like a woman in labour?

10 Be grieved and overwhelmed, daughter of Zion, like a woman giving birth. For now you must depart from the city and dwell in the countryside, and you will approach even to Babylon. There you will be delivered. There the Lord will redeem you from the hand of your adversaries.

Writhe and scream, daughter of Zion, like a woman in labour! For now you must leave the city and camp in the open field. You will be taken to Babylon, but there will be rescued. There the Lord will save you from the hands of your foes.

11 And now many peoples have been gathered together against you, and they say, “Let her be stoned and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.”

But now many nations gather against you. They say, ‘Let her be defiled, we will gloat over Zion.’

12 But they have not known the thoughts of the Lord, and they have not understood his counsel. For he has gathered them together like hay on a threshing floor.

But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord. They do not understand his plan, for he has gathered them like sheaves for the threshing floor.

13 Rise and thresh, daughter of Zion. For I will set your horn like iron, and I will set your hoofs like brass. And you will shatter many peoples, and you will immolate their spoils for the Lord, and their strength for the Lord of the whole earth.

‘Arise, thresh, daughter of Zion. I will make your horns iron, and your hoofs brass, so you might beat in pieces many peoples, and devote to the Lord their spoil, and their wealth to the ruler of all the earth.