Micah 4

1 In the last days, the mountain where the Lord's Temple stands will be recognized as the highest of all mountains, rising above other hills. Crowds of people from many places will travel to it.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be firmly established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and unto it shall people flow.

2 Many nations will come and say, “Let's go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Jacob. There God will teach us his ways and we will follow his directions.” God's teachings will spread out from Zion, his word from Jerusalem.

And many nations shall come, and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us of his ways, and we may walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem.

3 The Lord will decide the cases of the nations, he will settle arguments between distant powerful nations. They will hammer their swords and turn them into plough blades, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not fight against each other anymore; they will no longer learn methods of warfare.

And he shall judge between many people, and decide for strong nations even afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plough-shares, and their spears into pruning-knives: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, and they shall not learn any more war.

4 Everyone will be able to sit under their own vine and their own fig tree, for there will be no one to make them afraid. I the Lord Almighty has spoken!

But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, with none to make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.

5 Even though all the other nations follow their gods, we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.

[But] though all the people should walk every one in the name of his god, yet will we walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.

6 On that day, declares the Lord, I will gather those who are lame, I will bring together those who have been scattered in exile, those whom I punished.

On that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and her that is driven out will I gather, and her to whom I have done evil;

7 I will make those who remain, crippled and driven far away, into a strong nation, and the Lord will rule them from Mount Zion forever and ever.

And I will make of her that halted a remnant, and of her that was cast off far away a strong nation: and the Lord will reign over them on mount Zion, from this time and unto eternity.

8 And as for you, Jerusalem, watchtower of the flock, your former royal rule and power will be returned to you: the kingdom will be given back to Jerusalem.

And thou, O tower of flocks, the strong-hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall go, and shall come, the former dominion, the kingdom belonging to the daughter of Jerusalem.

9 So why are you screaming aloud? Don't you have a king? Has the king who advises you died so that pain has gripped you like a woman in childbirth?

Now why dost thou cry aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor lost? that pangs have seized on thee as on a woman in travail?

10 Thrash around in agony like a woman giving birth, people of Zion—for you will be expelled from the city, forced to camp out in the open, and exiled to Babylon. But the Lord will bring you back, and rescue you from the power of your enemies.

Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail; for now shalt thou go forth out of the town, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go as far as Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there will the Lord redeem thee from the grasp of thy enemies.

11 Right now many enemies are gathered against you, saying, “Let us attack and violate her, so we can look with gloating over Zion!”

And now many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look with pleasure on Zion.

12 But they don't know what the Lord is thinking, and don't understand what he is planning. He has brought them together like bundles of grain to the threshing floor.

But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, and they understand not his counsel: that he will [once] gather them as the sheaves into the threshing-floor.

13 People of Zion, get up and start threshing, for I will make for you iron horns and bronze hooves so you can break many nations into pieces. You will present their stolen plunder to the Lord, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion; for I will render thy horn iron, and thy hoofs will I render copper, and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will devote unto the Lord their ill-gotten gain, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.