Micah 4
1 But it shall come to pass, in the afterpart of the days, that the mountain of the house of Yahweh shall be, set up, as the head of the mountains, and, exalted, shall it be, above the hills, —and peoples, shall stream thereunto;
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.
2 Yea many nations, shall go, and say—come ye, and let us ascend unto the mountain of Yahweh, and unto 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 a law, and, the word of Yahweh, out of Jerusalem;
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.
3 And he will judge between many peoples, and be umpire to strong nations far and wide, —and they will beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks, Nation—against nation—shall not lift up sword, neither shall they learn—any more—to make war.
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.
4 And they shall dwell—every man—under his own vine and under his own fig-tree, with none to make them afraid, —for, the mouth of Yahweh of hosts, hath spoken.
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!
5 For, all the peoples, walk, every man in the name of his god, —we, therefore, will walk in the name of Yahweh our God, to times age-abiding and beyond.
Even though all the other nations follow their gods, we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.
6 In that day, Declareth Yahweh, will I take up her teat is lame, and, her that hath been an outcast, will I carry, —even whomsoever I have afflicted;
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.
7 And will make of her that was lame a residue, and of her that was removed far away a strong nation, —and Yahweh, shall be king, over them, in Mount Zion, from henceforth, even unto times age-abiding.
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.
8 Thou, therefore, O Migdal-eder, mound of the daughter of Zion, as far as thee, shall it come, —so shall arrive the chief dominion, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.
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.
9 Meanwhile, wherefore shouldst thou cry out aloud? King, is there none within thee? or hath, thy counselor, perished? for labour, hath seized thee, as a woman in child-birth: —
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?
10 Be in labour, and bear, O daughter of Zion, as a woman in child-birth, —for, meanwhile, shalt thou go forth out of the city, and dwell in the field, and shalt come as far as Babylon, there, shalt thou be delivered, there, will Yahweh, redeem thee, out of the grasp of thine enemies.
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.
11 Meanwhile, therefore, shall be gathered against thee many nations, —who are saying—Let her be defiled, and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.
Right now many enemies are gathered against you, saying, “Let us attack and violate her, so we can look with gloating over Zion!”
12 But, they, know not the purposes of Yahweh, neither have they discerned his counsel, —for he hath gathered them, as sheaves, to a threshing-floor.
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.
13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for, thy horn, will I make to be iron, and, thy hoofs, will I make to he bronze, so shalt thou beat in pieces many peoples, —and shalt devote to Yahweh their unrighteous gain, and their substance, to the Lord of all the earth.
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.
