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;

Yahweh [says that] some day his temple will be on top of a mountain, and that mountain will be the most important [MET] one on the earth; it will be [as though it is] higher than all the hills, and huge groups of people from all over the world will come there [to worship].

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;

[People from] many nations will say [to each other], “Let’s go to the mountain where Yahweh is, to the temple where we can worship the God whom Jacob [worshiped]. There God will teach us how he wants us to conduct our lives, and we will do what he wants us to do.” Zion [Hill] is the place where he will teach [people]; and [people will go] out from Jerusalem [to tell others] his messages.

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.

Yahweh will settle disputes between many people, and he will [also] settle disputes between powerful nations that are far away. Then people will hammer their swords to cause them to become plow blades, and [hammer] their spears to cause them to become pruning knives. [Armies of] nations will no [longer] fight against [armies of other] nations, and they will no longer train [men how to fight] in wars.

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 sit [peacefully] under his own grapevines, and under his own fig trees; no one will cause them to be afraid. [That is what will surely happen] because the Commander of the armies of angels has said it.

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.

Many [HYP] [of the people of other] nations will worship [IDM] their own gods, but we will worship Yahweh our God always, forever.

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;

Yahweh says, “There will soon be a time when I will gather the people whom I have punished, who have been (exiled/forced to go to other countries), all those whom [I have caused to] suffer much.

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.

My people who did not die while they were exiled will become a strong nation [again]. Then [I], Yahweh, will be their king, and I will rule from Jerusalem forever.

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.

As for you people of Jerusalem [MET], you who [guard all of my people] like [MET] [a shepherd guards his sheep] from a tower, you [who live on] Zion [Hill], will have great power again. You people who live in Jerusalem will again rule like you did previously.

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 [RHQ] are you wailing now? Is it because you have no king? Have all your wise people died? You are groaning loudly like [SIM] a woman who is giving birth to a baby.

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.

[Well], you people of Jerusalem should writhe and groan like [SIM] a woman who is having birth pains, because now you must leave this city, and [while you are traveling], you will set up tents in open fields [at night]; you will go to [live in] Babylon. [But while you are] there, [I], Yahweh, will rescue you; I will free you from the power/control [MTY] 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.

Now [the armies of] many nations have gathered to attack you. They are saying, ‘Jerusalem must be destroyed! We want to see this city [when it becomes ruins]!’

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 do not know what [I], Yahweh, think, and they do not understand what I plan: I will gather them [and punish them] like [SIM] [farmers] thresh grain on the ground.

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.

So, you people of Jerusalem, rise up and punish [MET] [the nations who oppose you]. I will cause you [to be very strong], [as if] [MET] you had horns made of iron, [as if] [MET] you had hoofs made of bronze; and you will crush many nations. And [then you will take] from your enemies the valuable things that they have taken [from other countries], and you will dedicate those things to [me, the one who is] the Lord of all [the people on] the earth.”