Micah 4

The Mountain of the Lord

4:1–3pp—Isa 2:1–4

4In the last days

the mountain^y of the Lord’s temple will be established

as the highest of the mountains;

it will be exalted above the hills,^z

and peoples will stream to it.^a

²Many nations will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,^b

to the temple of the God of Jacob.^c

He will teach us^d his ways,^e

so that we may walk in his paths.”

The law^f will go out from Zion,

the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

³He will judge between many peoples

and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.^g

They will beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks.^h

Nation will not take up sword against nation,

nor will they train for warⁱ anymore.^j

⁴Everyone will sit under their own vine

and under their own fig tree,^k

and no one will make them afraid,^l

for the Lord Almighty has spoken.^m

⁵All the nations may walk

in the name of their gods,ⁿ

but we will walk in the name of the Lord

our God for ever and ever.^o

The Lord’s Plan

⁶“In that day,” declares the Lord,

“I will gather the lame;^p

I will assemble the exiles^q

and those I have brought to grief.^r

⁷I will make the lame my remnant,^s

those driven away a strong nation.^t

The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion^u

from that day and forever.^v

⁸As for you, watchtower of the flock,

stronghold^a of Daughter Zion,

the former dominion will be restored^w to you;

kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.^x”

⁹Why do you now cry aloud—

have you no king^by?

Has your ruler^c perished,

that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?^z

¹⁰Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion,

like a woman in labor,

for now you must leave the city

to camp in the open field.

You will go to Babylon;^a

there you will be rescued.

There the Lord will redeem^b you

out of the hand of your enemies.

¹¹But now many nations

are gathered against you.

They say, “Let her be defiled,

let our eyes gloat^c over Zion!”

¹²But they do not know

the thoughts of the Lord;

they do not understand his plan,^d

that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.

¹³“Rise and thresh,^e Daughter Zion,

for I will give you horns of iron;

I will give you hooves of bronze,

and you will break to pieces many nations.”^f

You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,^g

their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.