The Mountain of the Lord(A)

In the last days

the mountain(B) of the Lord’s temple will be established
    as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,(C)
    and peoples will stream to it.(D)

Many nations will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,(E)
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.(F)
He will teach us(G) his ways,(H)
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law(I) will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will judge between many peoples
    and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.(J)
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.(K)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
    nor will they train for war(L) anymore.(M)
Everyone will sit under their own vine
    and under their own fig tree,(N)
and no one will make them afraid,(O)
    for the Lord Almighty has spoken.(P)
All the nations may walk
    in the name of their gods,(Q)
but we will walk in the name of the Lord
    our God for ever and ever.(R)

The Lord’s Plan

“In that day,” declares the Lord,

“I will gather the lame;(S)
    I will assemble the exiles(T)
    and those I have brought to grief.(U)
I will make the lame my remnant,(V)
    those driven away a strong nation.(W)
The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion(X)
    from that day and forever.(Y)
As for you, watchtower of the flock,
    stronghold[a] of Daughter Zion,
the former dominion will be restored(Z) to you;
    kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.(AA)

Why do you now cry aloud—
    have you no king[b](AB)?
Has your ruler[c] perished,
    that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?(AC)
10 Writhe 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;(AD)
    there you will be rescued.
There the Lord will redeem(AE) you
    out of the hand of your enemies.

11 But now many nations
    are gathered against you.
They say, “Let her be defiled,
    let our eyes gloat(AF) over Zion!”
12 But they do not know
    the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,(AG)
    that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 “Rise and thresh,(AH) 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.”(AI)
You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,(AJ)
    their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem

[d]Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
    for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
    on the cheek(AK) with a rod.

“But you, Bethlehem(AL) Ephrathah,(AM)
    though you are small among the clans[e] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler(AN) over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,(AO)
    from ancient times.”(AP)

Therefore Israel will be abandoned(AQ)
    until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
    to join the Israelites.

He will stand and shepherd his flock(AR)
    in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness(AS)
    will reach to the ends of the earth.

And he will be our peace(AT)
    when the Assyrians invade(AU) our land
    and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
    even eight commanders,(AV)
who will rule[f] the land of Assyria with the sword,
    the land of Nimrod(AW) with drawn sword.[g](AX)
He will deliver us from the Assyrians
    when they invade our land
    and march across our borders.(AY)

The remnant(AZ) of Jacob will be
    in the midst of many peoples
like dew(BA) from the Lord,
    like showers on the grass,(BB)
which do not wait for anyone
    or depend on man.
The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
    in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,(BC)
    like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which mauls and mangles(BD) as it goes,
    and no one can rescue.(BE)
Your hand will be lifted up(BF) in triumph over your enemies,
    and all your foes will be destroyed.

10 “In that day,” declares the Lord,

“I will destroy your horses from among you
    and demolish your chariots.(BG)
11 I will destroy the cities(BH) of your land
    and tear down all your strongholds.(BI)
12 I will destroy your witchcraft
    and you will no longer cast spells.(BJ)
13 I will destroy your idols(BK)
    and your sacred stones from among you;(BL)
you will no longer bow down
    to the work of your hands.(BM)
14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles[h](BN)
    when I demolish your cities.
15 I will take vengeance(BO) in anger and wrath
    on the nations that have not obeyed me.”

The Lord’s Case Against Israel

Listen to what the Lord says:

“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;(BP)
    let the hills hear what you have to say.

“Hear,(BQ) you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;(BR)
    listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.
For the Lord has a case(BS) against his people;
    he is lodging a charge(BT) against Israel.

“My people, what have I done to you?
    How have I burdened(BU) you?(BV) Answer me.
I brought you up out of Egypt(BW)
    and redeemed you from the land of slavery.(BX)
I sent Moses(BY) to lead you,
    also Aaron(BZ) and Miriam.(CA)
My people, remember
    what Balak(CB) king of Moab plotted
    and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim(CC) to Gilgal,(CD)
    that you may know the righteous acts(CE) of the Lord.”

With what shall I come before(CF) the Lord
    and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?(CG)
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,(CH)
    with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?(CI)
Shall I offer my firstborn(CJ) for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?(CK)
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly(CL) and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly[i](CM) with your God.(CN)

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

Listen! The Lord is calling to the city—
    and to fear your name is wisdom—
    “Heed the rod(CO) and the One who appointed it.[j]
10 Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house,
    and the short ephah,[k] which is accursed?(CP)
11 Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales,(CQ)
    with a bag of false weights?(CR)
12 Your rich people are violent;(CS)
    your inhabitants are liars(CT)
    and their tongues speak deceitfully.(CU)
13 Therefore, I have begun to destroy(CV) you,
    to ruin[l] you because of your sins.
14 You will eat but not be satisfied;(CW)
    your stomach will still be empty.[m]
You will store up but save nothing,(CX)
    because what you save[n] I will give to the sword.
15 You will plant but not harvest;(CY)
    you will press olives but not use the oil,
    you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.(CZ)
16 You have observed the statutes of Omri(DA)
    and all the practices of Ahab’s(DB) house;
    you have followed their traditions.(DC)
Therefore I will give you over to ruin(DD)
    and your people to derision;
    you will bear the scorn(DE) of the nations.[o]

Footnotes

  1. Micah 4:8 Or hill
  2. Micah 4:9 Or King
  3. Micah 4:9 Or Ruler
  4. Micah 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:14, and 5:2-15 is numbered 5:1-14.
  5. Micah 5:2 Or rulers
  6. Micah 5:6 Or crush
  7. Micah 5:6 Or Nimrod in its gates
  8. Micah 5:14 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
  9. Micah 6:8 Or prudently
  10. Micah 6:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
  11. Micah 6:10 An ephah was a dry measure.
  12. Micah 6:13 Or Therefore, I will make you ill and destroy you; / I will ruin
  13. Micah 6:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  14. Micah 6:14 Or You will press toward birth but not give birth, / and what you bring to birth
  15. Micah 6:16 Septuagint; Hebrew scorn due my people

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