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The Lord Will Teach the Nations(A)

In the last days the mountain of Yahweh’s house
    will be established as the highest of the mountains
        and raised above the hills.
            People will stream to it.
Then many nations will come and say,
    “Let’s go to the mountain of Yahweh,
        to the house of the Elohim of Jacob.
            He will teach us his ways so that we may live by them.”
    The teachings will go out from Zion.
    The word of Yahweh will go out from Jerusalem.
Then he will judge disputes between many people
    and settle arguments between many nations far and wide.
    They will hammer their swords into plowblades
        and their spears into pruning shears.
    Nations will never fight against each other,
        and they will never train for war again.
They will sit under their grapevines and their fig trees,
    and no one will make them afraid.
        Yahweh Tsebaoth has spoken.
All the nations live by the names of their gods,
    but we will live by the name of Yahweh our Elohim forever.

“When that day comes,” declares Yahweh,
    “I will gather those who are lame.
    I will bring together those who are scattered
        and those whom I have injured.
I will change those who are lame into a faithful people.
    I will change those who are forced away into a strong nation.”
    Yahweh will rule them on Mount Zion now and forever.
You, Jerusalem, watchtower of the flock,
    stronghold of the people of Zion,
        your former government will come back to you.
            The kingdom will return to the people of Jerusalem.

Now why are you crying so loudly?
    Don’t you have a king?
        Has your counselor died?
    Pain grips you like a woman in labor.
10 Daughter of Zion, writhe in pain and groan like a woman in labor.
    Now you will leave the city,
    live in the open fields,
        and go to Babylon.
            There you will be rescued.
            There Yahweh will reclaim you from your enemies.

11 But now many nations gather against you.
    They say, “Let’s dishonor Zion and gloat over it.”
12 They don’t know the thoughts of Yahweh or understand his plan.
    He will bring them together
        like cut grain on the threshing floor.[a]
13 Get up and thresh,[b] people of Zion.
    I will make your horns as hard as iron
        and your hoofs as hard as bronze.
            You will smash many nations into small pieces.
                You will claim their loot for Yahweh,
                    their wealth for the Adonay of the whole earth.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 4:12 A threshing floor is an outdoor area where grain is separated from its husks.
  2. Micah 4:13 Threshing is the process of beating stalks to separate them from the grain.

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

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

And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

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

For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.

In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;

And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.

And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.

Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.

10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

11 Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.

12 But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.

13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.