God’s Universal Reign

The word which (A)Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

Now it will come about that
(B)In the last days
The (C)mountain of the house of the Lord
Will be established [a]as the chief of the mountains,
And will be raised above the hills;
And (D)all the nations will stream to it.
And many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
So that He may teach us [b]about His ways,
And that we may walk in His paths.”
For [c]the law will go out (E)from Zion
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
And He will judge between the nations,
And will mediate for many peoples;
And (F)they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning knives.
(G)Nation will not lift up a sword against nation,
And never again will they learn war.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 2:2 Lit on
  2. Isaiah 2:3 Or some of
  3. Isaiah 2:3 Or instruction

The Mountain of the Lord(A)

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:(B)

In the last days(C)

the mountain(D) of the Lord’s temple will be established
    as the highest of the mountains;(E)
it will be exalted(F) above the hills,
    and all nations will stream to it.(G)

Many peoples(H) will come and say,

“Come, let us go(I) up to the mountain(J) of the Lord,
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law(K) will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.(L)
He will judge(M) between the nations
    and will settle disputes(N) for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.(O)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,(P)
    nor will they train for war anymore.

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Peaceful Latter Days

And it will come about in the (A)last days
That the (B)mountain of the house of the Lord
Will be established [a]as the chief of the mountains.
It will be raised above the hills,
And the (C)peoples will stream to it.
(D)Many nations will come and say,
(E)Come and let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord
And to the house of the God of Jacob,
So that (F)He may teach us about His ways,
And that we may walk in His paths.”
For (G)from Zion will go forth the law,
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
And He will (H)judge between many peoples
And render decisions for mighty, [b]distant nations.
Then they will beat their swords (I)into plowshares,
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation will not lift a sword against nation,
And never again will they [c]train for war.
Instead, each of them will (J)sit under his vine
And under his fig tree,
With (K)no one to make them afraid,
Because the (L)mouth of the Lord of armies has spoken.
Though all the peoples walk,
Each in the (M)name of his god,
As for us, (N)we will walk
In the name of the (O)Lord our God forever and ever.

“On that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will assemble those who (P)limp
And (Q)gather the scattered,
Those whom I have afflicted.
I will make those who limp a (R)remnant,
And those who [d]have strayed a mighty nation,
And the (S)Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion
From now on and forever.
As for you, [e](T)tower of the flock,
[f]Hill of the daughter of Zion,
To you it will come—
Yes, the (U)former dominion will come,
The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.

“Now, why do you (V)cry out loudly?
Is there no king among you,
Or has your (W)counselor perished,
That agony has gripped you like a woman in childbirth?
10 (X)Writhe and scream,
Daughter of Zion,
Like a woman in childbirth;
For now you will (Y)go out of the city,
Live in the field,
And go to Babylon.
(Z)There you will be rescued,
(AA)There the Lord will redeem you
From the hand of your enemies.
11 And now (AB)many nations have been assembled against you
Who say, ‘Let her be defiled,
And let our eyes [g]gloat over Zion!’
12 But they do not (AC)know the thoughts of the Lord,
And they do not understand His plan;
For He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 Arise and (AD)thresh, daughter of Zion,
For I will make your horn iron,
And I will make your hoofs bronze,
So that you may (AE)pulverize many peoples,
And (AF)dedicate to the Lord their unjust profit,
And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 4:1 Lit on
  2. Micah 4:3 Lit at a distance
  3. Micah 4:3 Lit learn
  4. Micah 4:7 Or are far removed
  5. Micah 4:8 Heb Migdal-eder
  6. Micah 4:8 Heb Ophel
  7. Micah 4:11 Lit see with pleasure

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.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 4:8 Or hill
  2. Micah 4:9 Or King
  3. Micah 4:9 Or Ruler

26 The king said to Daniel, whose name was (A)Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?” 27 Daniel answered before the king and said, “As for the secret about which the king has inquired, neither (B)wise men, sorcerers, soothsayer priests, nor diviners are able to declare it to the king. 28 However, there is a (C)God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the [a](D)latter days. This was your dream and the (E)visions [b]in your mind while on your bed. 29 As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts [c]turned to what would take place [d]in the future; and (F)He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will take place. 30 But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me [e]for any (G)wisdom [f]residing in me more than in any other living person, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand the (H)thoughts of your [g]mind.

The King’s Dream

31 “You, O king, were watching and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and [h]of extraordinary radiance, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was [i](I)awesome. 32 The (J)head of that statue was made of fine gold, its chest and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 You [j]continued watching until a (K)stone was broken off (L)without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and (M)crushed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed to pieces [k]all at the same time, and they were (N)like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that (O)not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great (P)mountain and filled the entire earth.

The Interpretation—Babylon the First Kingdom

36 “This was the dream; and now we will tell (Q)its interpretation before the king. 37 You, O king, are the (R)king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the [l]kingdom, the (S)power, the strength, and the honor; 38 and wherever the sons of mankind live, or the (T)animals of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has handed them over to you and has made you ruler over them all. You are the head of gold.

Medo-Persia and Greece

39 And after you another kingdom will arise inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth.

Rome

40 Then there will be a (U)fourth kingdom as strong as iron; just as iron smashes and crushes everything, so, like iron that crushes, it will smash and crush all these things. 41 And in that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have within it some of the toughness of iron, since you saw the iron mixed with [m]common clay. 42 And just as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong, and part of it will be fragile. 43 In that you saw the iron mixed with [n]common clay, they will combine with one another [o]in [p]their descendants; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not combine with pottery.

The Divine Kingdom

44 And in the days of those kings the (V)God of heaven will (W)set up a (X)kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be [q]left for another people; it will (Y)crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. 45 Just as you saw that a (Z)stone was broken off from the mountain without hands, and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the (AA)great God has made known to the king what (AB)will take place [r]in the future; so the dream is certain and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 2:28 Lit end of the days
  2. Daniel 2:28 Lit of your head
  3. Daniel 2:29 Lit came up
  4. Daniel 2:29 Lit after this
  5. Daniel 2:30 Or through
  6. Daniel 2:30 Lit which is
  7. Daniel 2:30 Lit heart
  8. Daniel 2:31 Lit its radiance was extraordinary
  9. Daniel 2:31 Or dreadful
  10. Daniel 2:34 Lit were
  11. Daniel 2:35 Lit as one
  12. Daniel 2:37 Or sovereignty
  13. Daniel 2:41 Lit wet clay
  14. Daniel 2:43 Lit wet clay
  15. Daniel 2:43 Or with
  16. Daniel 2:43 Lit the seed of men
  17. Daniel 2:44 Or passed on to
  18. Daniel 2:45 Lit after this

26 The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar),(A) “Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?”

27 Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about,(B) 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.(C) He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come.(D) Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind(E) as you were lying in bed(F) are these:(G)

29 “As Your Majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen.(H) 30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed(I) to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.

31 “Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue,(J) awesome(K) in appearance. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands.(L) It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed(M) them.(N) 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away(O) without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain(P) and filled the whole earth.(Q)

36 “This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king.(R) 37 Your Majesty, you are the king of kings.(S) The God of heaven has given you dominion(T) and power and might and glory; 38 in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all.(U) You are that head of gold.

39 “After you, another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth.(V) 40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others.(W) 41 Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.

44 “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush(X) all those kingdoms(Y) and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.(Z) 45 This is the meaning of the vision of the rock(AA) cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands(AB)—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.

“The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future.(AC) The dream is true(AD) and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

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13 And when the (A)dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted (B)the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the (C)two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly (D)into the wilderness to her place, where she *was nourished for (E)a time, times, and half a time, away from the presence of the serpent.

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13 When the dragon(A) saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.(B) 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle,(C) so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time,(D) out of the serpent’s reach.

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The Doom of Babylon

17 (A)Then one of the (B)seven angels who had the (C)seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you (D)the judgment of the (E)great prostitute who (F)sits on many waters, with whom (G)the kings of the earth committed acts of sexual immorality, and (H)those who live on the earth (I)became drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality.” And (J)he carried me away [a](K)in the Spirit (L)into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a (M)scarlet beast, full of (N)blasphemous names, having (O)seven heads and ten horns. The woman (P)was clothed in purple and scarlet, and [b]adorned with gold, precious [c]stones, and pearls, holding in her hand (Q)a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her sexual immorality, and on her forehead a name was written, [d]a (R)mystery: “(S)BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF (T)THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” And I saw the woman drunk with (U)the blood of the [e]saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered [f]greatly. And the angel said to me, “Why [g]do you wonder? I will tell you the (V)mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the (W)seven heads and the ten horns.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 17:3 Or in spirit
  2. Revelation 17:4 Lit gilded
  3. Revelation 17:4 Lit stone
  4. Revelation 17:5 Or “MYSTERY...”
  5. Revelation 17:6 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  6. Revelation 17:6 Lit with great wonder
  7. Revelation 17:7 Lit have you wondered

Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast

17 One of the seven angels(A) who had the seven bowls(B) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment(C) of the great prostitute,(D) who sits by many waters.(E) With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”(F)

Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit(G) into a wilderness.(H) There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet(I) beast that was covered with blasphemous names(J) and had seven heads and ten horns.(K) The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.(L) She held a golden cup(M) in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.(N) The name written on her forehead was a mystery:(O)

babylon the great(P)

the mother of prostitutes(Q)

and of the abominations of the earth.

I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people,(R) the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery(S) of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.(T)

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