Micah 4
Expanded Bible
The Mountain of the Lord
4 In the last days
the mountain ·on which the Lord’s Temple stands [L of the house of the Lord]
will become the ·most important [L head] of all mountains.
It will be raised above the hills,
and people from other nations will come streaming to it.
2 Many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the ·Temple [L house] of the God of Jacob,
so that he can teach us his ways,
and we can ·obey his teachings [L walk in his paths].”
His ·teachings [instruction; law; L Torah] will go out from ·Jerusalem [L Zion],
the word of the Lord from ·that city [L Jerusalem].
3 The Lord will ·judge [or arbitrate between] many nations;
he will ·make decisions about [settle disputes between] strong nations that are far away.
They will ·hammer [beat] their swords into ·plow blades [T plowshares]
and their spears into ·hooks for trimming trees [pruning hooks; Is. 2:4; Joel 3:10].
Nations will no longer raise swords against other nations;
they will not train for war anymore.
4 Everyone will sit under his own grapevine and fig tree [C symbols of prosperity],
and no one will make him afraid,
because the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has said it.
5 All other nations ·may follow [L walk in the name of] their own gods,
but we will ·follow [L walk in the name of] the Lord our God forever and ever.
6 The Lord says, “·At that time [L In that day],
I will gather the ·crippled [lame];
I will ·bring together [assemble; gather] ·those who were sent away [the outcast/exile],
those whom I ·caused to have trouble [afflicted; filled with grief].
7 I will ·keep alive those who were crippled [make the lame a remnant],
and I will make a strong nation of those who were ·sent away [outcasts; exiles].
The Lord will ·be their king [reign over them] in Mount Zion from now on and forever.
8 And you, ·watchtower of the flocks [or Migdal-eder], ·hill [or stronghold] of ·Jerusalem [L Daughter Zion],
to you ·will come the kingdom [dominion will be restored] as in the past.
·Jerusalem [L Daughter Jerusalem], the ·right to rule [kingship; sovereignty] will come again to you.”
Why the Israelites Must Go to Babylon
9 Now, why do you cry so loudly?
·Is your king gone [Have you no king/King; C either a human king or God]?
Have you lost your ·helper [counselor; wise guide],
so that you are in pain, like a woman ·trying to give birth [in labor]?
10 ·People of Jerusalem [L Daughter Zion], ·strain and be in pain [writhe and groan].
Be like a woman ·trying to give birth [in labor],
because now you must leave the city
and live in the field.
You will go to Babylon,
but you will be ·saved [rescued] from that place.
The Lord will go there
and ·buy you back [redeem you] from [L the hand of] your enemies.
11 But now many nations
have ·come to fight [gathered; assembled] against you,
saying, “·Let’s destroy Jerusalem [L Let her be defiled/desecrated].
We will ·look at her and be glad we have defeated [gloat over; L let our eye look upon] ·her [L Zion].”
12 But they don’t know
·what the Lord is thinking [the thoughts of the Lord];
they don’t understand his plan.
He has gathered them like ·bundles of grain [sheaves] to the threshing floor.
13 “Get up and ·beat them [thresh], ·people of Jerusalem [Daughter Zion].
I will make you ·strong as if you had horns of iron [horns of iron]
and hoofs of bronze.
You will beat many nations into small pieces
and ·give [devote; consecrate] their ·wealth [gains; spoils] to the Lord,
their ·treasure [wealth] to the Lord of all the earth.”
Micah 4
Amplified Bible
Peaceful Latter Days
4 But it shall come about in the last days
That the mountain of the house of the Lord
Shall be established as the highest and chief of the mountains;
It shall be above the hills,
And peoples shall flow [like a river] to it.
2
And many nations shall come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
To the house of the God of Jacob,
That He may teach us about His ways
And that we may walk in His paths.”
For the law shall go forward from Zion,
And the word of the Lord [the revelation about Him and His truth] from Jerusalem.
3
And He will judge between many peoples
And render decisions for strong and distant nations.
Then they shall hammer their swords into plowshares
And their spears into pruning hooks [so that the implements of war may become the tools of agriculture];
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
Nor shall they ever again train for war.(A)
4
Each of them shall sit [in security and peace] under his vine
And under his fig tree,
With no one to make them afraid,
For the mouth of the [omnipotent] Lord of hosts has spoken it.(B)
5
For all the peoples [now] walk
Each in the name of his god [in a transient relationship],
As for us, we shall walk [securely]
In the name of the Lord our [true] God forever and ever.
6
“In that day,” says the Lord,
“I shall assemble the lame,
And gather the outcasts [from foreign captivity],
Even those whom I have caused pain.
7
“I shall make the lame a [godly] remnant
And the outcasts a strong nation;
And the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion
From this time on and forever.
8
“As for you [Jerusalem], tower of the flock [of Israel],
Hill and stronghold of the Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem’s inhabitants),
To you the former dominion shall come,
The kingdom of the Daughter of Jerusalem [when the Messiah reigns in Jerusalem, and the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled].(C)
9
“Now, why do you cry out loudly?
Is there no king among you?
Has your counselor perished?
For agony has gripped you like a woman in childbirth.
10
“Writhe in pain and labor to give birth,
O Daughter of Zion,
Like a woman in childbirth;
For now you shall go out of the city,
Live in the field,
And go to Babylon.
There you will be rescued;
There the Lord shall redeem you
From the hand of your enemies.
11
“Now many [conquering] nations are assembled against you,
Who say, ‘Let her be profaned [through Gentile presence and the temple’s destruction],
And let our eyes gaze on and gloat over Zion.’
12
“But they (Gentile nations) do not know the thoughts of the Lord,
Nor do they understand His purpose and plan;
For He has gathered them (Gentiles) like sheaves to the threshing floor [for destruction].
13
“Arise and thresh, O Daughter of Zion!
For I will make your horn iron
And I will make your hoofs bronze;
That you may beat many peoples in pieces [trampling down your enemies],
That you may devote to the Lord their unjust gain (pagan possessions)
And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.(D)
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
