Micah 4
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Peace and Security through Obedience
4 In days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s temple
shall be established as the highest of the mountains
and shall be raised up above the hills.
Peoples shall stream to it,(A)
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 his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.(B)
3 He shall judge between many peoples
and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation;
neither shall they learn war any more;(C)
4 but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
and no one shall make them afraid,
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.(D)
5 For all the peoples walk,
each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
forever and ever.(E)
Restoration Promised after Exile
6 On that day, says the Lord,
I will assemble the lame
and gather those who have been driven away
and those whom I have afflicted.(F)
7 The lame I will make the remnant,
and those who were cast off, a strong nation,
and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion
now and forevermore.(G)
8 And you, O tower of the flock,
hill of daughter Zion,
to you it shall come,
the former dominion shall come,
the sovereignty of daughter Jerusalem.(H)
9 Now why do you cry aloud?
Is there no king in you?
Has your counselor perished,
that pangs have seized you like a woman in labor?(I)
10 Writhe and groan,[a] O daughter Zion,
like a woman in labor,
for now you shall go forth from the city
and camp in the open country;
you shall go to Babylon.
There you shall be rescued;
there the Lord will redeem you
from the hands of your enemies.(J)
11 Now many nations
are assembled against you,
saying, “Let her be profaned,
and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.”(K)
12 But they do not know
the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,
that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor.(L)
13 Arise and thresh,
O daughter Zion,
for I will make your horn iron
and your hoofs bronze;
you shall beat in pieces many peoples
and shall[b] devote their gain to the Lord,
their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth.(M)
Micah 4
International Standard Version
The Future Reign of God
4 “But in the last days it will come about
that the Temple Mount of the Lord will be firmly set
as the leading mountain.
It will be exalted above its surrounding[a] hills,
and people will stream toward it.
2 Many nations will approach and say,
‘Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord,
and to the Temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us about his ways,
and we will walk according to his directions.’
“Indeed, the Law will proceed from Zion,
and the message of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 And he will judge among many people,
rebuking strong nations far away;
and they will reshape their swords as plowshares
and their spears as pruning hooks.
No nation will threaten another,[b]
nor will they train for war anymore.
4 Instead, each man will sit in the shade of[c] his grape vines
and beneath the shade of[d] his fig tree,”
since the[e] Lord of the Heavenly Armies has spoken.
5 “Because all of the people will walk,
each person in the name of his God,
and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.
6 “At that time,” declares the Lord,
“I will assemble the lame;
and I will gather those whom I have scattered,
along with those whom I have afflicted.
7 I will transform the lame into survivors,
and those who were scattered into a strong nation;
and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion,
now and forever.”
Zion’s Captivity
8 “And you, watchtower of the flock,
you stronghold of the daughter of Zion,
it will happen even to you:
The former dominion, even the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem, will come.
9 Why are you crying so loud now?
There’s no king among you, is there?
Perhaps your advisor has died?
For pain has overtaken you like a woman in labor.
10 Be in pain! Be in labor, you daughter of Zion,
like a woman about to give birth,
because now you will depart from the city,
living in the open fields.
To Babylon you will go.
There you will be delivered,
there the Lord will rescue you from the power[f] of your enemies.”
The Nations Despise Zion
11 “Now many nations have gathered against you, saying,
‘Let her be defiled,’ and
‘Let’s look down on Zion.’
12 But they don’t know the thoughts of the Lord,
and they don’t understand his tactics,
for he will gather them like harvested grain to his threshing floor.
13 Get up and smash[g] them to pieces, daughter of Zion,
because I will make your horn like iron
and your hooves like bronze!
And you will beat many people to pieces,
and I will consecrate their dishonest[h] gain to the Lord
and their assets to the Lord of the entire earth.”
Footnotes
- Micah 4:1 The Heb. lacks surrounding
- Micah 4:3 Lit. A nation will not lift up a sword against a nation
- Micah 4:4 Lit. sit under
- Micah 4:4 The Heb. lacks the shade of
- Micah 4:4 Lit. the mouth of the
- Micah 4:10 Lit. hand
- Micah 4:13 Lit. thresh
- Micah 4:13 The Heb. lacks dishonest
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