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Better Days Ahead for Jerusalem

And in future days[a] the Lord’s Temple Mount will be the most important mountain of all;[b]
it will be more prominent than other hills.[c]
People will stream to it.
Many nations will come, saying,
“Come on! Let’s go up to the Lord’s mountain,
to the temple of Jacob’s God,
so he can teach us his ways
and we can live by his laws.”[d]
For instruction will proceed from Zion,
the Lord’s message from Jerusalem.
He will arbitrate[e] between many peoples
and settle disputes between many[f] distant nations.[g]
They will beat their swords into plowshares,[h]
and their spears into pruning hooks.[i]
Nations will not use weapons[j] against other nations,
and they will no longer train for war.
Each will sit under his own grapevine
or under his own fig tree without any fear.[k]
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has decreed it.[l]
Though all the nations follow their respective gods,[m]
we will follow[n] the Lord our God forever.

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 4:1 sn Cf. Isa 2:2. See the note at Gen 49:1.
  2. Micah 4:1 tn Heb “will be established as the head of the mountains.”
  3. Micah 4:1 tn Heb “it will be lifted up above the hills.”
  4. Micah 4:2 tn Heb “and we can walk in his paths.”
  5. Micah 4:3 tn Or “judge.”
  6. Micah 4:3 tn Or “mighty” (NASB); KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV “strong”; TEV “among the great powers.”
  7. Micah 4:3 tn Heb “[for many nations] to a distance.”
  8. Micah 4:3 sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.
  9. Micah 4:3 sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle.
  10. Micah 4:3 tn Heb “take up the sword.”
  11. Micah 4:4 tn Heb “and there will be no one making [him] afraid.”
  12. Micah 4:4 tn Heb “for the mouth of the Lord…has spoken.”
  13. Micah 4:5 tn Heb “walk each in the name of his god.” The term “name” here has the idea of “authority.” To “walk in the name” of a god is to recognize the god’s authority as binding over one’s life.
  14. Micah 4:5 tn Heb “walk in the name of.”

But in the latter days,
    it will happen that the mountain of Yahweh’s temple will be established on the top of the mountains,
    and it will be exalted above the hills;
    and peoples will stream to it.
Many nations will go and say,
    “Come! Let’s go up to the mountain of Yahweh,
    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 will go out of Zion,
    and Yahweh’s word from Jerusalem;
and he will judge between many peoples,
    and will decide concerning strong nations afar off.
    They will beat their swords into plowshares,
    and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
    neither will they learn war any more.
But they will sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree;
    and no one will make them afraid:
For the mouth of Yahweh of Armies has spoken.     Indeed all the nations may walk in the name of their gods;
    but we will walk in the name of Yahweh our God forever and ever.

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