The Lord’s Plan

“In that day,” declares the Lord,

“I will gather the lame;(A)
    I will assemble the exiles(B)
    and those I have brought to grief.(C)
I will make the lame my remnant,(D)
    those driven away a strong nation.(E)
The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion(F)
    from that day and forever.(G)
As for you, watchtower of the flock,
    stronghold[a] of Daughter Zion,
the former dominion will be restored(H) to you;
    kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.(I)

Why do you now cry aloud—
    have you no king[b](J)?
Has your ruler[c] perished,
    that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?(K)
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;(L)
    there you will be rescued.
There the Lord will redeem(M) 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(N) over Zion!”
12 But they do not know
    the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,(O)
    that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 “Rise and thresh,(P) 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.”(Q)
You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,(R)
    their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

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Footnotes

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

The Lord Shall Rescue Zion

(A)In that day, declares the Lord,
    (B)I will assemble the (C)lame
and gather those who have been driven away
    and those whom I have afflicted;
and the lame I will make (D)the remnant,
    and those who were cast off, a strong nation;
and (E)the Lord will reign over them (F)in Mount Zion
    from this time forth and forevermore.

And you, O tower of the flock,
    hill of the daughter of Zion,
to you shall it come,
    the former dominion shall come,
    kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem.

Now why do you cry aloud?
    (G)Is there no king in you?
(H)Has your counselor perished,
    that (I)pain seized you like a woman in labor?
10 (J)Writhe and groan,[a] O daughter of Zion,
    like a woman in labor,
for (K)now you shall go out from the city
    and dwell in the open country;
    you (L)shall go to Babylon.
There you shall be rescued;
    (M)there the Lord will redeem you
    from the hand of your enemies.

11 Now (N)many nations
    are assembled against you,
saying, “Let her be defiled,
    and (O)let our eyes gaze upon Zion.”
12 But (P)they do not know
    the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,
    that (Q)he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 Arise and thresh,
    O daughter of Zion,
for I will make your horn iron,
    and I will make your hoofs bronze;
you shall beat in pieces many peoples;
    and (R)shall devote[b] (S)their gain to the Lord,
    their wealth to (T)the Lord of the whole earth.

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 4:10 Or push
  2. Micah 4:13 Hebrew devote to destruction