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The Mountain of the Lord

In the last days
    the mountain on which the Lord’s Temple stands
    will become the most important of all mountains.
It will be raised above the hills,
    and people from other nations will come streaming to it.
Many nations will come and say,
    “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the Temple of the God of Jacob,
so that he can teach us his ways,
    and we can obey his teachings.”
His teachings will go out from Jerusalem,
    the word of the Lord from that city.
The Lord will judge many nations;
    he will make decisions about strong nations that are far away.
They will hammer their swords into plow blades
    and their spears into hooks for trimming trees.
Nations will no longer raise swords against other nations;
    they will not train for war anymore.
Everyone will sit under his own vine and fig tree,
    and no one will make him afraid,
    because the Lord All-Powerful has said it.
All other nations may follow their own gods,
    but we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.

The Lord says, “At that time,

I will gather the crippled;
    I will bring together those who were sent away,
    those whom I caused to have trouble.
I will keep alive those who were crippled,
    and I will make a strong nation of those who were sent away.
The Lord will be their king in Mount Zion from now on and forever.
And you, watchtower of the flocks,[a] hill of Jerusalem,
    to you will come the kingdom as in the past.
    Jerusalem, the right to rule will come again to you.”

Why the Israelites Must Go to Babylon

Now, why do you cry so loudly?
    Is your king gone?
Have you lost your helper,
    so that you are in pain, like a woman trying to give birth?
10 People of Jerusalem, strain and be in pain.
    Be like a woman trying to give birth,
because now you must leave the city
    and live in the field.
You will go to Babylon,
    but you will be saved from that place.
The Lord will go there
    and buy you back from your enemies.

11 But now many nations
    have come to fight against you,
saying, “Let’s destroy Jerusalem.
    We will look at her and be glad we have defeated her.”
12 But they don’t know
    what the Lord is thinking;
they don’t understand his plan.
    He has gathered them like bundles of grain to the threshing floor.

13 “Get up and beat them, people of Jerusalem.
    I will make you strong as if you had horns of iron
and hoofs of bronze.
    You will beat many nations into small pieces
and give their wealth to the Lord,
    their treasure to the Lord of all the earth.”

Footnotes

  1. 4:8 watchtower . . . flocks This probably means a part of Jerusalem. The leaders would be like shepherds in a tower watching their sheep.

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

But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, 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 shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.

For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.

In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;

And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.

And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.

Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.

10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

11 Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.

12 But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.

13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.