Micah 4

1 In the days to come the mountain of the Lord will be established, the house of our God on the top of the mountain, lifted above the hills. All the nations will flow to it,

And at the last days the mountain of the Lord shall be manifest, established on the tops of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and the peoples shall hasten to it.

2 and many peoples will go and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mount, to the house of the God of Jacob, so that he may instruct us in his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’ For from Zion proceeds instruction and the Lord’s word from Jerusalem.

And many nations shall go, and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and they shall show us his way, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Sion shall go forth a law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

3 He will arbitrate between many peoples, and render decisions for numerous nations, They will beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, they will learn war no more.

And he shall judge among many peoples, and shall rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into sickles; and nation shall no more lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn to war any more.

4 They will live each under his vine, and under his fig tree, with none to terrify them. For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.

And every one shall rest under his vine, and every one under his fig tree; and there shall be none to alarm [them]: for the mouth of the Lord Almighty has spoken these [words].

5 Each nation trusts in the names of their gods, but we will worship the Lord our God forever.

For all [other] nations shall walk everyone in his own way, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.

6 ‘On that day,’ says the Lord, ‘I will assemble the lame. I will gather exiles I punished.

In that day, says the Lord, I will gather her that is bruised, and will receive her that is cast out, and those whom I rejected.

7 I will restore the lame as a remnant, the exiles into a great nation. The Lord will rule over them on Mount Zion from that time forever.’

And I will make her that was bruised a remnant, and her that was rejected a mighty nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Sion from henceforth, even for ever.

8 But you, watchtower for the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you will return your former rule.

And you, dark tower of the flock, daughter of Sion, on you the dominion shall come and enter in, [even] the first kingdom from Babylon to the daughter of Jerusalem.

9 So why do you now cry aloud? Haven’t you any king? Or has your counsellor perished, so you writhe in pain like a woman in labour?

And now, why have you known calamities? was there not a king to you? or has your counsel perished that pangs as of a woman in travail have seized upon you?

10 Writhe and scream, daughter of Zion, like a woman in labour! For now you must leave the city and camp in the open field. You will be taken to Babylon, but there will be rescued. There the Lord will save you from the hands of your foes.

Be in pain, and strengthen yourself, and draw near, O daughter of Sion, as a woman in travail: for now you shall go forth out of the city, and shall lodge in the plain, and shall reach even to Babylon: thence shall the Lord your God deliver you, and thence shall he redeem you out of the hand of your enemies.

11 But now many nations gather against you. They say, ‘Let her be defiled, we will gloat over Zion.’

And now have many nations gathered against you, saying, We will rejoice, and our eyes shall look upon Sion.

12 But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord. They do not understand his plan, for he has gathered them like sheaves for the threshing floor.

But they know not the thought of the Lord, and have not understood his counsel: for he has gathered them as sheaves of the floor.

13 ‘Arise, thresh, daughter of Zion. I will make your horns iron, and your hoofs brass, so you might beat in pieces many peoples, and devote to the Lord their spoil, and their wealth to the ruler of all the earth.

Arise, and thresh them, O daughter of Sion: for I will make your horns iron, and I will make your hoofs brass: and you shall utterly destroy many nations, and shall consecrate their abundance to the Lord, and their strength to the Lord of all the earth.