Michaeas 4

1 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.

In the last days, the mountain where the Lord's Temple stands will be recognized as the highest of all mountains, rising above other hills. Crowds of people from many places will travel to it.

2 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.

Many nations will come and say, “Let's go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Jacob. There God will teach us his ways and we will follow his directions.” God's teachings will spread out from Zion, his word from Jerusalem.

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

The Lord will decide the cases of the nations, he will settle arguments between distant powerful nations. They will hammer their swords and turn them into plough blades, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not fight against each other anymore; they will no longer learn methods of warfare.

4 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].

Everyone will be able to sit under their own vine and their own fig tree, for there will be no one to make them afraid. I the Lord Almighty has spoken!

5 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.

Even though all the other nations follow their gods, we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.

6 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.

On that day, declares the Lord, I will gather those who are lame, I will bring together those who have been scattered in exile, those whom I punished.

7 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.

I will make those who remain, crippled and driven far away, into a strong nation, and the Lord will rule them from Mount Zion forever and ever.

8 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.

And as for you, Jerusalem, watchtower of the flock, your former royal rule and power will be returned to you: the kingdom will be given back to Jerusalem.

9 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?

So why are you screaming aloud? Don't you have a king? Has the king who advises you died so that pain has gripped you like a woman in childbirth?

10 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.

Thrash around in agony like a woman giving birth, people of Zion—for you will be expelled from the city, forced to camp out in the open, and exiled to Babylon. But the Lord will bring you back, and rescue you from the power of your enemies.

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

Right now many enemies are gathered against you, saying, “Let us attack and violate her, so we can look with gloating over Zion!”

12 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.

But they don't know what the Lord is thinking, and don't understand what he is planning. He has brought them together like bundles of grain to the threshing floor.

13 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.

People of Zion, get up and start threshing, for I will make for you iron horns and bronze hooves so you can break many nations into pieces. You will present their stolen plunder to the Lord, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.