Micah 4
International Children’s Bible
The Mountain of the Lord
4 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.
People from other nations will come streaming to it.
2 Many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.
Let us go to the Temple of the God of Jacob!
Then God will teach us his ways.
And we will obey his teachings.”
The Lord’s teachings will go out from Jerusalem.
The word of the Lord will go out from Jerusalem.
3 The Lord will settle arguments among many nations.
He will decide between strong nations that are far away.
Then the nations will make their swords into plows.
They will make their spears into hooks for trimming trees.
Nations will no longer fight other nations.
They will not even train for war anymore.
4 Everyone will sit under his own vine and fig tree.
No one will make him afraid.
This is because the Lord of heaven’s armies has said it.
5 All other nations follow their own gods.
But we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.
6 The Lord says, “At that time,
I will bring back to me the crippled.
I will bring back to Jerusalem those who were sent away.
I will bring back to me those who were hurt.
7 I will keep alive those who were crippled.
I will make a strong nation of those who were sent away.
The Lord will be their king in Mount Zion forever.
8 And you, watchtower of the flocks,[a] strong city of Jerusalem,
you will be a kingdom as in the past.
Jerusalem, the right to rule will come again to you.”
Why the Israelites Must Go to Babylon
9 Now, why do you cry so loudly?
Is your king gone?
Have you lost your leader?
You are in pain like a woman trying to give birth.
10 People of Jerusalem, be in pain.
Be like a woman trying to give birth.
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 take you back from your enemies.
11 But now many nations
have come to fight against you.
They say, “Let’s destroy Jerusalem
and be proud we have defeated her.”
12 But they don’t know
what the Lord is thinking.
They don’t understand his plan for them.
He will crush them like a bundle of grain on the threshing floor.
13 “Get up and crush them, people of Jerusalem.
I will make you strong as if you had horns of iron.
I will make you strong as if you had hooves of bronze.
You will beat many nations into small pieces.
You will give their wealth to the Lord.
You will give their treasure to the Lord of all the earth.”
Footnotes
- 4:8 watchtower . . . flocks This probably means a part of Jerusalem. The leaders would be like shepherds in a tower watching their sheep.
Micah 4
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Lord’s Rule from Restored Zion
4 In the last days(A)
the mountain of the Lord’s house(B)
will be established
at the top of the mountains
and will be raised above the hills.
Peoples will stream to it,(C)
2 and many nations will come and say,(D)
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,(E)
to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us about His ways(F)
so we may walk in His paths.”
For instruction will go out of Zion(G)
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 He will settle disputes among many peoples(H)
and provide arbitration for strong nations
that are far away.
They will beat their swords into plows,
and their spears into pruning knives.
Nation will not take up the sword against nation,
and they will never again train for war.
4 But each man will sit under his grapevine(I)
and under his fig tree
with no one to frighten him.(J)
For the mouth of the Lord(K) of Hosts
has promised this.
5 Though all the peoples each walk
in the name of their gods,(L)
we will walk(M) in the name of Yahweh our God
forever and ever.(N)
6 On that day—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
I will assemble the lame
and gather the scattered,(O)
those I have injured.
7 I will make the lame into a remnant,(P)
those far removed into a strong nation.
Then the Lord will rule over them(Q) in Mount Zion
from this time on and forever.
8 And you, watchtower for the flock,(R)
fortified hill[a] of Daughter Zion,
the former rule(S) will come to you,
sovereignty will come to Daughter Jerusalem.
From Exile to Victory
9 Now, why are you shouting loudly?(T)
Is there no king with you?
Has your counselor perished(U)
so that anguish grips you like a woman in labor?
10 Writhe and cry out,[b](V) Daughter Zion,
like a woman in labor,
for now you will leave the city(W)
and camp in the open fields.
You will go to Babylon;
there you will be rescued;(X)
there the Lord will redeem you(Y)
from the power of your enemies!
11 Many nations have now assembled against you;(Z)
they say, “Let her be defiled,
and let us feast our eyes on Zion.”
12 But they do not know the Lord’s intentions(AA)
or understand His plan,
that He has gathered them
like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 Rise and thresh,(AB) Daughter Zion,
for I will make your horns iron
and your hooves bronze,
so you can crush many peoples.(AC)
Then you[c] will set apart their plunder(AD)
to the Lord for destruction,
their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.
Footnotes
- Micah 4:8 Or flock, Ophel
- Micah 4:10 Hb obscure
- Micah 4:13 LXX, Syr, Tg; MT reads I
Micah 4
King James Version
4 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.
2 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.
3 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.
4 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.
5 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.
6 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;
7 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.
8 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.
9 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.
Micah 4
New Catholic Bible
The Expectation of Renewal[a]
Chapter 4
We Shall Go to the Mountain of God
1 In days to come,
the mountain of the Lord’s house
will be established as the highest of the mountains,
towering above other hills.
Peoples will stream toward it;
2 many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
so that he may teach us his ways
and we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion will instruction go forth,
and from Jerusalem the word of the Lord.
3 He will judge between many peoples
and serve as an arbiter,
between mighty and distant nations.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up the sword against nation,
nor will they ever again be trained for war.
4 Each man will sit under his own vine
or under his own fig tree
with no cause for alarm,
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
5 For all the peoples go forth,
each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord, our God,
forever and ever.
Gathering Up the Dispersed Flock
6 On that day, says the Lord,
I will gather the lame;
I will assemble those who have been driven away
and those whom I have afflicted.
7 I will make the lame into a remnant,
and turn into a strong nation those who were cast off.
The Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion
now and forevermore.
8 As for you, O tower of the flock,[b]
hill of daughter Zion,
the promises made to you
will be fulfilled,
and your former security will be restored,
the sovereignty of daughter Jerusalem.
A Sorrowful Childbirth
9 Why are you now crying out?
Have you no king any longer,
or has your counselor perished,
that you are afflicted with pains
like a woman in labor?
10 Writhe in pain and cry aloud,
O daughter Zion,
like a woman in labor.
For now you must go forth from the city
and camp in the open country.
You will go to Babylon
where you will be saved.
There the Lord will deliver you
from the hands of your enemies.
The Nations Crush the Land of God
11 But now many nations
are gathered against you.
They say, “Let her be profaned;
let us gloat over Zion.”
12 However, they do not know
the thoughts of the Lord
or comprehend his plan.
For he has gathered them
like sheaves on the threshing floor.
13 Arise and thresh,
O daughter of Zion,
for I will make your horn like iron
and your hooves like bronze
so that you may crush many peoples.
You shall devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,
their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth.
From You Bethlehem There Will Be Born the One Who Will Rule[c]
14 Now withdraw behind your walls,
for they have laid siege against you.
With a rod they will strike on the cheek
the ruler of Israel.
Footnotes
- Micah 4:1 In this section it is difficult to determine what is from Micah and what is postexilic.
- Micah 4:8 Tower of the flock: a symbolic name for Jerusalem.
- Micah 4:14 As had already happened in the past, the new leader, the new David, is to come from a modest rural family (see 1 Sam 16:1-13; 17:12), and the prophet sings of his glory. As we read in St. Matthew (Mt 2:5-6) and St. John (Jn 7:42), in the time of Jesus this oracle was interpreted as predicting the birthplace of the Messiah. It is a fine example of how God chooses someone unexpected and weak in order to confound the mighty and the strong (see Jdg 6:15; 1 Sam 9:21; 1 Cor 1:27). Speaking of the woman who is to give birth (Mic 5:2), the prophet alludes to the promise given by Isaiah (Isa 7:14) some years before, in which the Christian tradition, following the lead of the first Gospel (Mt 1:23), sees a veiled announcement of the birth of Jesus.
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