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.
Micah 4
Expanded Bible
The Mountain of the Lord
4 In the last days
the mountain ·on which the Lord’s Temple stands [L of the house of the Lord]
will become the ·most important [L head] of all mountains.
It will be raised above the hills,
and 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,
to the ·Temple [L house] of the God of Jacob,
so that he can teach us his ways,
and we can ·obey his teachings [L walk in his paths].”
His ·teachings [instruction; law; L Torah] will go out from ·Jerusalem [L Zion],
the word of the Lord from ·that city [L Jerusalem].
3 The Lord will ·judge [or arbitrate between] many nations;
he will ·make decisions about [settle disputes between] strong nations that are far away.
They will ·hammer [beat] their swords into ·plow blades [T plowshares]
and their spears into ·hooks for trimming trees [pruning hooks; Is. 2:4; Joel 3:10].
Nations will no longer raise swords against other nations;
they will not train for war anymore.
4 Everyone will sit under his own grapevine and fig tree [C symbols of prosperity],
and no one will make him afraid,
because the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has said it.
5 All other nations ·may follow [L walk in the name of] their own gods,
but we will ·follow [L walk in the name of] the Lord our God forever and ever.
6 The Lord says, “·At that time [L In that day],
I will gather the ·crippled [lame];
I will ·bring together [assemble; gather] ·those who were sent away [the outcast/exile],
those whom I ·caused to have trouble [afflicted; filled with grief].
7 I will ·keep alive those who were crippled [make the lame a remnant],
and I will make a strong nation of those who were ·sent away [outcasts; exiles].
The Lord will ·be their king [reign over them] in Mount Zion from now on and forever.
8 And you, ·watchtower of the flocks [or Migdal-eder], ·hill [or stronghold] of ·Jerusalem [L Daughter Zion],
to you ·will come the kingdom [dominion will be restored] as in the past.
·Jerusalem [L Daughter Jerusalem], the ·right to rule [kingship; sovereignty] 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 no king/King; C either a human king or God]?
Have you lost your ·helper [counselor; wise guide],
so that you are in pain, like a woman ·trying to give birth [in labor]?
10 ·People of Jerusalem [L Daughter Zion], ·strain and be in pain [writhe and groan].
Be like a woman ·trying to give birth [in labor],
because now you must leave the city
and live in the field.
You will go to Babylon,
but you will be ·saved [rescued] from that place.
The Lord will go there
and ·buy you back [redeem you] from [L the hand of] your enemies.
11 But now many nations
have ·come to fight [gathered; assembled] against you,
saying, “·Let’s destroy Jerusalem [L Let her be defiled/desecrated].
We will ·look at her and be glad we have defeated [gloat over; L let our eye look upon] ·her [L Zion].”
12 But they don’t know
·what the Lord is thinking [the thoughts of the Lord];
they don’t understand his plan.
He has gathered them like ·bundles of grain [sheaves] to the threshing floor.
13 “Get up and ·beat them [thresh], ·people of Jerusalem [Daughter Zion].
I will make you ·strong as if you had horns of iron [horns of iron]
and hoofs of bronze.
You will beat many nations into small pieces
and ·give [devote; consecrate] their ·wealth [gains; spoils] to the Lord,
their ·treasure [wealth] to the Lord of all the earth.”
Micah 4
New King James Version
The Lord’s Reign in Zion(A)
4 Now (B)it shall come to pass in the latter days
That the mountain of the Lord’s house
Shall be established on the top of the mountains,
And shall be exalted above the hills;
And peoples shall flow to it.
2 Many nations shall come and say,
“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
He will teach us His ways,
And we shall walk in His paths.”
For out of Zion the law shall go forth,
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 He shall judge between many peoples,
And rebuke strong nations afar off;
They shall beat their swords into (C)plowshares,
And their spears into [a]pruning hooks;
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
(D)Neither shall they learn war anymore.
4 (E)But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree,
And no one shall make them afraid;
For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
5 For all people walk each in the name of his god,
But (F)we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
Forever and ever.
Zion’s Future Triumph
6 “In that day,” says the Lord,
(G)“I will assemble the lame,
(H)I will gather the outcast
And those whom I have afflicted;
7 I will make the lame (I)a remnant,
And the outcast a strong nation;
So the Lord (J)will reign over them in Mount Zion
From now on, even forever.
8 And you, O tower of the flock,
The stronghold of the daughter of Zion,
To you shall it come,
Even the former dominion shall come,
The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.”
9 Now why do you cry aloud?
(K)Is there no king in your midst?
Has your counselor perished?
For (L)pangs have seized you like a woman in [b]labor.
10 Be in pain, and labor to bring forth,
O daughter of Zion,
Like a woman in birth pangs.
For now you shall go forth from the city,
You shall dwell in the field,
And to (M)Babylon you shall go.
There you shall be delivered;
There the (N)Lord will (O)redeem you
From the hand of your enemies.
11 (P)Now also many nations have gathered against you,
Who say, “Let her be defiled,
And let our eye (Q)look upon Zion.”
12 But they do not know (R)the thoughts of the Lord,
Nor do they understand His counsel;
For He will gather them (S)like sheaves to the threshing floor.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
