Micah 4

Peace and Prosperity

1 In the future, the mountain

with the Lord's temple

will be the highest of all.

It will reach above the hills,

and every nation

will rush to it.

2 People of many nations

will come and say,

"Let’s go up to the mountain

of the Lord God of Jacob

and worship in his temple."

The Lord will teach us his Law

from Jerusalem,

and we will obey him.

3 *Is 2.4;Jl 3.10. He will settle arguments

between distant

and powerful nations.

They will pound their swords

and their spears

into rakes and shovels;

they will never again make war

or attack one another.

4 *Zec 3.10. Everyone will find rest

beneath their own fig trees

or grape vines,

and they will live in peace.

This is a solemn promise

of the Lord All-Powerful.

5 Others may follow their gods,

but we will always follow

the Lord our God.

The Lord Will Lead His People Home

6 The Lord said:

At that time

I will gather my people—

the lame and the outcasts,

and all others into whose lives

I have brought sorrow.

7 Then the lame and the outcasts

will belong to my people

and become a strong nation.

I, the Lord, will rule them

from Mount Zion forever.

8 Mount Zion in Jerusalem,

guardian of my people,

you will rule again.

9 Jerusalem, why are you crying?

Don’t you have a king?

Have your advisors gone?

Are you suffering

like a woman in childbirth?

10 Keep on groaning with pain,

you people of Jerusalem!

If you escape from your city

to the countryside,

you will still be taken

as prisoners to Babylonia.

But later I will rescue you

from your enemies.

11 Zion, because of your sins

you are surrounded

by many nations who say,

"We can hardly wait

to see you disgraced."*4.11 We … disgraced: Or "We’ll pull up your skirt and expose your nakedness!"

12 But they don’t know

that I, the Lord,

have gathered them here

to grind them like grain.

13 Smash them to pieces, Zion!

I’ll let you be like a bull

with iron horns

and bronze hoofs.

Crush those nations

and bring their wealth to me,

the Lord of the earth.