‏ Micah 4

The Lord’s Rule from Restored Zion

1 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: Originally a term for the fortified section of Jerusalem and then, by extension, used for the temple and the city of Jerusalem both in the present time and in the future
Zion h
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 He will settle disputes among many peoples i
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 j
and under his fig tree
with no one to frighten him. k
For the mouth of the Lord l of
Hosts/hosts: Military forces consisting of God's angels, sometimes including the sun, moon, and stars, and occasionally, Israel
Hosts
has promised this.
5 Though all the peoples each walk
in the name of their gods, n
we will walk o in the name of
Yahweh/Yah: Or The Lord; the personal name of God in Hebrew; "Yah" is the shortened form of the name.
Yahweh our God
forever and ever. q

6 On that day
this is the Lord’s declaration

I will assemble the lame
and gather the scattered, r
those I have injured.
7 I will make the lame into a remnant, s
those far removed into a strong nation.
Then the Lord will rule over them t in Mount Zion
from this time on and forever.
8 And you, watchtower for the flock, u
fortified hill
Or flock, Ophel
of Daughter Zion,
the former rule w will come to you,
sovereignty will come to Daughter Jerusalem.

From Exile to Victory

9 Now, why are you shouting loudly? x
Is there no king with you?
Has your counselor perished y
so that anguish grips you like a woman in labor?
10 Writhe and cry out,
Hb obscure
,
aa Daughter Zion,
like a woman in labor,
for now you will leave the city ab
and camp in the open fields.
You will go to Babylon;
there you will be rescued; ac
there the Lord will redeem you ad
from the power of your enemies!
11 Many nations have now assembled against you; ae
they say, “Let her be defiled,
and let us feast our eyes on Zion.”
12 But they do not know the Lord’s intentions af
or understand His plan,
that He has gathered them
like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 Rise and thresh, ag Daughter Zion,
for I will make your horns iron
and your hooves bronze,
so you can crush many peoples. ah
Then you
LXX, Syr, Tg; MT reads I
will
set apart for destruction/ completely destroy: In Canaan or its neighboring countries, this was the destruction during war of a city, its inhabitants, and their possessions, including livestock.
set apart their plunder ak
to the Lord for destruction,
their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.
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