Micah 4

¹ The mountain of the Temple of Yahweh will be put on top of the mountains and be lifted higher than the hills. The peoples will stream to it,

² nations without number will come to it; and they will say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the Temple of the God of Jacob so that he may teach us his ways and we may walk in his paths; since from Zion the Law will go out, and the oracle of Yahweh from Jerusalem.’

³ He will wield authority over many peoples and arbitrate for mighty nations; they will hammer their swords into ploughshares, their spears into sickles. Nation will not lift sword against nation, there will be no more training for war.

⁴ Each man will sit under his vine and his fig tree, with no one to trouble him. The mouth of Yahweh Sabaoth has spoken it.

⁵ For all the peoples go forward, each in the name of its god; but we, we go forward in the name of Yahweh, our God, for ever and evermore.

⁶ That day – it is Yahweh who speaks – I will finally gather in the lame, and bring together those that have been led astray and those that have suffered at my hand.

⁷ Out of the lame I will make a remnant, and out of the weary a mighty nation. Then will Yahweh reign over them on the mountain of Zion from now and for ever.

⁸ And you, Tower of the Flock, Ophel of the daughter of Zion,[*b] to you shall be given back your former sovereignty, and royal power over the House of Israel.

⁹ Why are you crying aloud? Is there no king within you? Are your counsellors lost that pains should grip you like a woman in labour?

¹⁰ Writhe, cry out, daughter of Zion, like a woman in labour, for now you have to leave the city and live in the open country. To Babylon you must go and there you will be rescued; there Yahweh will ransom you out of the power of your enemies.

¹¹ Now many nations are mustered against you. ‘Let her be desecrated,’ they say ‘let our eyes feast on the ruins of Zion.’

¹² But they do not know Yahweh’s thoughts, they have failed to understand his purpose, he has collected them like sheaves on the threshing floor.

¹³ Up, daughter of Zion, and thresh; for I will give you horns of iron, hoofs of bronze, for you to trample down many peoples. You will dedicate their plunder to Yahweh, their treasures to the Lord of the whole earth.

¹⁴ Now look to your fortifications, Fortress. They have laid siege against us; with a rod they strike on the cheek the judge of Israel.