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Micah 4

In the future many people will worship God

1 In the last days, the mountain of the Lord's temple will be great.

It will stand higher than all other mountains.

It will stand above all the hills.

Crowds of people will go there all the time.

2 As they come, people from many nations will say,

‘Come! We will go up to the mountain of the Lord, Jacob's God.

We will go to worship him at his temple.

He will teach us his laws.

Then we can live in a way that pleases him.’

Zion will be the place where people learn about God.

The Lord's message will go out from Jerusalem.

3 The Lord will judge between the people of many nations.

When they argue together, he will decide who is right.

They will take their swords

and they will make them into ploughs.

Their spears will become knives

to cut their vines.

Nations will no longer need weapons to attack other nations.

They will not prepare to fight wars any more.

4 Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree.

4:4 Vines and fig trees provided fruit for people. They also provided shade from the hot sun. This shows that people are living safely and they have food to eat.

Nobody will make them afraid any more.

The Lord Almighty has promised that this will happen.

5 People of other nations serve their own gods.

But we will serve the Lord our God for ever.

God will bring his people home again

6 The Lord says,

‘At that time, I will bring back together

the people that I have punished.

I caused them to suffer in other countries,

but I will bring them back together.

7 They are like weak people who cannot walk properly.

But I will cause those weak people to become strong again.

My people who have gone away

will become a great nation.

Then I, the Lord, will rule from Mount Zion.

I will be their king from that time and for ever.

8 And as for you, Jerusalem,

you have been a strong place for Zion's people to live in.

You have taken care of your people

as a shepherd takes care of his sheep.

At that time, you will again be an important place

where a king rules with authority.’

9 Jerusalem, it seems that you are shouting loudly

because you have no king to lead you.

You are crying like people who have no wise leader.

4:9The king in Jerusalem had failed to rule the people well. So the people were very sad and afraid.

You sound like a pregnant woman who has great pain

because she is giving birth to a baby.

10 Yes, you people of Zion should shake and scream,

like a woman who is giving birth.

Soon you will have to leave your city.

You will live out in the fields.

You will have to go and live in Babylon.

4:10Babylon was a rich and powerful city on the Euphrates River. The king of Babylon ruled many other countries. Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon who attacked Jerusalem.

But there the Lord will rescue you.

He will save you from the power of your enemies.

11 Many nations have now come together to attack your city.

They say: ‘We must completely destroy Jerusalem.

We want to see Zion's people suffer!’

12 But they do not know the Lord's thoughts.

They do not understand his plans.

He has decided to bring them together,

so that he will punish them.

They will be like bundles of wheat

that farmers hit with sticks on the threshing floor.

4:12A bundle is a group of things that people have tied together. Farmers hit the wheat to remove the seeds.

13 The Lord says,

‘People of Zion, get up and punish your enemies!

I will make you very strong,

like a bull that has iron horns

and feet that are made of bronze.

You will destroy enemies from many nations.

You will take the valuable things that they have taken from other people.

You will bring their riches to me, the Lord.

You will give them all to me, the Ruler of the whole earth.’

4:13Verses 9-11 say that enemies will come to attack Jerusalem. But God will finally rescue his people (verses 12-13).