1 Of the kingdom of Christ, and felicity of his Church.

But in the [a]last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the House of the Lord shall be prepared in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the [b]hills, and people shall flow unto it.

Yea, many nations shall come and say, Come, and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, and to the House of the God of Jacob, and he will [c]teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the Law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

And he shall judge among many people, and [d]rebuke mighty nations afar off, and they shall break their swords into mattocks, and their spears into [e]scythes: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they [f]learn to fight anymore.

But they shall sit every man under his vine, and under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.

For all people will walk [g]everyone in the name of his god, and we will walk in the Name of the Lord our God, forever and ever.

At the same day saith the Lord, will I gather her that halteth, and I will gather her that is cast out, and her that I have afflicted.

And I will make her that halteth, [h]a remnant, and her that was cast far off, a mighty nation, and the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion, from henceforth even forever.

And thou, O [i]tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter Zion, unto thee shall it come, even [j]the first dominion, and kingdom shall come to the daughter Jerusalem.

Now why dost thou cry out with lamentation? is [k]there no king in thee? is thy counselor perished? for sorrow hath taken thee, as a woman in travail.

10 Sorrow and mourn, O daughter Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth of the city, and dwell in the field, and shalt go into Babel, but there shalt thou be delivered: there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

11 Now also many nations are gathered against thee, saying, Zion shall be condemned, and our eye shall look upon Zion.

12 But they [l]know not the thoughts of the Lord: they understand not his counsel, for he shall gather them as the sheaves in the barn.

13 Arise and thresh, [m]O daughter Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thine hooves brass, and thou shalt break in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their riches unto the Lord: and their substance unto the ruler of the whole world.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 4:1 When Christ shall come, and the Temple shall be destroyed.
  2. Micah 4:1 Read Isa. 2:2.
  3. Micah 4:2 He showeth that there is no true Church, but where as the people are taught by God’s pure word.
  4. Micah 4:3 By his corrections and threatenings he will bring the people into subjection which are in the utmost corners of the world.
  5. Micah 4:3 They shall abstain from all evil doing, and exercise themselves in godliness and in well doing to others.
  6. Micah 4:3 Read Isa. 2:4
  7. Micah 4:5 He showeth that the people of God ought to remain constant in their religion, albeit all the world should give themselves to their superstition and idolatry.
  8. Micah 4:7 I will cause that Israel, which is now as one lame and halting, and so almost destroyed, shall live again, and grow into a great people.
  9. Micah 4:8 Meaning, Jerusalem, where the Lord’s flock was gathered.
  10. Micah 4:8 The flourishing state of the kingdom, as it was under David and Solomon, which thing was accomplished to the Church by the coming of Christ.
  11. Micah 4:9 In the mean season he showeth that they should endure great troubles and temptations when thy saw themselves neither to have king nor counsel.
  12. Micah 4:12 He showeth that the faithful ought not to measure God’s judgments by the brags and threatenings of the wicked, but thereby are admonished to lift up their hearts to God to call for deliverance.
  13. Micah 4:13 God giveth his Church this victory, so oft as he overcometh their enemies: but the accomplishment thereof shall be at the last coming of Christ.

The Mountain of the Lord(A)

In the last days

the mountain(B) of the Lord’s temple will be established
    as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,(C)
    and peoples will stream to it.(D)

Many nations will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,(E)
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.(F)
He will teach us(G) his ways,(H)
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law(I) will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will judge between many peoples
    and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.(J)
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.(K)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
    nor will they train for war(L) anymore.(M)
Everyone will sit under their own vine
    and under their own fig tree,(N)
and no one will make them afraid,(O)
    for the Lord Almighty has spoken.(P)
All the nations may walk
    in the name of their gods,(Q)
but we will walk in the name of the Lord
    our God for ever and ever.(R)

The Lord’s Plan

“In that day,” declares the Lord,

“I will gather the lame;(S)
    I will assemble the exiles(T)
    and those I have brought to grief.(U)
I will make the lame my remnant,(V)
    those driven away a strong nation.(W)
The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion(X)
    from that day and forever.(Y)
As for you, watchtower of the flock,
    stronghold[a] of Daughter Zion,
the former dominion will be restored(Z) to you;
    kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.(AA)

Why do you now cry aloud—
    have you no king[b](AB)?
Has your ruler[c] perished,
    that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?(AC)
10 Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion,
    like a woman in labor,
for now you must leave the city
    to camp in the open field.
You will go to Babylon;(AD)
    there you will be rescued.
There the Lord will redeem(AE) you
    out of the hand of your enemies.

11 But now many nations
    are gathered against you.
They say, “Let her be defiled,
    let our eyes gloat(AF) over Zion!”
12 But they do not know
    the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,(AG)
    that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 “Rise and thresh,(AH) Daughter Zion,
    for I will give you horns of iron;
I will give you hooves of bronze,
    and you will break to pieces many nations.”(AI)
You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,(AJ)
    their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 4:8 Or hill
  2. Micah 4:9 Or King
  3. Micah 4:9 Or Ruler