The Prophet Micah

⭑ Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 4 -

(Isaiah 2:1–4)

Yahweh says that some day his temple will be on top of a mountain, and that mountain will be the most important one on the earth; it will be as though it was higher than all the hills, and huge groups of people from all over the world will come there to worship.

People from many nations will say to each other, “Let us go to the mountain where Yahweh is, to the temple where we can worship the God whom Jacob worshiped. There he will teach us how he wants us to conduct our lives, and we will do what he wants us to do.” Mount Zion is the place where he will teach people; and people will go out from Jerusalem to tell others his messages.

Yahweh will settle disputes between many different people and groups who are fighting against each other, and he will also settle disputes between powerful nations that are far away. Then people will hammer their swords to cause them to become plow blades, and hammer their spears to cause them to become pruning knives. Armies of nations will no longer fight against armies of other nations, and they will no longer train men how to fight in wars.

Everyone will sit peacefully under his own grapevines, and under his own fig trees; no one will cause them to be afraid. That is what will surely happen because Yahweh, Commander of the angel armies, has said it.

Many of the people of other nations will worship their own gods, but we will worship Yahweh our God always, forever.

The Restoration of Zion

(Zechariah 8:1–23)

Yahweh says, “There will soon be a time when I will gather the people whom I have punished, who have been exiled, all those whom I have caused to suffer much.

My people who did not die while they were exiled will become a strong nation again. Then I, Yahweh, will be their king, and I will rule from Jerusalem forever.

As for you people of Jerusalem, you who guard all of my people as a shepherd guards his sheep from a tower, you who live on Mount Zion will have great power again. You people who live in Jerusalem will again rule as you did previously.

So why are you wailing now? Is it because you have no king? Have all your wise people died? You are weeping loudly like a woman who is giving birth to a baby.

Well, you people of Jerusalem should twist and groan as a woman who is having birth pains, because now you must leave this city. While you are traveling, you will set up tents in open fields at night; you will go to live in Babylon. But while you are there, I, Yahweh, will rescue you; I will free you from the power of your enemies.

Now the armies of many nations have gathered to attack you. They are saying, ’Jerusalem must be destroyed! We want to see this city when it becomes ruins!’”

The prophet says, they do not know what Yahweh thinks; and they do not understand what he is planning. He will gather them and punish them as farmers thresh grain on the ground.

Yahweh says, “So, you people of Jerusalem, rise up and punish the nations who oppose you. I will cause you to be very strong, as if you had horns made of iron, as if you had hooves made of bronze; and you will crush many nations. Then you will take from your enemies the valuable things that they have taken from other countries, and I will cause you to dedicate those things to me, the one who is the Lord of all the people on the earth.”

(Isaiah 2:1–4)

But in the latter days, it will happen that the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established on the top of the mountains, and it will be exalted above the hills; and peoples will stream to it.

Many nations will go and say, “Come! Let’s go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the law will go out of Zion, and the LORD’s word from Jerusalem;

and he will judge between many peoples, and will decide concerning strong nations afar off. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war any more.

But every man will sit under his vine and under his fig tree. No one will make them afraid, for the mouth of the LORD of Armies has spoken.

Indeed all the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.

The Restoration of Zion

(Zechariah 8:1–23)

“In that day,” says the LORD, “I will assemble that which is lame, and I will gather that which is driven away, and that which I have afflicted;

and I will make that which was lame a remnant, and that which was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever.”

You, tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it will come. Yes, the former dominion will come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.

Now why do you cry out aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pains have taken hold of you as of a woman in travail?

Be in pain, and labor to give birth, daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail; for now you will go out of the city, and will dwell in the field, and will come even to Babylon. There you will be rescued. There the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.

Now many nations have assembled against you, that say, “Let her be defiled, and let our eye gloat over Zion.”

But they don’t know the thoughts of the LORD, neither do they understand his counsel; for he has gathered them like the sheaves to the threshing floor.

Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion, for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hoofs bronze. You will beat in pieces many peoples. I will devote their gain to the LORD, and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth.