Micah

¹ God's Temple on the mountain, Firmly fixed, will dominate all mountains, towering above surrounding hills. People will stream to it

² Saying, "Come, let's climb God's mountain. Let's go to the Temple of Jacob's God. He will teach us how to live. We'll know how to live God's way." True teaching will issue from Zion, God's revelation from Jerusalem.

³ and settle disputes in faraway places. They'll trade in their swords for shovels, their spears for rakes and hoes. Nations will quit fighting each other, quit learning how to kill one another.

⁴ each woman in safety will tend her own garden. God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so, and he means what he says.

⁵ picking and choosing their gods. But we live honoring God, and we're loyal to our God forever and ever.

⁶ "I will round up all the hurt and homeless, everyone I have bruised or banished.

⁷ I will make a strong nation out of the long lost, A showcase exhibit of God's rule in action, as I rule from Mount Zion, from here to eternity.

⁸ eking out a living in shantytowns: The glory that once was will be again. Jerusalem's daughter will be the kingdom center."

⁹ You still have a king, don't you? But maybe he's not doing his job and you're panicked like a woman in labor.

¹⁰ You are like a woman in childbirth. You'll soon be out of the city, on your way and camping in the open country. And then you'll arrive in Babylon. What you lost in Jerusalem will be found in Babylon. God will give you new life again. He'll redeem you from your enemies.

¹¹ many godless peoples, saying, "Kick her when she's down! Violate her! We want to see Zion grovel in the dirt."

¹² what God is thinking and doing in this. They don't know that this is the making of God's people, that they are wheat being threshed, gold being refined.

¹³ be refined of dross. I'm remaking you into a people invincible, into God's juggernaut to crush the godless peoples. You'll bring their plunder as holy offerings to God, their wealth to the Master of the earth.