The Restoration of Jerusalem (Micah 4:6–13)
1 ULT And the word of Yahweh of Armies came, saying, BSB BSB: Again the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying:
2 ULT “Thus says Yahweh of Armies,‘I have been jealous for Zion{ with} a great jealousy, and I have been jealous for her{ with} great heat.’ BSB BSB: This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I am jealous for Zion with great zeal; I am jealous for her with great fervor.”
3 ULT Thus says Yahweh,‘I will return to Zion and will live in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem will be called“the city of faithfulness” and the mountain of Yahweh of Armies,“the mountain of holiness!”’ BSB BSB: This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of Hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.”
4 ULT Thus says Yahweh of Armies,‘Old men and old women will again sit in the open areas of Jerusalem, and a man{ with} his staff in his hand from a multitude of days. BSB BSB: This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Old men and old women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of great age.
5 ULT And the open areas of the city will be filled{ with} boys and girls playing in its open areas.’ BSB BSB: And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing there.”
6 ULT Thus says Yahweh of Armies,‘If it is wonderful in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be wonderful in my eyes?’— the declaration of Yahweh of Armies. BSB BSB: This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “If this is impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be impossible in My eyes?” declares the LORD of Hosts.
7 ULT Thus says Yahweh of Armies,‘Behold, I am saving my people from the land of the sunrise and from the land of the setting of the sun. BSB BSB: This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west.
8 ULT And I will bring them, and they will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and they will be to me as a people, and I, I will be to them as God in faithfulness and in righteousness.’ BSB BSB: I will bring them back to dwell in Jerusalem, where they will be My people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God.”
9 ULT Thus says Yahweh of Armies,‘May your hands be strong, you who are hearing in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets who{ were} there on the day{ when} the house of Yahweh of Armies was founded, the temple to be built. BSB BSB: This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Let your hands be strong, you who now hear these words spoken by the prophets who were present when the foundations were laid to rebuild the temple, the house of the LORD of Hosts.
10 ULT For to the face of those days, the wages of man were not, and the wages of the beast, there were none. And for the one going out and for the one coming in there was no peace from the enemy, and I sent every man, each against his neighbor. BSB BSB: For before those days neither man nor beast received wages, nor was there safety from the enemy for anyone who came or went, for I had turned every man against his neighbor.
11 ULT But now, I will not be to the remnant of this people like the former days’— the declaration of Yahweh of Armies. BSB BSB: But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as I did in the past,” declares the LORD of Hosts.
12 ULT ‘For{ there} will be the seed of peace: the vine will give its fruit, and the land will give its produce, and the heavens will give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. BSB BSB: “For the seed will be prosperous, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will yield its produce, and the skies will give their dew. To the remnant of this people I will give all these things as an inheritance.
13 ULT And it will be just as you were a curse in the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you and you will be a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong!’ BSB BSB: As you have been a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid; let your hands be strong.”
14 ULT For thus says Yahweh of Armies,‘Just as I planned to cause harm to you when your fathers angered me’— says Yahweh of Armies—‘and did not relent, BSB BSB: For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Just as I resolved to bring disaster upon you when your fathers provoked Me to anger, and I did not relent,” says the LORD of Hosts,
15 ULT thus I have turned; I plan in these days to cause good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah! Do not fear! BSB BSB: “so now I have resolved to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid.
16 ULT These are the things that you must do: Speak truth, each with his neighbor; judge in your gates{ with} faithfulness and a judgement of peace. BSB BSB: These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another, render true and sound judgments in your gates,
17 ULT And a man shall not plan evil within his heart{ against} his neighbor, and oath of falseness you shall not love— for all of these{ are that} which I hate!’— the declaration of Yahweh.” BSB BSB: do not plot evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely, for I hate all these things,” declares the LORD.
18 ULT And the word of Yahweh of Armies came to me, saying, BSB BSB: Then the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying,
19 ULT “Thus says Yahweh of Armies,‘The fast of the fourth, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth{ months} will become into joy, and into gladness, and into happy festivals for the house of Judah! And love faithfulness and peace!’ BSB BSB: “This is what the LORD of Hosts says: The fasts of the fourth, the fifth, the seventh, and the tenth months will become times of joy and gladness, cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore you are to love both truth and peace.”
20 ULT Thus says Yahweh of Armies,‘Yet{ it will happen} that nations and the inhabitants of many cities will come. BSB BSB: This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Peoples will yet come—the residents of many cities—
21 ULT The inhabitants of one{ city} will go to another saying,“Let us quickly go to beg the face of Yahweh and to seek Yahweh of Armies! I, I also will go” BSB BSB: and the residents of one city will go to another, saying: ‘Let us go at once to plead before the LORD and to seek the LORD of Hosts. I myself am going.’
22 ULT Many people and mighty nations will come to seek Yahweh of Armies in Jerusalem and beg the face of Yahweh!’ BSB BSB: And many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of Hosts in Jerusalem and to plead before the LORD.”
23 ULT Thus says Yahweh of Armies,‘In those days{ there will be} ten men from every language of the nations who will grab, and they will grab the hem of a man of Judah, saying,“Let us go with you, for we have heard God is with you!”’” BSB BSB: This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue will tightly grasp the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”