The Restoration of Jerusalem (Micah 4:6–13)
1 UST Yahweh, the commander of the heavenly armies, gave me another message: BSB BSB: Again the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying:
2 UST This is what I, Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, say,“I love the people of Jerusalem; I love them very much, and I am very angry with their enemies.” 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 UST So this is what I, Yahweh, say:“Some day I will return to Mount Zion and I will live there. At that time, people will call Jerusalem‘The City of Faithful People’, and they will call the mountain that Yahweh, the commander of angel armies, possesses‘The Sacred Mountain.’” 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 UST Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, also says this:“Some day old men and old women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each of them holding a cane because they are very old. 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 UST Boys and girls will fill the city streets, playing there.” BSB BSB: And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing there.”
6 UST Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, also says this:“When those things happen, it will seem marvelous to the people who are still alive, but it certainly will not seem marvelous to me!” 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 UST Yahweh, the commander of the heavenly armies, also says this:“Pay attention! I will rescue my people from countries in the east and in the west, wherever they are. 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 UST I will bring them back, and they will live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will be faithful to them and treat them fairly.” 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 UST Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, also says this:“When people laid the foundation for my temple, there were prophets there who gave messages from me. Some of you people heard what those prophets said. So be brave while you are building the temple, in order that you may finish building it. 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 UST Before that time, no one could earn any wages for their work, and no one could hire animals for work, because there was no money. No one was safe going about their daily activities because of enemies, since I caused everyone to fight against one another. 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 UST But now I will act differently toward you people who are still alive than I did previously.” That is what Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, says. 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 UST “Instead, everything will go well for them: planting time will be peaceful, grapevines will produce grapes, good crops will grow in the fields, and rain will fall from the sky. I will give all these things to the people of this nation who have survived. 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 UST You people of Judah and Israel, right now, the people of other nations think of you when they say what a curse means. But I will rescue you, and I will give you so many good things that they will think of you when they say what a blessing means. So be brave; work hard to finish building the temple.” 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 UST Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, also says this,“When your ancestors caused me to become very angry, I did not change my mind about that. Instead, I indeed punished them. 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 UST But now I will do something different. I am planning to do good things to the people of Jerusalem and other towns in Judah again. So do not be afraid. BSB BSB: “so now I have resolved to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid.
16 UST These are the things that you should do: You should always tell the truth to each other. In the courts, your judges must make decisions according to what is correct and fair. BSB BSB: These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another, render true and sound judgments in your gates,
17 UST Do not plan to do evil things to others, and do not approve of swearing false accusations against others. I hate all those things,” says 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 UST Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, said this to me: BSB BSB: Then the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying,
19 UST “I tell you, the times when you people of Judah abstain from food during the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months of each year will become times when you celebrate pleasant and joyful festivals instead. But you must want to speak truthfully and to be peaceful.” 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 UST Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, also says this,“Some day people from many people groups and foreign cities will come here to Jerusalem. BSB BSB: This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Peoples will yet come—the residents of many cities—
21 UST People from one city will go to the people in another city and say,‘Quick! Let us go together to Jerusalem to worship Yahweh and ask him to bless us; we ourselves are going.’ 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 UST And people from many people groups and from powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to ask Yahweh, the commander of angel armies, to bless them, and they will worship him.” 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 UST Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, also says this,“At that time, many people from every people group, speaking their own language, will come and firmly grab the fringe of robe belonging to a man from Judah’s tribe. They will say to him,‘We want to be near you, because we have heard people say that 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.’”