Everlasting Peace
(Micah 4.1-3)1 Here is the message which God gave to Isaiah son of Amoz about Judah and Jerusalem:
2 In days to come
the mountain where the Temple stands
will be the highest one of all,
towering above all the hills.
Many nations will come streaming to it,
3 and their people will say,
“Let us go up the hill of the Lord,
to the Temple of Israel's God.
He will teach us what he wants us to do;
we will walk in the paths he has chosen.
For the Lord's teaching comes from Jerusalem;
from Zion he speaks to his people.”
4 He will settle disputes among great nations.
They will hammer their swords into plows
and their spears into pruning knives.
Nations will never again go to war,
never prepare for battle again.
5 Now, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light which the Lord gives us!
Arrogance Will Be Destroyed
6 O God, you have forsaken your people, the descendants of Jacob! The land is full of magic practices from the East and from Philistia. The people follow foreign customs. 7 Their land is full of silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses, and there is no end to their chariots. 8 Their land is full of idols, and they worship objects that they have made with their own hands.
9 Everyone will be humiliated and disgraced. Do not forgive them, Lord!
10 They will hide in caves in the rocky hills or dig holes in the ground to try to escape from the Lord's anger and to hide from his power and glory! 11 A day is coming when human pride will be ended and human arrogance destroyed. Then the Lord alone will be exalted. 12 On that day the Lord Almighty will humble everyone who is powerful, everyone who is proud and conceited. 13 He will destroy the tall cedars of Lebanon and all the oaks in the land of Bashan. 14 He will level the high mountains and hills, 15 every high tower, and the walls of every fortress. 16 He will sink even the largest and most beautiful ships. 17-18 Human pride will be ended, and human arrogance will be destroyed. Idols will completely disappear, and the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.
19 People will hide in caves in the rocky hills or dig holes in the ground to try to escape from the Lord's anger and to hide from his power and glory, when he comes to shake the earth. 20 When that day comes, they will throw away the gold and silver idols they have made, and abandon them to the moles and the bats. 21 When the Lord comes to shake the earth, people will hide in holes and caves in the rocky hills to try to escape from his anger and to hide from his power and glory.
22 Put no more confidence in mortals. What are they worth?
1 The worde that Isaiah the sonne of Amoz sawe vpon Iudah and Ierusalem. 2 It shall be in the last dayes, that the mountaine of the house of the Lord shalbe prepared in the top of the mountaines, and shall be exalted aboue the hilles, and all nations shall flowe vnto it. 3 And many people shall go, and say, Come, and let vs go vp to the mountaine of the Lord, to the house of the God of Iaakob, and hee will teach vs his wayes, and we will walke in his paths: for the Lawe shall go foorth of Zion, and the worde of the Lord from Ierusalem, 4 And he shall iudge among the nations, and rebuke many people: they shall breake their swords also into mattocks, and their speares into siethes: nation shall not lift vp a sworde against nation, neither shall they learne to fight any more. 5 O house of Iaakob, come ye, and let vs walke in the Lawe of the Lord. 6 Surely thou hast forsaken thy people, the house of Iaakob, because they are full of the East maners, and are sorcerers as the Philistims, and abound with strange children. 7 Their land also was full of siluer and golde, and there was none ende of their treasures: and their land was full of horses, and their charets were infinite. 8 Their land also was full of idols: they worshipped the worke of their owne hands, which their owne fingers haue made. 9 And a man bowed himselfe, and a man humbled himselfe: therefore spare them not. 10 Enter into the rocke, and hide thee in the dust from before the feare of the Lord, and from the glory of his maiestie. 11 The hie looke of man shall be humbled, and the loftinesse of men shalbe abased, and the Lord onely shall be exalted in that day. 12 For the day of the Lord of hostes is vpon all the proude and hautie, and vpon all that is exalted: and it shalbe made lowe. 13 Euen vpon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are hie and exalted, and vpon all the okes of Bashan, 14 And vpon all the hie mountaines, and vpon all the hilles that are lifted vp, 15 And vpon euery hie tower, and vpon euery strong wall, 16 And vpon all the shippes of Tarshish, and vpon all pleasant pictures. 17 And the hautinesse of men shalbe brought low, and the loftinesse of men shalbe abased, and the Lord shall onely be exalted in that day. 18 And the idoles will he vtterly destroy. 19 Then they shall goe into the holes of the rockes, and into the caues of the earth, from before the feare of the Lord, and from the glory of his maiestie, when he shall arise to destroy the earth. 20 At that day shall man cast away his siluer idoles, and his golden idoles (which they had made themselues to worship them) to the mowles and to the backes, 21 To goe into the holes of the rockes, and into the toppes of the ragged rockes from before the feare of the Lord, and from the glory of his maiestie, when he shall rise to destroy the earth. 22 Cease you from the man whose breath is in his nostrels: for wherein is he to be esteemed?