The Mountain of the Lord

1In the last days

the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established

as chief among the mountains;

it will be raised above the hills,

and peoples will stream to it.

2Many nations will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the house of the God of Jacob.

He will teach us his ways,

so that we may walk in his paths.”

The law will go out from Zion,

the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

3He will judge between many peoples

and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.

They will beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation,

nor will they train for war anymore.

4Every man will sit under his own vine

and under his own fig tree,

and no one will make them afraid,

for the Lord Almighty has spoken.

5All the nations may walk

in the name of their gods;

we will walk in the name of the Lord

our God for ever and ever.

The Lord’s Plan

6“In that day,” declares the Lord,

“I will gather the lame;

I will assemble the exiles

and those I have brought to grief.

7I will make the lame a remnant,

those driven away a strong nation.

The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion

from that day and forever.

8As for you, O watchtower of the flock,

O strongholda of the Daughter of Zion,

the former dominion will be restored to you;

kingship will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem.”

9Why do you now cry aloud—

have you no king?

Has your counselor perished,

that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?

10Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion,

like a woman in labor,

for now you must leave the city

to camp in the open field.

You will go to Babylon;

there you will be rescued.

There the Lord will redeem you

out of the hand of your enemies.

11But now many nations

are gathered against you.

They say, “Let her be defiled,

let our eyes gloat over Zion!”

12But they do not know

the thoughts of the Lord;

they do not understand his plan,

he who gathers them like sheaves to the threshing floor.

13“Rise and thresh, O Daughter of Zion,

for I will give you horns of iron;

I will give you hoofs of bronze

and you will break to pieces many nations.”

You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,

their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.