Peaceful Latter Days

1 And it will come about in the last days
          That the mountain of the house of the LORD
          Will be established as the chief of the mountains.
          It will be raised above the hills,
          And the peoples will stream to it.

2 Many nations will come and say,
          “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD
          And to the house of the God of Jacob,
          That He may teach us about His ways
          And that we may walk in His paths.”
          For from Zion will go forth the law,
          Even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

3 And He will judge between many peoples
          And render decisions for mighty, distant nations.
          Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares
          And their spears into pruning hooks;
          Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
          And never again will they train for war.

4 Each of them will sit under his vine
          And under his fig tree,
          With no one to make them afraid,
          For the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.

5 Though all the peoples walk
          Each in the name of his god,
          As for us, we will walk
          In the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.

6 “In that day,” declares the LORD,
          “I will assemble the lame
          And gather the outcasts,
          Even those whom I have afflicted.

7 “I will make the lame a remnant
          And the outcasts a strong nation,
          And the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion
          From now on and forever.

8 “As for you, tower of the flock,
          Hill of the daughter of Zion,
          To you it will come—
          Even the former dominion will come,
          The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.

9 “Now, why do you cry out loudly?
          Is there no king among you,
          Or has your counselor perished,
          That agony has gripped you like a woman in childbirth?

10 “Writhe and labor to give birth,
          Daughter of Zion,
          Like a woman in childbirth;
          For now you will go out of the city,
          Dwell in the field,
          And go to Babylon.
          There you will be rescued;
          There the LORD will redeem you
          From the hand of your enemies.

11 “And now many nations have been assembled against you
          Who say, ‘Let her be polluted,
          And let our eyes gloat over Zion.’

12 “But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD,
          And they do not understand His purpose;
          For He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.

13 “Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion,
          For your horn I will make iron
          And your hoofs I will make bronze,
          That you may pulverize many peoples,
          That you may devote to the LORD their unjust gain
          And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.