Micah 3–4: Zion Will Be Plowed Like a Field": The Price of Prophecy
Scripture: Berean Standard Bible
Then I said:
“Hear now, O leaders of Jacob,you rulers of the house of Israel.Should you not know justice?You hate good and love evil.You tear the skin from my peopleand strip the flesh from their bones.You eat the flesh of my peopleafter stripping off their skinand breaking their bones.You chop them up like flesh for the cooking pot,like meat in a cauldron.”
Then they will cry out to the LORD,but he will not answer them.At that time he will hide his face from thembecause of the evil they have done.
This is what the LORD says:
“As for the prophetswho lead my people astray,who proclaim peacewhile they chew with their teeth,but declare war against onewho puts nothing in their mouths:Therefore night will come over you without visions,and darkness without divination.The sun will set on these prophets,and the daylight will turn black over them.Then the seers will be ashamedand the diviners will be disgraced.They will all cover their mouthsbecause there is no answer from God.”
As for me, however, I am filled with powerby the Spirit of the LORD,with justice and courage,to declare to Jacob his transgressionand to Israel his sin.
Now hear this, O leaders of the house of Jacoband rulers of the house of Israel,who despise justiceand pervert all that is right,who build Zion with bloodshedand Jerusalem with iniquity.Her leaders judge for a bribe,her priests teach for a price,and her prophets practice divination for money.Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying,“Is not the LORD among us?No disaster can come upon us.”Therefore, because of you,Zion will be plowed like a field,Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,and the temple mount a wooded ridge.In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORDwill be established as the chief of the mountains;it will be raised above the hills,and the peoples will stream to it.
And many 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.”
For the law will go forth from Zionand the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.Then he will judge between many peoplesand arbitrate for strong nations far and wide.Then they will beat their swords into plowsharesand their spears into pruning hooks.Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation,nor will they train anymore for war.And each man will sit under his own vineand under his own fig tree,with no one to frighten him.For the mouth of the LORD of Hosts has spoken.Though each of the peoplesmay walk in the name of his god,yet we will walk in the name of the LORD our Godforever and ever.
“On that day,” declares the LORD,“I will gather the lame;I will assemble the outcast,even those whom I have afflicted.And I will make the lame into a remnant,and the outcast into a strong nation.Then the LORD will rule over them in Mount Zionfrom that day and forever.And you, O watchtower of the flock,O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion—the former dominion will be restored to you;sovereignty will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem.”
Why do you now cry aloud?Is there no king among you?Has your counselor perishedso that anguish grips you like a woman in labor?Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion,like a woman in labor.For now you will leave the cityand camp in the open fields.You will go to Babylon;there you will be rescued;there the LORD will redeem youfrom the hand of your enemies!
But now many nationshave assembled against you,saying, “Let her be defiled,and let us feast our eyes on Zion.”But they do not know the thoughts of the LORDor understand his plan,for he has gathered themlike sheaves to the threshing floor.Rise and thresh, O Daughter of Zion,for I will give you horns of ironand hooves of bronzeto break to pieces many peoples.Then you will devote their gain to the LORD,their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.