Micah 4; Micah 5; Revelation 12

Micah 4

1 In the last days the mountain of the LORD's house will be established as the highest of the mountains and raised above the hills. People will stream to it.

2 Then many nations will come and say, "Let's go to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways so that we may live by them." The teachings will go out from Zion. The word of the LORD will go out from Jerusalem.

3 Then he will judge disputes between many people and settle arguments between many nations far and wide. They will hammer their swords into plowblades and their spears into pruning shears. Nations will never fight against each other, and they will never train for war again.

4 They will sit under their grapevines and their fig trees, and no one will make them afraid. The LORD of Armies has spoken.

5 All the nations live by the names of their gods, but we will live by the name of the LORD our God forever.

6 "When that day comes," declares the LORD, "I will gather those who are lame. I will bring together those who are scattered and those whom I have injured.

7 I will change those who are lame into a faithful people. I will change those who are forced away into a strong nation." The LORD will rule them on Mount Zion now and forever.

8 You, Jerusalem, watchtower of the flock, stronghold of the people of Zion, your former government will come back to you. The kingdom will return to the people of Jerusalem.

9 Now why are you crying so loudly? Don't you have a king? Has your counselor died? Pain grips you like a woman in labor.

10 Daughter of Zion, writhe in pain and groan like a woman in labor. Now you will leave the city, live in the open fields, and go to Babylon. There you will be rescued. There the LORD will reclaim you from your enemies.

11 But now many nations gather against you. They say, "Let's dishonor Zion and gloat over it."

12 They don't know the thoughts of the LORD or understand his plan. He will bring them together like cut grain on the threshing floor.

13 Get up and thresh, people of Zion. I will make your horns as hard as iron and your hoofs as hard as bronze. You will smash many nations into small pieces. You will claim their loot for the LORD, their wealth for the Lord of the whole earth.

Micah 5

1 Now, gather your troops, you city of troops. We are under attack. Enemies will strike the judge of Israel on the cheek with a stick.

2 You, Bethlehem Ephrathah, are too small to be included among Judah's cities. Yet, from you Israel's future ruler will come for me. His origins go back to the distant past, to days long ago.

3 That is why the LORD will abandon Israel until the time a mother has a child. Then the rest of the LORD's people will return to the people of Israel.

4 The child will become the shepherd of his flock. [He will lead them] with the strength of the LORD, with the majestic name of the LORD his God. They will live in safety because his greatness will reach the ends of the earth.

5 This man will be their peace. When the Assyrians invade our land and trample our palaces, we will attack them with seven shepherds and eight leaders.

6 They will rule Assyria with their swords and the country of Nimrod with drawn swords. They will rescue us from the Assyrians when they come into our land and walk within our territory.

7 Then the few people left from Jacob will be among many people like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass. They do not put their hope in humans or wait for mortals.

8 The few people left from Jacob will be among the nations, among many people. They will be like a lion among animals in the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep. When a lion hunts, it tramples [its victims] and tears [them] to pieces, and there is no one to rescue them.

9 You will use your power against your opponents, and all your enemies will be destroyed.

10 "When that day comes," declares the LORD, "I will destroy your horses and demolish your chariots.

11 I will destroy the cities in your land and tear down all your fortresses.

12 I will destroy your sorcerers, and you will have no more fortunetellers.

13 I will destroy your idols and your sacred monuments. You will no longer worship what your hands have made.

14 I will pull out your poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah. I will wipe out your cities.

15 I will take revenge with great anger on the nations that do not obey me."

Revelation 12

1 A spectacular sign appeared in the sky: There was a woman who was dressed in the sun, who had the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars on her head.

2 She was pregnant. She cried out from labor pains and the agony of giving birth.

3 Another sign appeared in the sky: a huge fiery red serpent with seven heads, ten horns, and seven crowns on its heads.

4 Its tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky and threw them down to earth. The serpent stood in front of the woman who was going to give birth so that it could devour her child when it was born.

5 She gave birth to a son, a boy, who is to rule all the nations with an iron scepter. Her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne.

6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness where God had prepared a place for her so that she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

7 Then a war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels had to fight a war with the serpent. The serpent and its angels fought.

8 But it was not strong enough, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.

9 The huge serpent was thrown down. That ancient snake, named Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, was thrown down to earth. Its angels were thrown down with it.

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, power, kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah have come. The one accusing our brothers and sisters, the one accusing them day and night in the presence of our God, has been thrown out.

11 They won the victory over him because of the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. They didn't love their life so much that they refused to give it up.

12 Be glad for this reason, heavens and those who live in them. How horrible it is for the earth and the sea because the Devil has come down to them with fierce anger, knowing that he has little time left."

13 When the serpent saw that it had been thrown down to earth, it persecuted the woman who had given birth to the boy.

14 The woman was given the two wings of the large eagle in order to fly away from the snake to her place in the wilderness, where she could be taken care of for a time, times, and half a time.

15 The snake's mouth poured out a river of water behind the woman in order to sweep her away.

16 The earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river which had poured out of the serpent's mouth.

17 The serpent became angry with the woman. So it went away to fight with her other children, the ones who keep God's commands and hold on to the testimony of Jesus.

18 The serpent stood on the sandy shore of the sea.