Micah - Chapter 4

Translation and Transliteration of

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1In the days to come, The Mount of Hashem's House shall stand Firm above the mountains; And it shall tower above the hills. The peoples shall gaze on it with joy,

אוְהָיָה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים יִהְיֶה הַר בֵּית־יְהֹוָה נָכוֹן בְּרֹאשׁ הֶהָרִים וְנִשָּׂא הוּא מִגְּבָעוֹת וְנָהֲרוּ עָלָיו עַמִּים׃

2And the many nations shall go and shall say:“Come,Let us go up to the Mount of Hashem,To the House of the God of Yaakov;That He may instruct us in His ways,And that we may walk in His paths.”For instruction shall come forth from Tzion,The word of Hashem from Yerushalayim.

בוְהָלְכוּ גּוֹיִם רַבִּים וְאָמְרוּ לְכוּ וְנַעֲלֶה אֶל־הַר־יְהֹוָה וְאֶל־בֵּית אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב וְיוֹרֵנוּ מִדְּרָכָיו וְנֵלְכָה בְּאֹרְחֹתָיו כִּי מִצִּיּוֹן תֵּצֵא תוֹרָה וּדְבַר־יְהֹוָה מִירוּשָׁלָ ִם׃

3Thus He will judge among the many peoples, And arbitrate for the multitude of nations, However distant; And they shall beat their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not take up Sword against nation; They shall never again know war;

גוְשָׁפַט בֵּין עַמִּים רַבִּים וְהוֹכִיחַ לְגוֹיִם עֲצֻמִים עַד־רָחוֹק וְכִתְּתוּ חַרְבֹתֵיהֶם לְאִתִּים וַחֲנִיתֹתֵיהֶם לְמַזְמֵרוֹת לֹא־יִשְׂאוּ גּוֹי אֶל־גּוֹי חֶרֶב וְלֹא־יִלְמְדוּן עוֹד מִלְחָמָה׃

4But every man shall sit Under his grapevine or fig tree With no one to disturb him. For it was God the lord of Hosts who spoke.

v'-ya-sh'-VU EESH TA-khat gaf-NO v'-TA-khat t'-ay-na-TO v'-AYN ma-kha-REED kee FEE a-do-NAI tz'-va-OT di-BAYR

דוְיָשְׁבוּ אִישׁ תַּחַת גַּפְנוֹ וְתַחַת תְּאֵנָתוֹ וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד כִּי־פִי יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת דִּבֵּר׃

4:4 But every man shall sit under his grapevine or fig tree

Figs are one of the seven agricultural species that are special products of the Land of Israel (Deuteronomy 8:8). They are first mentioned in the Bible in the beginning of Sefer Bereishit (3:7), when Adam and Chava cover their nakedness with fig leaves. The Talmud compares the Torah itself to a fig tree. Just as one always finds figs on the tree since the fruits do not all ripen at the same time, similarly, one will always find new flavor in the Torah he is studying (Eruvin 54). During King Shlomo’s reign, all of Israel lived in safety, “everyone under his own vine and under his own fig tree” (I Kings 5:5), a phrase that indicates national prosperity and also demonstrates that, in biblical tradition, the fig tree serves as a symbol of peace and tranquility. In this verse, the prophet Micha promises the same peace and tranquility in the time of the redemption.

Fig tree in Jerusalem

Fig clusters.

5Though all the peoples walk Each in the names of its gods, We will walk In the name of Hashem our God Forever and ever.

הכִּי כָּל־הָעַמִּים יֵלְכוּ אִישׁ בְּשֵׁם אֱלֹהָיו וַאֲנַחְנוּ נֵלֵךְ בְּשֵׁם־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד׃

6In that day —declares Hashem— I will assemble the lame [sheep] And will gather the outcast And those I have treated harshly;

ובַּיּוֹם הַהוּא נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה אֹסְפָה הַצֹּלֵעָה וְהַנִּדָּחָה אֲקַבֵּצָה וַאֲשֶׁר הֲרֵעֹתִי׃

7And I will turn the lame into a remnant And the expelled into a populous nation. And Hashem will reign over them on Mount Tzion Now and for evermore.

זוְשַׂמְתִּי אֶת־הַצֹּלֵעָה לִשְׁאֵרִית וְהַנַּהֲלָאָה לְגוֹי עָצוּם וּמָלַךְ יְהֹוָה עֲלֵיהֶם בְּהַר צִיּוֹן מֵעַתָּה וְעַד־עוֹלָם׃

8And you, O Migdal-eder, Outpost of Fair Tzion, It shall come to you: The former monarchy shall return— The kingship of Fair Yerushalayim.

חוְאַתָּה מִגְדַּל־עֵדֶר עֹפֶל בַּת־צִיּוֹן עָדֶיךָ תֵּאתֶה וּבָאָה הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה הָרִאשֹׁנָה מַמְלֶכֶת לְבַת־יְרוּשָׁלָ ִם׃

9Now why do you utter such cries? Is there no king in you, Have your advisors perished, That you have been seized by writhing Like a woman in travail?

טעַתָּה לָמָּה תָרִיעִי רֵעַ הֲמֶלֶךְ אֵין־בָּךְ אִם־יוֹעֲצֵךְ אָבָד כִּי־הֶחֱזִיקֵךְ חִיל כַּיּוֹלֵדָה׃

10Writhe and scream, Fair Tzion, Like a woman in travail! For now you must leave the city And dwell in the country— And you will reach Babylon. There you shall be saved, There Hashem will redeem you From the hands of your foes.

יחוּלִי וָגֹחִי בַּת־צִיּוֹן כַּיּוֹלֵדָה כִּי־עַתָּה תֵצְאִי מִקִּרְיָה וְשָׁכַנְתְּ בַּשָּׂדֶה וּבָאת עַד־בָּבֶל שָׁם תִּנָּצֵלִי שָׁם יִגְאָלֵךְ יְהֹוָה מִכַּף אֹיְבָיִךְ׃

11Indeed, many nations Have assembled against you Who think, “Let our eye Obscenely gaze on Tzion.”

יאוְעַתָּה נֶאֶסְפוּ עָלַיִךְ גּוֹיִם רַבִּים הָאֹמְרִים תֶּחֱנָף וְתַחַז בְּצִיּוֹן עֵינֵינוּ׃

12But they do not know The design of Hashem, They do not divine His intent: He has gathered them Like cut grain to the threshing floor.

v'-HAY-mah LO ya-d'-U makh-sh'-VOT a-do-NAI v'-LO hay-VEE-nu a-tza-TO KEE ki-b'-TZAM ke-a-MEER go-r'-NAH

יבוְהֵמָּה לֹא יָדְעוּ מַחְשְׁבוֹת יְהֹוָה וְלֹא הֵבִינוּ עֲצָתוֹ כִּי קִבְּצָם כֶּעָמִיר גֹּרְנָה׃

4:12 He has gathered them like cut grain to the threshing floor

Though the Jewish people will eventually be taken into exile, Micha warns the nations of the world not to celebrate too quickly, for they do not understand Hashem’s ways. Those who dare attack the Holy Land and God’s holy city are gathered “like cut grain to the threshing floor,” God is the harvester, and those nations who “gathered” to celebrate Israel’s downfall will ultimately be “gathered” together to be destroyed, their joy becoming the basis for their own destruction.

13Up and thresh, Fair Tzion! For I will give you horns of iron And provide you with hoofs of bronze, And you will crush the many peoples. You will devote their riches to Hashem, Their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

יגקוּמִי וָדוֹשִׁי בַת־צִיּוֹן כִּי־קַרְנֵךְ אָשִׂים בַּרְזֶל וּפַרְסֹתַיִךְ אָשִׂים נְחוּשָׁה וַהֲדִקּוֹת עַמִּים רַבִּים וְהַחֲרַמְתִּי לַיהֹוָה בִּצְעָם וְחֵילָם לַאֲדוֹן כָּל־הָאָרֶץ׃

14Now you gash yourself in grief. They have laid siege to us; They strike the ruler of Yisrael On the cheek with a staff.

ידעַתָּה תִּתְגֹּדְדִי בַת־גְּדוּד מָצוֹר שָׂם עָלֵינוּ בַּשֵּׁבֶט יַכּוּ עַל־הַלְּחִי אֵת שֹׁפֵט יִשְׂרָאֵל׃