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Wednesday, August 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Good News Translation

Micah 4:12

But these nations do not know what is in the Lord 's mind. They do not realize that they have been gathered together to be punished in the same way that grain is brought in to be threshed.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blindness;   Thompson Chain Reference - Discernment-Dullness;   Dullness;   Ignorance;   Knowledge-Ignorance;   Spiritual;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Counsels and Purposes of God, the;   Threshing;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Farming;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Agriculture;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Micah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Micah, Book of;   Sheaf;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Micah, Book of;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Kingdom of christ of heaven;   Kingdom of god;   Kingdom of heaven;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Floor;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Gather;   Micah (2);   Threshing;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Agriculture;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for December 10;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But they do not know the Lord’s intentionsor understand his plan,that he has gathered themlike sheaves to the threshing floor.
Hebrew Names Version
But they don't know the thoughts of the LORD, Neither do they understand his counsel; For he has gathered them like the sheaves to the threshing floor.
King James Version (1611)
But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither vnderstand they his counsell: for hee shall gather them as the sheaues into the floore.
King James Version
But they know not the thoughts of the Lord , neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.
English Standard Version
But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord ; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor.
New American Standard Bible
"But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD, And they do not understand His plan; For He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
New Century Version
But they don't know what the Lord is thinking; they don't understand his plan. He has gathered them like bundles of grain to the threshing floor.
Amplified Bible
"But they (Gentile nations) do not know the thoughts of the LORD, Nor do they understand His purpose and plan; For He has gathered them (Gentiles) like sheaves to the threshing floor [for destruction].
Geneva Bible (1587)
But they knowe not the thoughtes of the Lord: they vnderstand not his counsell, for he shall gather them as the sheaues in the barne.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"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.
Legacy Standard Bible
But they do not know the thoughts of Yahweh,And they do not understand His counsel;For He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
Berean Standard Bible
But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD or understand His plan: that He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
Contemporary English Version
But they don't know that I, the Lord , have gathered them here to grind them like grain.
Complete Jewish Bible
But they don't know the thoughts of Adonai , they don't understand his plan; for he has gathered them like sheaves on the threshing-floor.
Darby Translation
But they know not the thoughts of Jehovah, neither understand they his counsel; for he hath gathered them together as the sheaves into the threshing-floor.
Easy-to-Read Version
They have their plans, but they don't know what the Lord is planning. He brought them here for a special purpose. They will be crushed like grain on a threshing floor.
George Lamsa Translation
But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither do they understand his counsel; for he shall gather them as sheaves into the threshing floor.
Lexham English Bible
But they do not know the thoughts of Yahweh, and they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them as sheaves to his threshing floor.
Literal Translation
But they do not know the plans of Jehovah, nor do they understand His counsel. For He has gathered them like the sheaf to the threshing floor.
American Standard Version
But they know not the thoughts of Jehovah, neither understand they his counsel; for he hath gathered them as the sheaves to the threshing-floor.
Bible in Basic English
But they have no knowledge of the thoughts of the Lord, their minds are not able to see his purpose: for he has got them together like stems of grain to the crushing-floor.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they His counsel; for He hath gathered them as the sheaves to the threshing-floor.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But they know not the thoughtes of the Lord, they vnderstand not his counsel: for he shall gather them together as the sheaues in the barne.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But they know not the thought of the Lord, and have not understood his counsel: for he has gathered them as sheaves of the floor.
English Revised Version
But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he hath gathered them as the sheaves to the threshingfloor.
World English Bible
But they don't know the thoughts of Yahweh, Neither do they understand his counsel; For he has gathered them like the sheaves to the threshing floor.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe thei knewen not the thouytis of the Lord, and vndurstoden not the councel of hym, for he gaderide hem as the hei of feeld.
Update Bible Version
But they don't know the thoughts of Yahweh, neither do they understand his counsel; for he has gathered them as the sheaves to the threshing-floor.
Webster's Bible Translation
But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he will gather them as sheaves into the floor.
New English Translation
But they do not know what the Lord is planning; they do not understand his strategy. He has gathered them like stalks of grain to be threshed at the threshing floor.
New King James Version
But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD, Nor do they understand His counsel; For He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
New Living Translation
But they do not know the Lord 's thoughts or understand his plan. These nations don't know that he is gathering them together to be beaten and trampled like sheaves of grain on a threshing floor.
New Life Bible
But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord. They do not understand His plan. For He has gathered them like grain to the crushing-floor.
New Revised Standard
But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord ; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, they, know not the purposes of Yahweh, neither have they discerned his counsel, - for he hath gathered them, as sheaves, to a threshing-floor.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But they have not known the thoughts of the Lord, and have not understood his counsel: because he hath gathered them together as the hay of the floor.
Revised Standard Version
But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD, they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor.
Young's Literal Translation
They have not known the thoughts of Jehovah, Nor have they understood His counsel, For He hath gathered them as a sheaf [into] a threshing-floor.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But they knowe not the thoughtes off the LORDE, they vnderstonde not his councell, that shall gather them together as the sheeues in the barne.

Contextual Overview

8 And you, Jerusalem, where God, like a shepherd from his lookout tower, watches over his people, will once again be the capital of the kingdom that was yours. 9 Why do you cry out so loudly? Why are you suffering like a woman in labor? Is it because you have no king, and your counselors are dead? 10 Twist and groan, people of Jerusalem, like a woman giving birth, for now you will have to leave the city and live in the open country. You will have to go to Babylon, but there the Lord will save you from your enemies. 11 Many nations have gathered to attack you. They say, "Jerusalem must be destroyed! We will see this city in ruins!" 12 But these nations do not know what is in the Lord 's mind. They do not realize that they have been gathered together to be punished in the same way that grain is brought in to be threshed. 13 The Lord says, "People of Jerusalem, go and punish your enemies! I will make you as strong as a bull with iron horns and bronze hoofs. You will crush many nations, and the wealth they got by violence you will present to me, the Lord of the whole world."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they know: Isaiah 55:8, Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 11:33, Romans 11:34

for he shall: Isaiah 21:10, Joel 3:12, Joel 3:13, Zechariah 14:1-3, Luke 3:17, Revelation 14:14-20

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 10:15 - gathered 1 Chronicles 19:16 - and drew Psalms 33:11 - thoughts Isaiah 10:7 - he meaneth Jeremiah 29:14 - and I will turn Ezekiel 22:19 - I will Hosea 6:11 - he hath Joel 3:11 - Assemble Habakkuk 3:12 - thresh John 8:43 - do

Cross-References

Genesis 4:3
After some time Cain brought some of his harvest and gave it as an offering to the Lord .
Genesis 4:4
Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering,
Genesis 4:14
You are driving me off the land and away from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me."
Genesis 4:17
Cain and his wife had a son and named him Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son.
Genesis 4:18
Enoch had a son named Irad, who was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael had a son named Methushael, who was the father of Lamech.
Genesis 4:23
Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me: I have killed a young man because he struck me.
Genesis 4:24
If seven lives are taken to pay for killing Cain, Seventy-seven will be taken if anyone kills me."
Leviticus 26:20
All your hard work will do you no good, because your land will not produce crops and the trees will not bear fruit.
Leviticus 26:36
"I will make those of you who are in exile so terrified that the sound of a leaf blowing in the wind will make you run. You will run as if you were being pursued in battle, and you will fall when there is no enemy near you.
Psalms 109:10
May his children be homeless beggars; may they be driven from the ruins they live in!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel,.... Which are very different from theirs: the thoughts and designs of the enemies of Zion, in the times of the Maccabees, were, to destroy utterly the people of God, and root them out of the earth, and abolish their religion and worship; but the intentions of God were to defeat them, and bring them to ruin: the views of the kings of the earth, being stirred up by unclean spirits to the battle of Almighty God, will be to extirpate the interest and kingdom of Christ; but the end of the Lord, in suffering them to be gathered together, will be utterly and totally to destroy them; and the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand, and the thoughts of his heart, to all generations. Men know their own designs, but they do not know the designs of the Lord; they intend the ruin of others, but God intends to bring about theirs; and his intentions are never frustrated, but theirs are;

for he shall gather them as sheaves into the floor; as, when the harvest is ripe, it is cut down, and bound up in sheaves, and brought home, and these are laid in order upon the floor to be threshed; so, when the nations of the earth are fully ripe for ruin, God will put, or order to be put; in the sickle, and cut them down, and bind them in bundles, and lay them on his threshingfloor of wrath and vengeance, and utterly destroy them contrary to their views and expectations.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they His counsel - The pagan did, for their own ends, what God willed for His. The first step was the same; God willed that His people should be punished; they willed to punish them. But all which lay beyond, they saw not; that God willed (on their repentance) to pardon His own people, but to punish themselves for their pride Isaiah 10:7, Isaiah 10:12 and cruelty Zechariah 1:15, Zechariah 1:19. : “Almighty God corrects the elect through the reprobate, as with a rod; after which He condemns the reprobate eternally, as when the son has been disciplined, the rod is cast into the fire.”

For He shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor - The multitude of the sheaves hinders not the threshing; the multitude of God’s enemies hinders not their destruction. They think that they strengthen themselves, as they gather together; God sees them but as ripened and fitted for destruction, gathered into one bundle together, to perish together. God gathers them, not by constraint or force, but by giving free scope to their own wayward wills, and overruling these to His ends.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Micah 4:12. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord — These think that God has utterly rejected his people, and they shall have a troublesome neighbour no more: but this is not his design; he will afflict them for a time; but these, the enemies of his people, he will gather as sheaves into the threshing-floor, there to be trodden, and the wheel to go over them. This is the counsel, the purpose of God, which these do not understand. The persons here referred to are not only the Chaldeans which were threshed by the Persians and Medes; but the Idumeans, Ammonites, Moabites, and Philistines, which the Jews afterwards subdued.


 
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