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Monday, August 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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New Living Translation

Micah 4:12

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.

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.
Good News Translation
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.
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 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 As for you, Jerusalem, the citadel of God's people, your royal might and power will come back to you again. The kingship will be restored to my precious Jerusalem. 9 But why are you now screaming in terror? Have you no king to lead you? Have your wise people all died? Pain has gripped you like a woman in childbirth. 10 Writhe and groan like a woman in labor, you people of Jerusalem, for now you must leave this city to live in the open country. You will soon be sent in exile to distant Babylon. But the Lord will rescue you there; he will redeem you from the grip of your enemies. 11 Now many nations have gathered against you. "Let her be desecrated," they say. "Let us see the destruction of Jerusalem." 12 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. 13 "Rise up and crush the nations, O Jerusalem!" says the Lord . "For I will give you iron horns and bronze hooves, so you can trample many nations to pieces. You will present their stolen riches to the Lord , their wealth to the Lord of all the earth."

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
When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord .
Genesis 4:4
Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift,
Genesis 4:14
You have banished me from the land and from your presence; you have made me a homeless wanderer. Anyone who finds me will kill me!"
Genesis 4:17
Cain had sexual relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain founded a city, which he named Enoch, after his son.
Genesis 4:18
Enoch had a son named Irad. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.
Genesis 4:23
One day Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; listen to me, you wives of Lamech. I have killed a man who attacked me, a young man who wounded me.
Genesis 4:24
If someone who kills Cain is punished seven times, then the one who kills me will be punished seventy-seven times!"
Leviticus 26:20
All your work will be for nothing, for your land will yield no crops, and your trees will bear no fruit.
Leviticus 26:36
"And for those of you who survive, I will demoralize you in the land of your enemies. You will live in such fear that the sound of a leaf driven by the wind will send you fleeing. You will run as though fleeing from a sword, and you will fall even when no one pursues you.
Psalms 109:10
May his children wander as beggars and be driven from their ruined homes.

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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