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Micah 1-7
New American Standard Bible
Micah 1-7
New American Standard Bible
Destruction in Israel and Judah
1 The (A)word of the Lord which came to (B)Micah of Moresheth in the days of (C)Jotham, (D)Ahaz, and (E)Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and which he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem.
2 Hear, you peoples, all of [a]you;
(F)Listen carefully, earth and [b]all it contains,
And may the Lord [c]God be a (G)witness against you,
The Lord from His holy temple.
3 For behold, the Lord is (H)coming forth from His place.
He will come down and (I)tread on the high places of the [d]earth.
4 (J)The mountains will melt under Him
And the valleys will be split,
Like wax before the fire,
Like water poured down a steep place.
5 All this is due to the [e]wrongdoing of Jacob
And the sins of the house of Israel.
What is the (K)[f]wrongdoing of Jacob?
Is it not (L)Samaria?
What is the (M)high [g]place of Judah?
Is it not Jerusalem?
6 For I will make Samaria a (N)heap of ruins [h]in the open country,
(O)Planting places for a vineyard.
I will (P)hurl her stones down into the valley,
And (Q)lay bare her foundations.
7 All of her (R)idols will be crushed,
All of her earnings will be burned with fire,
And all of her images I will make desolate;
For she collected them from a (S)prostitute’s earnings,
And to the earnings of a prostitute they will return.
8 Because of this I must mourn and wail,
I must go (T)barefoot and naked;
I must do mourning like the (U)jackals,
And a mourning like the ostriches.
9 For her (V)wound is incurable,
For (W)it has come to Judah;
It has reached the (X)gate of my people,
Even to Jerusalem.
10 (Y)Do not tell it in Gath,
Do not weep at all.
At [i]Beth-le-aphrah roll yourself in the dust in mourning.
11 [j]Go on your way, inhabitant of [k]Shaphir, in (Z)shameful nakedness.
The inhabitant of [l](AA)Zaanan does not [m]escape.
The mourning of [n]Beth-ezel: “He will take from you its [o]support.”
12 For the inhabitant of [p]Maroth
[q](AB)Waits for something good,
Because a disaster has come down from the Lord
To the (AC)gate of Jerusalem.
13 Harness the chariot to the team of horses,
You inhabitant of (AD)Lachish—
She was the beginning of sin
To the daughter of Zion—
Because in you were found
The (AE)rebellious acts of Israel.
14 Therefore you will give parting (AF)gifts
In behalf of Moresheth-gath;
The houses of (AG)Achzib will become a [r](AH)deception
To the kings of Israel.
15 Moreover, I will bring on you
The one who takes possession,
You inhabitant of [s](AI)Mareshah.
The glory of Israel will enter (AJ)Adullam.
16 Shave yourself (AK)bald, yes, cut off your hair,
Because of the children of your delight;
Extend your baldness like the eagle,
For they will (AL)go from you into exile.
Woe to Oppressors
2 Woe to those who (AM)devise wrongdoing,
Who practice evil on their beds!
[t](AN)When morning comes, they do it,
Because it is in the (AO)power of their hands.
2 They (AP)covet fields, so they (AQ)seize them;
And houses, so they take them.
They [u](AR)exploit a man and his house,
A person and his inheritance.
3 Therefore this is what the Lord says:
“Behold, I am (AS)planning against this (AT)family a catastrophe
From which you (AU)cannot remove your necks;
And you will not walk (AV)haughtily,
For it will be an (AW)evil time.
4 On that day they will (AX)take up against you a [v]song of mocking
And [w](AY)utter a song of mourning and say,
‘We are completely (AZ)destroyed!
He exchanges the share of my people;
How He removes it from me!
To the apostate He (BA)apportions our fields.’
5 Therefore you will have no one [x](BB)applying a measuring line
For you by lot in the assembly of the Lord.
6 ‘(BC)Do not prophesy,’ so they prophesy.
But if [y]they do (BD)not prophesy about these things,
(BE)Insults will not be turned back.
7 Is it being said, house of Jacob:
‘Is the Spirit of the Lord (BF)impatient?
Are these His works?’
Do My words not (BG)do good
For the one (BH)walking rightly?
8 [z]Recently My people have arisen as an (BI)enemy—
You (BJ)strip the robe off the garment
From (BK)unsuspecting passers-by,
From those returned from war.
9 You (BL)evict the women of My people,
Each one from her pleasant house.
From her children you take My (BM)splendor forever.
10 Arise and go,
For this is no place (BN)of rest
Because of the (BO)uncleanness that brings on destruction,
A painful destruction.
11 If someone walking after wind and (BP)falsehood
Had lied and said,
‘I will prophesy to you about (BQ)wine and liquor,’
He would become a prophet to (BR)this people.
12 “I will certainly (BS)assemble all of you, Jacob,
I will certainly gather the (BT)remnant of Israel.
I will put them together like sheep in the fold;
Like a flock in the midst of its pasture
They will be noisy with people.
13 The one who breaks through goes up before them;
They break through, pass through the gate, and go out by it.
So their king passes on before them,
And the Lord at their head.”
Rulers Denounced
3 And I said,
“(BU)Hear now, you [aa]leaders of Jacob
And rulers of the house of Israel:
Is it not for you to (BV)know justice?
2 You who hate good and love evil,
Who (BW)tear off their skin from them
And their flesh from their bones,
3 Who (BX)eat the flesh of my people,
Strip off their skin from them,
Smash their bones,
And (BY)chop them up as for the pot,
And as meat in a cauldron!”
4 Then they will (BZ)cry out to the Lord,
But He will not answer them.
Instead, He will (CA)hide His face from them at that time
Because they have (CB)practiced evil deeds.
5 This is what the Lord says concerning the prophets who (CC)lead my people astray:
When they have something to bite with their teeth,
They (CD)cry out, “Peace!”
But against him who puts nothing in their mouths
They declare holy war.
6 Therefore it will be (CE)night for you—without vision,
And darkness for you—without divination.
The (CF)sun will go down on the prophets,
And the day will become dark over them.
7 The seers will be (CG)put to shame,
And the (CH)diviners will be ashamed.
Indeed, they will all (CI)cover their [ab]lips
Because there is (CJ)no answer from God.
8 On the other hand, (CK)I am filled with power—
With the Spirit of the Lord—
And with justice and courage
To (CL)make known to Jacob his rebellious act,
And to Israel his sin.
9 Now hear this, you (CM)heads of the house of Jacob
And rulers of the house of Israel,
Who (CN)despise justice
And twist everything that is straight,
10 Who (CO)build Zion with bloodshed,
And Jerusalem with malice.
11 Her leaders pronounce (CP)judgment for a bribe,
Her (CQ)priests teach for pay,
And her prophets divine for money.
Yet they lean on the Lord, saying,
“(CR)Is the Lord not in our midst?
Catastrophe will not come upon us.”
12 Therefore on account of you,
(CS)Zion will be plowed like a field,
(CT)Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,
And the (CU)mountain of the [ac]temple will become high places of a forest.
Peaceful Latter Days
4 And it will come about in the (CV)last days
That the (CW)mountain of the house of the Lord
Will be established [ad]as the chief of the mountains.
It will be raised above the hills,
And the (CX)peoples will stream to it.
2 (CY)Many nations will come and say,
“(CZ)Come and let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord
And to the house of the God of Jacob,
So that (DA)He may teach us about His ways,
And that we may walk in His paths.”
For (DB)from Zion will go forth the law,
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 And He will (DC)judge between many peoples
And render decisions for mighty, [ae]distant nations.
Then they will beat their swords (DD)into plowshares,
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation will not lift a sword against nation,
And never again will they [af]train for war.
4 Instead, each of them will (DE)sit under his vine
And under his fig tree,
With (DF)no one to make them afraid,
Because the (DG)mouth of the Lord of armies has spoken.
5 Though all the peoples walk,
Each in the (DH)name of his god,
As for us, (DI)we will walk
In the name of the (DJ)Lord our God forever and ever.
6 “On that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will assemble those who (DK)limp
And (DL)gather the scattered,
Those whom I have afflicted.
7 I will make those who limp a (DM)remnant,
And those who [ag]have strayed a mighty nation,
And the (DN)Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion
From now on and forever.
8 As for you, [ah](DO)tower of the flock,
[ai]Hill of the daughter of Zion,
To you it will come—
Yes, the (DP)former dominion will come,
The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.
9 “Now, why do you (DQ)cry out loudly?
Is there no king among you,
Or has your (DR)counselor perished,
That agony has gripped you like a woman in childbirth?
10 (DS)Writhe and scream,
Daughter of Zion,
Like a woman in childbirth;
For now you will (DT)go out of the city,
Live in the field,
And go to Babylon.
(DU)There you will be rescued,
(DV)There the Lord will redeem you
From the hand of your enemies.
11 And now (DW)many nations have been assembled against you
Who say, ‘Let her be defiled,
And let our eyes [aj]gloat over Zion!’
12 But they do not (DX)know the thoughts of the Lord,
And they do not understand His plan;
For He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 Arise and (DY)thresh, daughter of Zion,
For I will make your horn iron,
And I will make your hoofs bronze,
So that you may (DZ)pulverize many peoples,
And (EA)dedicate to the Lord their unjust profit,
And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.
Birth of the King in Bethlehem
5 “[ak]Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops;
[al]They have laid siege against us;
With a rod they will (EB)strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.
2 [am]But as for (EC)you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From (ED)you One will come forth for Me to be (EE)ruler in Israel.
His times of coming forth are (EF)from long ago,
From the days of eternity.”
3 Therefore He will (EG)give them up until the time
When she (EH)who is in labor has given birth.
Then the (EI)remainder of His kinsmen
Will return to the sons of Israel.
4 And He will arise and (EJ)shepherd His flock
In the strength of the Lord,
In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God.
And they will [an]remain,
Because [ao]at that time He will be great
To the (EK)ends of the earth.
5 This One (EL)will be our peace.
When the (EM)Assyrian invades our land,
When he tramples on our [ap]citadels,
Then we will raise against him
Seven shepherds and eight leaders of people.
6 They will (EN)shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
The land of (EO)Nimrod at its entrances;
And He will (EP)rescue us from the Assyrian
When he invades our land,
And when he tramples our territory.
7 Then the (EQ)remnant of Jacob
Will be among many peoples
Like (ER)dew from the Lord,
Like (ES)showers on vegetation
That do not wait for man,
Or delay for [aq]mankind.
8 The remnant of Jacob
Will be among the nations,
Among many peoples
(ET)Like a lion among the animals of the forest,
Like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
Which, if he passes through,
(EU)Tramples and (EV)tears,
And there is (EW)no one who can rescue.
9 Your hand will be (EX)lifted up against your adversaries,
And all your enemies will be eliminated.
10 “And it will be on that day,” declares the Lord,
“(EY)That I will eliminate your (EZ)horses from among you,
And destroy your chariots.
11 I will also eliminate the (FA)cities of your land,
And tear down all your (FB)fortifications.
12 I will eliminate (FC)sorceries from your hand,
And you will have no fortune-tellers.
13 (FD)I will eliminate your carved images
And your memorial stones from among you,
So that you will no longer bow down
To the work of your hands.
14 I will uproot your [ar](FE)Asherim from among you,
And destroy your cities.
15 And I will (FF)execute vengeance in anger and wrath
On the nations which have not obeyed.”
God’s Indictment of His People
6 Hear now what the Lord is saying,
“Arise, plead your case [as]before the mountains,
And let the hills hear your voice.
2 Listen, you mountains, to the indictment by the Lord,
And you enduring (FG)foundations of the earth,
Because the (FH)Lord has a case against His people;
And He will dispute with Israel.
3 (FI)My people, (FJ)what have I done to you,
And (FK)how have I wearied you? Answer Me.
4 Indeed, I (FL)brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I (FM)redeemed you from the house of slavery,
And I sent before you (FN)Moses, Aaron, and (FO)Miriam.
5 My people, remember now
What (FP)Balak king of Moab planned
And what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
And what happened from (FQ)Shittim to (FR)Gilgal,
[at]So that you might know the (FS)righteous acts of the Lord.”
What God Requires of Mankind
6 (FT)With what shall I come to the Lord
And bow myself before the God on high?
Shall I come to Him with (FU)burnt offerings,
With yearling calves?
7 Does the Lord take pleasure in (FV)thousands of rams,
In ten thousand rivers of [au]oil?
Shall I give Him my (FW)firstborn for my wrongdoings,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has (FX)told you, mortal one, what is good;
And (FY)what does the Lord require of you
But to (FZ)do justice, to (GA)love [av]kindness,
And to walk [aw](GB)humbly with your God?
9 The voice of the Lord will call to the city—
And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name:
“[ax]Hear, you tribe. Who has designated [ay]its time?
10 Is there still a person in the wicked house,
Along with treasures of (GC)wickedness,
And a [az](GD)short measure that is cursed?
11 Can I justify dishonest (GE)balances,
And a bag of fraudulent weights?
12 For the rich people of [ba]the city are full of (GF)violence,
Her residents speak (GG)lies,
And their (GH)tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13 So also I will make you (GI)sick, striking you down,
(GJ)Making you desolate because of your sins.
14 You will eat, but you will (GK)not be satisfied,
And your filth will be in your midst.
You will try to remove valuables for safekeeping,
But you will (GL)not save it all,
And what you do save I will turn over to the sword.
15 You will sow but you will (GM)not harvest.
You will tread the olive press but will not anoint yourself with oil;
And tread out sweet wine, but you will (GN)not drink any wine.
16 The statutes of (GO)Omri
And every work of the house of (GP)Ahab are maintained,
And you (GQ)walk by their plans.
Therefore I will give you up for (GR)destruction,
And [bb]your inhabitants for [bc](GS)derision,
And you will suffer the (GT)taunting of My people.”
The Prophet Acknowledges Injustice
7 Woe to me! For I am
Like harvests of summer fruit, like gleanings of (GU)grapes.
There is not a cluster of grapes left to eat,
Nor an (GV)early fig, which [bd]I crave.
2 The [be]godly person has (GW)perished from the land,
And there is no upright person among mankind.
All of them lie in wait for (GX)bloodshed;
Each of them hunts the other with a (GY)net.
3 As for evil, both hands do it (GZ)well.
The leader asks for a (HA)bribe, also the judge,
And the great one speaks the capricious desire of his soul;
So they plot it together.
4 The best of them is like a (HB)thorn bush,
The most upright like a (HC)thorn hedge.
The day [bf]when you post your watchmen,
Your (HD)punishment is coming.
Then their (HE)confusion will occur.
5 Do not (HF)trust in a neighbor;
Do not have confidence in a close friend.
Guard [bg]your lips
From her who lies [bh]in your arms.
6 For (HG)son disavows father,
Daughter rises up against her mother,
Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
(HH)A person’s enemies are the people of his own household.
God Is the Source of Salvation and Light
7 But as for me, I will (HI)be on the watch for the Lord;
I will (HJ)wait for the God of my salvation.
My (HK)God will hear me.
8 (HL)Do not rejoice over me, (HM)enemy of mine.
Though I fall I will (HN)rise;
Though I live in darkness, the Lord is a (HO)light for me.
9 I will endure the rage of the Lord
Because I have sinned against Him,
Until He (HP)pleads my case and executes justice for me.
He will bring me out to the (HQ)light,
And I will look at His [bi](HR)righteousness.
10 Then my enemy will see,
And shame will cover her who (HS)said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will look at her;
[bj]At that time she will [bk]be (HT)trampled down
Like mud of the streets.
11 It will be a day for (HU)building your walls.
On that day your boundary will be extended.
12 It will be a day when [bl]they will (HV)come to you
From Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
From Egypt even to the Euphrates River,
Even from sea to sea and mountain to mountain.
13 And the earth will become a (HW)wasteland because of her inhabitants,
On account of the (HX)fruit of their deeds.
14 (HY)Shepherd Your people with Your (HZ)scepter,
The flock of Your [bm]possession
Which lives by itself in the woodland,
In the midst of [bn]a fruitful field.
Let them feed in (IA)Bashan and Gilead
(IB)As in the days of old.
15 “As in the days when you went out from the land of Egypt,
I will show [bo](IC)you miracles.”
16 Nations (ID)will see and be ashamed
Of all their might.
They will (IE)put their hand on their mouth,
Their ears will be deaf.
17 They will (IF)lick up dust like a snake,
Like [bp](IG)reptiles of the earth.
They will come (IH)trembling out of their [bq]fortresses;
To the Lord our God they will come in (II)trepidation,
And they will be afraid of You.
18 Who is a God like You, who (IJ)pardons wrongdoing
And passes over a rebellious act of the (IK)remnant of His [br]possession?
He does not (IL)retain His anger forever,
Because He (IM)delights in mercy.
19 He will again take pity on us;
(IN)He will trample on our wrongdoings.
Yes, You will (IO)cast all [bs]their sins
Into the depths of the sea.
20 You will give [bt](IP)truth to Jacob
And favor to Abraham,
Which You (IQ)swore to our forefathers
From the days of old.
Footnotes
- Micah 1:2 Lit them
- Micah 1:2 Lit its fullness
- Micah 1:2 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Micah 1:3 Or land
- Micah 1:5 Or rebellion
- Micah 1:5 Or rebellion
- Micah 1:5 Lit places
- Micah 1:6 Lit of the field
- Micah 1:10 I.e., house of dust
- Micah 1:11 I.e., Go into captivity
- Micah 1:11 I.e., pleasantness
- Micah 1:11 I.e., going out
- Micah 1:11 Lit go out
- Micah 1:11 I.e., the house beside
- Micah 1:11 Lit standing place
- Micah 1:12 I.e., bitterness
- Micah 1:12 Or possibly has been in agony for
- Micah 1:14 Heb achzab, wordplay on Achzib
- Micah 1:15 I.e., possession
- Micah 2:1 Lit In the light of the morning
- Micah 2:2 Or oppress
- Micah 2:4 Or proverb
- Micah 2:4 Lit lament
- Micah 2:5 Lit casting
- Micah 2:6 I.e., God’s prophets
- Micah 2:8 Lit And yesterday
- Micah 3:1 Lit heads
- Micah 3:7 Lit mustache
- Micah 3:12 Lit house
- Micah 4:1 Lit on
- Micah 4:3 Lit at a distance
- Micah 4:3 Lit learn
- Micah 4:7 Or are far removed
- Micah 4:8 Heb Migdal-eder
- Micah 4:8 Heb Ophel
- Micah 4:11 Lit see with pleasure
- Micah 5:1 Ch 4:14 in Heb
- Micah 5:1 Lit He has
- Micah 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Heb
- Micah 5:4 Or live in safety
- Micah 5:4 Lit now
- Micah 5:5 Or palaces
- Micah 5:7 Lit sons of mankind
- Micah 5:14 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)
- Micah 6:1 Lit with
- Micah 6:5 Lit In order to know
- Micah 6:7 I.e., olive oil
- Micah 6:8 Or loyalty
- Micah 6:8 Or circumspectly
- Micah 6:9 Or Hear about the rod and who designated it
- Micah 6:9 Lit it
- Micah 6:10 Lit shrunken ephah
- Micah 6:12 Lit her are
- Micah 6:16 Lit her
- Micah 6:16 Lit whistling (in mockery)
- Micah 7:1 Lit my soul desires
- Micah 7:2 Or faithful
- Micah 7:4 Lit of your
- Micah 7:5 Lit the openings of your mouth
- Micah 7:5 Lit on your chest
- Micah 7:9 I.e., right dealing
- Micah 7:10 Lit Now
- Micah 7:10 Lit become a trampled place
- Micah 7:12 Lit he
- Micah 7:14 Or inheritance
- Micah 7:14 Or Carmel
- Micah 7:15 Lit him
- Micah 7:17 Lit crawling things
- Micah 7:17 Or prisons
- Micah 7:18 Or inheritance
- Micah 7:19 Several ancient versions our
- Micah 7:20 Or faithfulness
Micah 1-7
New International Version
Micah 1-7
New International Version
1 The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth(A) during the reigns of Jotham,(B) Ahaz(C) and Hezekiah,(D) kings of Judah(E)—the vision(F) he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
2 Hear,(G) you peoples, all of you,(H)
listen, earth(I) and all who live in it,
that the Sovereign Lord may bear witness(J) against you,
the Lord from his holy temple.(K)
Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem
3 Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling(L) place;
he comes down(M) and treads on the heights of the earth.(N)
4 The mountains melt(O) beneath him(P)
and the valleys split apart,(Q)
like wax before the fire,
like water rushing down a slope.
5 All this is because of Jacob’s transgression,
because of the sins of the people of Israel.
What is Jacob’s transgression?
Is it not Samaria?(R)
What is Judah’s high place?
Is it not Jerusalem?
6 “Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble,
a place for planting vineyards.(S)
I will pour her stones(T) into the valley
and lay bare her foundations.(U)
7 All her idols(V) will be broken to pieces;(W)
all her temple gifts will be burned with fire;
I will destroy all her images.(X)
Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes,(Y)
as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used.”
Weeping and Mourning
8 Because of this I will weep(Z) and wail;
I will go about barefoot(AA) and naked.
I will howl like a jackal
and moan like an owl.
9 For Samaria’s plague(AB) is incurable;(AC)
it has spread to Judah.(AD)
It has reached the very gate(AE) of my people,
even to Jerusalem itself.
10 Tell it not in Gath[a];
weep not at all.
In Beth Ophrah[b]
roll in the dust.
11 Pass by naked(AF) and in shame,
you who live in Shaphir.[c]
Those who live in Zaanan[d]
will not come out.
Beth Ezel is in mourning;
it no longer protects you.
12 Those who live in Maroth[e] writhe in pain,
waiting for relief,(AG)
because disaster(AH) has come from the Lord,
even to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 You who live in Lachish,(AI)
harness fast horses to the chariot.
You are where the sin of Daughter Zion(AJ) began,
for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
14 Therefore you will give parting gifts(AK)
to Moresheth(AL) Gath.
The town of Akzib[f](AM) will prove deceptive(AN)
to the kings of Israel.
15 I will bring a conqueror against you
who live in Mareshah.[g](AO)
The nobles of Israel
will flee to Adullam.(AP)
16 Shave(AQ) your head in mourning
for the children in whom you delight;
make yourself as bald as the vulture,
for they will go from you into exile.(AR)
Human Plans and God’s Plans
2 Woe to those who plan iniquity,
to those who plot evil(AS) on their beds!(AT)
At morning’s light they carry it out
because it is in their power to do it.
2 They covet fields(AU) and seize them,(AV)
and houses, and take them.
They defraud(AW) people of their homes,
they rob them of their inheritance.(AX)
3 Therefore, the Lord says:
“I am planning disaster(AY) against this people,
from which you cannot save yourselves.
You will no longer walk proudly,(AZ)
for it will be a time of calamity.
4 In that day people will ridicule you;
they will taunt you with this mournful song:
‘We are utterly ruined;(BA)
my people’s possession is divided up.(BB)
He takes it from me!
He assigns our fields to traitors.’”
False Prophets
6 “Do not prophesy,” their prophets say.
“Do not prophesy about these things;
disgrace(BE) will not overtake us.(BF)”
7 You descendants of Jacob, should it be said,
“Does the Lord become[h] impatient?
Does he do such things?”
“Do not my words do good(BG)
to the one whose ways are upright?(BH)
8 Lately my people have risen up
like an enemy.
You strip off the rich robe
from those who pass by without a care,
like men returning from battle.
9 You drive the women of my people
from their pleasant homes.(BI)
You take away my blessing
from their children forever.
10 Get up, go away!
For this is not your resting place,(BJ)
because it is defiled,(BK)
it is ruined, beyond all remedy.
11 If a liar and deceiver(BL) comes and says,
‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’(BM)
that would be just the prophet for this people!(BN)
Deliverance Promised
12 “I will surely gather all of you, Jacob;
I will surely bring together the remnant(BO) of Israel.
I will bring them together like sheep in a pen,
like a flock in its pasture;
the place will throng with people.(BP)
13 The One who breaks open the way will go up before(BQ) them;
they will break through the gate(BR) and go out.
Their King will pass through before them,
the Lord at their head.”
Leaders and Prophets Rebuked
3 Then I said,
“Listen, you leaders(BS) of Jacob,
you rulers of Israel.
Should you not embrace justice,
2 you who hate good and love evil;
who tear the skin from my people
and the flesh from their bones;(BT)
3 who eat my people’s flesh,(BU)
strip off their skin
and break their bones in pieces;(BV)
who chop(BW) them up like meat for the pan,
like flesh for the pot?(BX)”
4 Then they will cry out to the Lord,
but he will not answer them.(BY)
At that time he will hide his face(BZ) from them
because of the evil they have done.(CA)
5 This is what the Lord says:
“As for the prophets
who lead my people astray,(CB)
they proclaim ‘peace’(CC)
if they have something to eat,
but prepare to wage war against anyone
who refuses to feed them.
6 Therefore night will come over you, without visions,
and darkness, without divination.(CD)
The sun will set for the prophets,(CE)
and the day will go dark for them.(CF)
7 The seers will be ashamed(CG)
and the diviners disgraced.(CH)
They will all cover(CI) their faces(CJ)
because there is no answer from God.(CK)”
8 But as for me, I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of the Lord,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression,
to Israel his sin.(CL)
9 Hear this, you leaders of Jacob,
you rulers of Israel,
who despise justice
and distort all that is right;(CM)
10 who build(CN) Zion with bloodshed,(CO)
and Jerusalem with wickedness.(CP)
11 Her leaders judge for a bribe,(CQ)
her priests teach for a price,(CR)
and her prophets tell fortunes for money.(CS)
Yet they look(CT) for the Lord’s support and say,
“Is not the Lord among us?
No disaster will come upon us.”(CU)
12 Therefore because of you,
Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,(CV)
the temple(CW) hill a mound overgrown with thickets.(CX)
The Mountain of the Lord(CY)
4 In the last days
the mountain(CZ) of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,(DA)
and peoples will stream to it.(DB)
2 Many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,(DC)
to the temple of the God of Jacob.(DD)
He will teach us(DE) his ways,(DF)
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law(DG) will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.(DH)
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.(DI)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war(DJ) anymore.(DK)
4 Everyone will sit under their own vine
and under their own fig tree,(DL)
and no one will make them afraid,(DM)
for the Lord Almighty has spoken.(DN)
5 All the nations may walk
in the name of their gods,(DO)
but we will walk in the name of the Lord
our God for ever and ever.(DP)
The Lord’s Plan
6 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will gather the lame;(DQ)
I will assemble the exiles(DR)
and those I have brought to grief.(DS)
7 I will make the lame my remnant,(DT)
those driven away a strong nation.(DU)
The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion(DV)
from that day and forever.(DW)
8 As for you, watchtower of the flock,
stronghold[i] of Daughter Zion,
the former dominion will be restored(DX) to you;
kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.(DY)”
9 Why do you now cry aloud—
have you no king[j](DZ)?
Has your ruler[k] perished,
that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?(EA)
10 Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion,
like a woman in labor,
for now you must leave the city
to camp in the open field.
You will go to Babylon;(EB)
there you will be rescued.
There the Lord will redeem(EC) you
out of the hand of your enemies.
11 But now many nations
are gathered against you.
They say, “Let her be defiled,
let our eyes gloat(ED) over Zion!”
12 But they do not know
the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,(EE)
that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 “Rise and thresh,(EF) Daughter Zion,
for I will give you horns of iron;
I will give you hooves of bronze,
and you will break to pieces many nations.”(EG)
You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,(EH)
their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.
A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem
5 [l]Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
on the cheek(EI) with a rod.
2 “But you, Bethlehem(EJ) Ephrathah,(EK)
though you are small among the clans[m] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler(EL) over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,(EM)
from ancient times.”(EN)
3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned(EO)
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.
4 He will stand and shepherd his flock(EP)
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness(EQ)
will reach to the ends of the earth.
5 And he will be our peace(ER)
when the Assyrians invade(ES) our land
and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
even eight commanders,(ET)
6 who will rule[n] the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod(EU) with drawn sword.[o](EV)
He will deliver us from the Assyrians
when they invade our land
and march across our borders.(EW)
7 The remnant(EX) of Jacob will be
in the midst of many peoples
like dew(EY) from the Lord,
like showers on the grass,(EZ)
which do not wait for anyone
or depend on man.
8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,(FA)
like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which mauls and mangles(FB) as it goes,
and no one can rescue.(FC)
9 Your hand will be lifted up(FD) in triumph over your enemies,
and all your foes will be destroyed.
10 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will destroy your horses from among you
and demolish your chariots.(FE)
11 I will destroy the cities(FF) of your land
and tear down all your strongholds.(FG)
12 I will destroy your witchcraft
and you will no longer cast spells.(FH)
13 I will destroy your idols(FI)
and your sacred stones from among you;(FJ)
you will no longer bow down
to the work of your hands.(FK)
14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles[p](FL)
when I demolish your cities.
15 I will take vengeance(FM) in anger and wrath
on the nations that have not obeyed me.”
The Lord’s Case Against Israel
6 Listen to what the Lord says:
“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;(FN)
let the hills hear what you have to say.
2 “Hear,(FO) you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;(FP)
listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.
For the Lord has a case(FQ) against his people;
he is lodging a charge(FR) against Israel.
3 “My people, what have I done to you?
How have I burdened(FS) you?(FT) Answer me.
4 I brought you up out of Egypt(FU)
and redeemed you from the land of slavery.(FV)
I sent Moses(FW) to lead you,
also Aaron(FX) and Miriam.(FY)
5 My people, remember
what Balak(FZ) king of Moab plotted
and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim(GA) to Gilgal,(GB)
that you may know the righteous acts(GC) of the Lord.”
6 With what shall I come before(GD) the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?(GE)
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,(GF)
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?(GG)
Shall I offer my firstborn(GH) for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?(GI)
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly(GJ) and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[q](GK) with your God.(GL)
Israel’s Guilt and Punishment
9 Listen! The Lord is calling to the city—
and to fear your name is wisdom—
“Heed the rod(GM) and the One who appointed it.[r]
10 Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house,
and the short ephah,[s] which is accursed?(GN)
11 Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales,(GO)
with a bag of false weights?(GP)
12 Your rich people are violent;(GQ)
your inhabitants are liars(GR)
and their tongues speak deceitfully.(GS)
13 Therefore, I have begun to destroy(GT) you,
to ruin[t] you because of your sins.
14 You will eat but not be satisfied;(GU)
your stomach will still be empty.[u]
You will store up but save nothing,(GV)
because what you save[v] I will give to the sword.
15 You will plant but not harvest;(GW)
you will press olives but not use the oil,
you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.(GX)
16 You have observed the statutes of Omri(GY)
and all the practices of Ahab’s(GZ) house;
you have followed their traditions.(HA)
Therefore I will give you over to ruin(HB)
and your people to derision;
you will bear the scorn(HC) of the nations.[w]”
Israel’s Misery
7 What misery is mine!
I am like one who gathers summer fruit
at the gleaning of the vineyard;
there is no cluster of grapes to eat,
none of the early figs(HD) that I crave.
2 The faithful have been swept from the land;(HE)
not one(HF) upright person remains.
Everyone lies in wait(HG) to shed blood;(HH)
they hunt each other(HI) with nets.(HJ)
3 Both hands are skilled in doing evil;(HK)
the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,(HL)
the powerful dictate what they desire—
they all conspire together.
4 The best of them is like a brier,(HM)
the most upright worse than a thorn(HN) hedge.
The day God visits you has come,
the day your watchmen sound the alarm.
Now is the time of your confusion.(HO)
5 Do not trust a neighbor;
put no confidence in a friend.(HP)
Even with the woman who lies in your embrace
guard the words of your lips.
6 For a son dishonors his father,
a daughter rises up against her mother,(HQ)
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.(HR)
7 But as for me, I watch(HS) in hope(HT) for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear(HU) me.
Israel Will Rise
8 Do not gloat over me,(HV) my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.(HW)
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.(HX)
9 Because I have sinned against him,
I will bear the Lord’s wrath,(HY)
until he pleads my case(HZ)
and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;(IA)
I will see his righteousness.(IB)
10 Then my enemy will see it
and will be covered with shame,(IC)
she who said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”(ID)
My eyes will see her downfall;(IE)
even now she will be trampled(IF) underfoot
like mire in the streets.
11 The day for building your walls(IG) will come,
the day for extending your boundaries.
12 In that day people will come to you
from Assyria(IH) and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates
and from sea to sea
and from mountain to mountain.(II)
13 The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,
as the result of their deeds.(IJ)
Prayer and Praise
14 Shepherd(IK) your people with your staff,(IL)
the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
in fertile pasturelands.[x](IM)
Let them feed in Bashan(IN) and Gilead(IO)
as in days long ago.(IP)
15 “As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
I will show them my wonders.(IQ)”
16 Nations will see and be ashamed,(IR)
deprived of all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths(IS)
and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust(IT) like a snake,
like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling(IU) out of their dens;
they will turn in fear(IV) to the Lord our God
and will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God(IW) like you,
who pardons sin(IX) and forgives(IY) the transgression
of the remnant(IZ) of his inheritance?(JA)
You do not stay angry(JB) forever
but delight to show mercy.(JC)
19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities(JD) into the depths of the sea.(JE)
20 You will be faithful to Jacob,
and show love to Abraham,(JF)
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors(JG)
in days long ago.(JH)
Footnotes
- Micah 1:10 Gath sounds like the Hebrew for tell.
- Micah 1:10 Beth Ophrah means house of dust.
- Micah 1:11 Shaphir means pleasant.
- Micah 1:11 Zaanan sounds like the Hebrew for come out.
- Micah 1:12 Maroth sounds like the Hebrew for bitter.
- Micah 1:14 Akzib means deception.
- Micah 1:15 Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew for conqueror.
- Micah 2:7 Or Is the Spirit of the Lord
- Micah 4:8 Or hill
- Micah 4:9 Or King
- Micah 4:9 Or Ruler
- Micah 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:14, and 5:2-15 is numbered 5:1-14.
- Micah 5:2 Or rulers
- Micah 5:6 Or crush
- Micah 5:6 Or Nimrod in its gates
- Micah 5:14 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
- Micah 6:8 Or prudently
- Micah 6:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
- Micah 6:10 An ephah was a dry measure.
- Micah 6:13 Or Therefore, I will make you ill and destroy you; / I will ruin
- Micah 6:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Micah 6:14 Or You will press toward birth but not give birth, / and what you bring to birth
- Micah 6:16 Septuagint; Hebrew scorn due my people
- Micah 7:14 Or in the middle of Carmel
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