God Pleads with Israel

Hear now what the Lord says:

“Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
And let the hills hear your voice.
(A)Hear, O you mountains, (B)the Lord’s complaint,
And you strong foundations of the earth;
For (C)the Lord has a complaint against His people,
And He will [a]contend with Israel.

“O My people, what (D)have I done to you?
And how have I (E)wearied you?
Testify against Me.
(F)For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I redeemed you from the house of bondage;
And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
O My people, remember now
What (G)Balak king of Moab counseled,
And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,
From [b]Acacia Grove to Gilgal,
That you may know (H)the righteousness of the Lord.”

With what shall I come before the Lord,
And bow myself before the High God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old?
(I)Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand (J)rivers of oil?
(K)Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
[c]The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has (L)shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But (M)to do justly,
To love [d]mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?

Punishment of Israel’s Injustice

The Lord’s voice cries to the city—
Wisdom shall see Your name:

“Hear the rod!
Who has appointed it?
10 Are there yet the treasures of wickedness
In the house of the wicked,
And the short measure that is an abomination?
11 Shall I count pure those with (N)the wicked scales,
And with the bag of deceitful weights?
12 For her rich men are full of (O)violence,
Her inhabitants have spoken lies,
And (P)their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

13 “Therefore I will also (Q)make you sick by striking you,
By making you desolate because of your sins.
14 (R)You shall eat, but not be satisfied;
[e]Hunger shall be in your midst.
You may carry some away,[f] but shall not save them;
And what you do rescue I will give over to the sword.

15 “You shall (S)sow, but not reap;
You shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
And make sweet wine, but not drink wine.
16 For the statutes of (T)Omri are (U)kept;
All the works of Ahab’s house are done;
And you walk in their counsels,
That I may make you a [g]desolation,
And your inhabitants a hissing.
Therefore you shall bear the (V)reproach of [h]My people.”

Sorrow for Israel’s Sins

Woe is me!
For I am like those who gather summer fruits,
Like those who (W)glean vintage grapes;
There is no cluster to eat
Of the first-ripe fruit which (X)my soul desires.
The (Y)faithful[i] man has perished from the earth,
And there is no one upright among men.
They all lie in wait for blood;
(Z)Every man hunts his brother with a net.

That they may successfully do evil with both hands—
The prince asks for gifts,
The judge seeks a (AA)bribe,
And the great man utters his evil desire;
So they scheme together.
The best of them is (AB)like a brier;
The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge;
The day of your watchman and your punishment comes;
Now shall be their perplexity.

(AC)Do not trust in a friend;
Do not put your confidence in a companion;
Guard the doors of your mouth
From her who lies in your (AD)bosom.
For (AE)son dishonors father,
Daughter rises against her mother,
Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.
Therefore I will look to the Lord;
I will (AF)wait for the God of my salvation;
My God will hear me.

Israel’s Confession and Comfort

(AG)Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;
(AH)When I fall, I will arise;
When I sit in darkness,
The Lord will be a light to me.
(AI)I will bear the indignation of the Lord,
Because I have sinned against Him,
Until He pleads my (AJ)case
And executes justice for me.
He will bring me forth to the light;
I will see His righteousness.
10 Then she who is my enemy will see,
And (AK)shame will cover her who said to me,
(AL)“Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will see her;
Now she will be trampled down
Like mud in the streets.

11 In the day when your (AM)walls are to be built,
In that day [j]the decree shall go far and wide.
12 In that day (AN)they[k] shall come to you
From Assyria and the [l]fortified cities,
From the [m]fortress to [n]the River,
From sea to sea,
And mountain to mountain.
13 Yet the land shall be desolate
Because of those who dwell in it,
And (AO)for the fruit of their deeds.

God Will Forgive Israel

14 Shepherd Your people with Your staff,
The flock of Your heritage,
Who dwell [o]solitarily in a (AP)woodland,
In the midst of Carmel;
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,
As in days of old.

15 “As(AQ) in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,
I will show [p]them (AR)wonders.”

16 The nations (AS)shall see and be ashamed of all their might;
(AT)They shall put their hand over their mouth;
Their ears shall be deaf.
17 They shall lick the (AU)dust like a serpent;
(AV)They shall crawl from their holes like [q]snakes of the earth.
(AW)They shall be afraid of the Lord our God,
And shall fear because of You.
18 (AX)Who is a God like You,
(AY)Pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of (AZ)the remnant of His heritage?

(BA)He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in (BB)mercy.[r]
19 He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.

You will cast all [s]our sins
Into the depths of the sea.
20 (BC)You will give truth to Jacob
And [t]mercy to Abraham,
(BD)Which You have sworn to our fathers
From days of old.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 6:2 bring charges against
  2. Micah 6:5 Heb. Shittim, Num. 25:1; Josh. 2:1; 3:1
  3. Micah 6:7 My own child
  4. Micah 6:8 Or lovingkindness
  5. Micah 6:14 Or Emptiness or Humiliation
  6. Micah 6:14 Tg., Vg. You shall take hold
  7. Micah 6:16 Or object of horror
  8. Micah 6:16 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX nations
  9. Micah 7:2 Or loyal
  10. Micah 7:11 Or the boundary shall be extended
  11. Micah 7:12 Lit. he, collective of the captives
  12. Micah 7:12 Heb. arey mazor, possibly cities of Egypt
  13. Micah 7:12 Heb. mazor, possibly Egypt
  14. Micah 7:12 The Euphrates
  15. Micah 7:14 Alone
  16. Micah 7:15 Lit. him, collective for the captives
  17. Micah 7:17 Lit. crawlers
  18. Micah 7:18 Or lovingkindness
  19. Micah 7:19 Lit. their
  20. Micah 7:20 Or lovingkindness

The Lord’s Case Against Israel

Listen to what the Lord says:

“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;(A)
    let the hills hear what you have to say.

“Hear,(B) you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;(C)
    listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.
For the Lord has a case(D) against his people;
    he is lodging a charge(E) against Israel.

“My people, what have I done to you?
    How have I burdened(F) you?(G) Answer me.
I brought you up out of Egypt(H)
    and redeemed you from the land of slavery.(I)
I sent Moses(J) to lead you,
    also Aaron(K) and Miriam.(L)
My people, remember
    what Balak(M) king of Moab plotted
    and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim(N) to Gilgal,(O)
    that you may know the righteous acts(P) of the Lord.”

With what shall I come before(Q) the Lord
    and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?(R)
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,(S)
    with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?(T)
Shall I offer my firstborn(U) for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?(V)
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly(W) and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly[a](X) with your God.(Y)

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

Listen! The Lord is calling to the city—
    and to fear your name is wisdom—
    “Heed the rod(Z) and the One who appointed it.[b]
10 Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house,
    and the short ephah,[c] which is accursed?(AA)
11 Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales,(AB)
    with a bag of false weights?(AC)
12 Your rich people are violent;(AD)
    your inhabitants are liars(AE)
    and their tongues speak deceitfully.(AF)
13 Therefore, I have begun to destroy(AG) you,
    to ruin[d] you because of your sins.
14 You will eat but not be satisfied;(AH)
    your stomach will still be empty.[e]
You will store up but save nothing,(AI)
    because what you save[f] I will give to the sword.
15 You will plant but not harvest;(AJ)
    you will press olives but not use the oil,
    you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.(AK)
16 You have observed the statutes of Omri(AL)
    and all the practices of Ahab’s(AM) house;
    you have followed their traditions.(AN)
Therefore I will give you over to ruin(AO)
    and your people to derision;
    you will bear the scorn(AP) of the nations.[g]

Israel’s Misery

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(AQ) that I crave.
The faithful have been swept from the land;(AR)
    not one(AS) upright person remains.
Everyone lies in wait(AT) to shed blood;(AU)
    they hunt each other(AV) with nets.(AW)
Both hands are skilled in doing evil;(AX)
    the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,(AY)
    the powerful dictate what they desire—
    they all conspire together.
The best of them is like a brier,(AZ)
    the most upright worse than a thorn(BA) hedge.
The day God visits you has come,
    the day your watchmen sound the alarm.
    Now is the time of your confusion.(BB)
Do not trust a neighbor;
    put no confidence in a friend.(BC)
Even with the woman who lies in your embrace
    guard the words of your lips.
For a son dishonors his father,
    a daughter rises up against her mother,(BD)
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
    a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.(BE)

But as for me, I watch(BF) in hope(BG) for the Lord,
    I wait for God my Savior;
    my God will hear(BH) me.

Israel Will Rise

Do not gloat over me,(BI) my enemy!
    Though I have fallen, I will rise.(BJ)
Though I sit in darkness,
    the Lord will be my light.(BK)
Because I have sinned against him,
    I will bear the Lord’s wrath,(BL)
until he pleads my case(BM)
    and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;(BN)
    I will see his righteousness.(BO)
10 Then my enemy will see it
    and will be covered with shame,(BP)
she who said to me,
    “Where is the Lord your God?”(BQ)
My eyes will see her downfall;(BR)
    even now she will be trampled(BS) underfoot
    like mire in the streets.

11 The day for building your walls(BT) will come,
    the day for extending your boundaries.
12 In that day people will come to you
    from Assyria(BU) and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates
    and from sea to sea
    and from mountain to mountain.(BV)
13 The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,
    as the result of their deeds.(BW)

Prayer and Praise

14 Shepherd(BX) your people with your staff,(BY)
    the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
    in fertile pasturelands.[h](BZ)
Let them feed in Bashan(CA) and Gilead(CB)
    as in days long ago.(CC)

15 “As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
    I will show them my wonders.(CD)

16 Nations will see and be ashamed,(CE)
    deprived of all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths(CF)
    and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust(CG) like a snake,
    like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling(CH) out of their dens;
    they will turn in fear(CI) to the Lord our God
    and will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God(CJ) like you,
    who pardons sin(CK) and forgives(CL) the transgression
    of the remnant(CM) of his inheritance?(CN)
You do not stay angry(CO) forever
    but delight to show mercy.(CP)
19 You will again have compassion on us;
    you will tread our sins underfoot
    and hurl all our iniquities(CQ) into the depths of the sea.(CR)
20 You will be faithful to Jacob,
    and show love to Abraham,(CS)
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors(CT)
    in days long ago.(CU)

Footnotes

  1. Micah 6:8 Or prudently
  2. Micah 6:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
  3. Micah 6:10 An ephah was a dry measure.
  4. Micah 6:13 Or Therefore, I will make you ill and destroy you; / I will ruin
  5. Micah 6:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  6. Micah 6:14 Or You will press toward birth but not give birth, / and what you bring to birth
  7. Micah 6:16 Septuagint; Hebrew scorn due my people
  8. Micah 7:14 Or in the middle of Carmel

The Beast from the Sea

13 Then [a]I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw (A)a beast rising up out of the sea, (B)having [b]seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a (C)blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The (D)dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads (E)as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And (F)all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, (G)“Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

And he was given (H)a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to [c]continue for (I)forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, (J)His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him (K)to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And (L)authority was given him over every [d]tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, (M)whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain (N)from the foundation of the world.

(O)If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 (P)He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; (Q)he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. (R)Here is the [e]patience and the faith of the saints.

The Beast from the Earth

11 Then I saw another beast (S)coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, (T)whose deadly wound was healed. 13 (U)He performs great signs, (V)so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 (W)And he deceives [f]those who dwell on the earth (X)by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword (Y)and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak (Z)and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, (AA)to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has [g]the mark or (AB)the name of the beast, (AC)or the number of his name.

18 (AD)Here is wisdom. Let him who has (AE)understanding calculate (AF)the number of the beast, (AG)for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 13:1 NU he
  2. Revelation 13:1 NU, M ten horns and seven heads
  3. Revelation 13:5 M make war
  4. Revelation 13:7 NU, M add and people
  5. Revelation 13:10 perseverance
  6. Revelation 13:14 M my own people
  7. Revelation 13:17 NU, M the mark, the name

The Beast out of the Sea

13 The dragon[a] stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea.(A) It had ten horns and seven heads,(B) with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.(C) The beast I saw resembled a leopard,(D) but had feet like those of a bear(E) and a mouth like that of a lion.(F) The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.(G) One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.(H) The whole world was filled with wonder(I) and followed the beast. People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like(J) the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies(K) and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.(L) It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.(M) It was given power to wage war(N) against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.(O) All inhabitants of the earth(P) will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life,(Q) the Lamb(R) who was slain from the creation of the world.[b](S)

Whoever has ears, let them hear.(T)

10 “If anyone is to go into captivity,
    into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed[c] with the sword,
    with the sword they will be killed.”[d](U)

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness(V) on the part of God’s people.(W)

The Beast out of the Earth

11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth.(X) It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.(Y) 12 It exercised all the authority(Z) of the first beast on its behalf,(AA) and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast,(AB) whose fatal wound had been healed.(AC) 13 And it performed great signs,(AD) even causing fire to come down from heaven(AE) to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs(AF) it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived(AG) the inhabitants of the earth.(AH) It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.(AI) 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship(AJ) the image to be killed.(AK) 16 It also forced all people, great and small,(AL) rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,(AM) 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark,(AN) which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.(AO)

18 This calls for wisdom.(AP) Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[e](AQ) That number is 666.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 13:1 Some manuscripts And I
  2. Revelation 13:8 Or written from the creation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was slain
  3. Revelation 13:10 Some manuscripts anyone kills
  4. Revelation 13:10 Jer. 15:2
  5. Revelation 13:18 Or is humanity’s number