Micah 3
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 3
The Leader Devours the Chair of My People
1 Then I said:
Listen, you leaders of the house of Jacob,
you rulers of the house of Israel.
Should you not be responsible
to know what is right?
2 And yet you hate what is good
and love what is evil.
3 You eat the flesh of my people
and strip off their skin;
you break their bones into pieces
like flesh for the pot,
like meat in a cauldron.
4 Then they will cry out to the Lord,
but he will not answer them.
He will conceal his face from them at that time
because of the evil they have done.
Against Prophets Who Lead the People Astray
5 Thus says the Lord about the prophets
who lead my people astray,
who promise prosperity
when they have something to eat,
but who declare war against those
who put no food into their mouths.
6 Therefore, you will have night without vision
and darkness without divination.
The sun will go down on the prophets;
for them the daytime will be black.
7 Then the seers will be disgraced
and the diviners will be put to shame.
They will all cover their lips,
for there is no answer from God.
8 But as for me, I am filled with strength,
with the Spirit of the Lord,
with justice and might
to declare to Jacob his crime
and to Israel his sin.
A Civilization Built on Injustice
9 Listen to this,
you leaders of the house of Jacob,
you rulers of the house of Israel,
who despise justice
and pervert what is right,
10 who build Zion through bloodshed
and Jerusalem through wickedness.
11 Her leaders accept bribes for favorable judgments,
her priests render judgments for a fee,
her prophets practice divination for money.
And yet they rely upon the Lord, saying,
“Isn’t the Lord in our midst?
No harm can come upon us.”
12 Therefore, because of you,
Zion will be plowed like a field.
Jerusalem will be reduced to a heap of rubble,
and the temple mount to a height
overgrown with thickets.
Micah 3
King James Version
3 And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment?
2 Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;
3 Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.
4 Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.
5 Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.
6 Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.
7 Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.
8 But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
9 Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.
10 They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.
11 The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us.
12 Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.
Micah 3
New King James Version
Wicked Rulers and Prophets
3 And I said:
“Hear now, O heads of Jacob,
And you (A)rulers of the house of Israel:
(B)Is it not for you to know justice?
2 You who hate good and love evil;
Who strip the skin from [a]My people,
And the flesh from their bones;
3 Who also (C)eat the flesh of My people,
Flay their skin from them,
Break their bones,
And chop them in pieces
Like meat for the pot,
(D)Like flesh in the caldron.”
4 Then (E)they will cry to the Lord,
But He will not hear them;
He will even hide His face from them at that time,
Because they have been evil in their deeds.
5 Thus says the Lord (F)concerning the prophets
Who make my people stray;
Who chant [b]“Peace”
[c]While they (G)chew with their teeth,
But who prepare war against him
(H)Who puts nothing into their mouths:
6 “Therefore(I) you shall have night without [d]vision,
And you shall have darkness without divination;
The sun shall go down on the prophets,
And the day shall be dark for (J)them.
7 So the seers shall be ashamed,
And the diviners abashed;
Indeed they shall all cover their lips;
(K)For there is no answer from God.”
8 But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord,
And of justice and might,
(L)To declare to Jacob his transgression
And to Israel his sin.
9 Now hear this,
You heads of the house of Jacob
And rulers of the house of Israel,
Who abhor justice
And [e]pervert all equity,
10 (M)Who build up Zion with (N)bloodshed
And Jerusalem with iniquity:
11 (O)Her heads judge for a bribe,
(P)Her priests teach for pay,
And her prophets divine for [f]money.
(Q)Yet they lean on the Lord, and say,
“Is not the Lord among us?
No harm can come upon us.”
12 Therefore because of you
Zion shall be (R)plowed like a field,
(S)Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins,
And (T)the mountain of the [g]temple
Like the bare hills of the forest.
Footnotes
- Micah 3:2 Lit. them
- Micah 3:5 All is well
- Micah 3:5 For those who feed them
- Micah 3:6 Prophetic revelation
- Micah 3:9 Lit. twist
- Micah 3:11 Lit. silver
- Micah 3:12 Lit. house
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
