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Isaiah 34-35
New American Standard Bible
Isaiah 34-35
New American Standard Bible
God’s Wrath against Nations
34 Come near, (A)you nations, to hear; and listen, you peoples!
(B)Let the earth and [a]all it contains hear, and the world and all that springs from it.
2 For the Lord’s (C)anger is against all the nations,
And His wrath against all their armies.
He has [b](D)utterly destroyed them,
He has turned them over to (E)slaughter.
3 So their slain will be (F)thrown out,
And their corpses [c]will give off their (G)stench,
And the mountains will [d]be drenched with their (H)blood.
4 And (I)all the heavenly [e]lights will [f]wear away,
And the (J)sky will be rolled up like a scroll;
All its [g]lights will also wither away
As a leaf withers from the vine,
Or as one withers from the fig tree.
5 For (K)My sword has drunk its fill in heaven;
Behold it shall descend for judgment upon (L)Edom,
And upon the people whom I have (M)designated for destruction.
6 The sword of the Lord is filled with blood,
It drips with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats,
With the fat of the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice in (N)Bozrah,
And a great slaughter in the land of (O)Edom.
7 (P)Wild oxen will also [h]fall with them
And (Q)young bulls with strong ones;
So their land will be (R)soaked with blood,
And their dust [i]become greasy with fat.
8 For the Lord has a day of (S)vengeance,
A year of retribution for the [j]cause of Zion.
9 [k]Its streams will be turned into pitch,
And its loose earth into (T)brimstone,
And its land will become burning pitch.
10 It will (U)not be extinguished night or day;
Its (V)smoke will go up forever.
From (W)generation to generation it will be desolate;
(X)None will pass through it forever and ever.
11 But [l](Y)pelican and hedgehog will possess it,
And [m]owl and raven will dwell in it;
And He will stretch over it the (Z)line of [n]desolation
And the [o]plumb line of emptiness.
12 Its nobles—there is (AA)no one there
Whom they may proclaim king—
And all its officials will be (AB)nothing.
13 Thorns will come up in its (AC)fortified towers,
Weeds and thistles in its fortified cities;
It will also be a haunt of (AD)jackals
And a habitat of ostriches.
14 The desert (AE)creatures will meet with the [p]wolves,
The [q](AF)goat also will cry to its kind.
Yes, the [r]night-bird will settle there
And will find herself a resting place.
15 The tree snake will make its nest and lay eggs there,
And it will hatch and gather them under its [s]protection.
Yes, (AG)the [t]hawks will be gathered there,
Every one with its kind.
16 Seek from the (AH)book of the Lord, and read:
Not one of these will be missing;
None will lack its mate.
For [u](AI)His mouth has commanded,
And His Spirit has gathered them.
17 He has cast the (AJ)lot for them,
And His hand has divided it to them by the (AK)measuring line.
They shall possess it forever;
From (AL)generation to generation they will dwell in it.
Zion’s Happy Future
35 The (AM)wilderness and the desert will rejoice,
And the [v](AN)desert will shout for joy and blossom;
Like the crocus
2 It will (AO)blossom profusely
And (AP)rejoice with joy and jubilation.
The (AQ)glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
The majesty of (AR)Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the (AS)glory of the Lord,
The majesty of our God.
3 (AT)Strengthen the [w]exhausted, and make the [x]feeble strong.
4 Say to those with (AU)anxious heart,
“Take courage, fear not.
Behold, your God will come with (AV)vengeance;
The (AW)retribution of God will come,
But He will (AX)save you.”
5 Then the (AY)eyes of those who are blind will be opened,
And the ears of those who are deaf will be unstopped.
6 Then those who (AZ)limp will leap like a deer,
And the (BA)tongue of those who cannot speak will shout for joy.
For waters will burst forth in the (BB)wilderness,
And streams in the [y]desert.
7 The [z]scorched land will become a pool
And the thirsty ground (BC)springs of water;
In the (BD)haunt of jackals, its resting place,
Grass becomes reeds and rushes.
8 (BE)A highway will be there, (BF)a roadway,
And it will be called the Highway of (BG)Holiness.
The unclean will not travel on it,
But it will be for the one who walks that way,
And (BH)fools will not wander on it.
9 No (BI)lion will be there,
Nor will any vicious animal go up on it;
[aa]They will not be found there.
But (BJ)the redeemed will walk there,
10 And (BK)the redeemed of the Lord will return
And come to Zion with joyful shouting,
And everlasting joy will be on their heads.
They will obtain gladness and joy,
And (BL)sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 34:1 Lit its fullness
- Isaiah 34:2 Lit put under the ban
- Isaiah 34:3 Lit their stench will go up
- Isaiah 34:3 Lit dissolve
- Isaiah 34:4 Lit host; i.e., sun, stars, etc.
- Isaiah 34:4 Lit rot
- Isaiah 34:4 Lit host; i.e., sun, stars, etc.
- Isaiah 34:7 Lit go down
- Isaiah 34:7 Lit made fat
- Isaiah 34:8 Or controversy
- Isaiah 34:9 I.e., Edom’s
- Isaiah 34:11 Or owl; or jackdaw
- Isaiah 34:11 Or great horned owl
- Isaiah 34:11 Or formlessness
- Isaiah 34:11 Lit stones of void
- Isaiah 34:14 Or howling creatures
- Isaiah 34:14 Or goat demon
- Isaiah 34:14 Or a demon; Heb Lilith
- Isaiah 34:15 Lit shade
- Isaiah 34:15 Or kites
- Isaiah 34:16 As in DSS; MT My
- Isaiah 35:1 Or Arabah
- Isaiah 35:3 Lit slack hands
- Isaiah 35:3 Lit tottering knees
- Isaiah 35:6 Or Arabah
- Isaiah 35:7 Or mirage
- Isaiah 35:9 Lit It
Isaiah 34-35
New International Version
Isaiah 34-35
New International Version
Judgment Against the Nations
34 Come near, you nations, and listen;(A)
pay attention, you peoples!(B)
Let the earth(C) hear, and all that is in it,
the world, and all that comes out of it!(D)
2 The Lord is angry with all nations;
his wrath(E) is on all their armies.
He will totally destroy[a](F) them,
he will give them over to slaughter.(G)
3 Their slain(H) will be thrown out,
their dead bodies(I) will stink;(J)
the mountains will be soaked with their blood.(K)
4 All the stars in the sky will be dissolved(L)
and the heavens rolled up(M) like a scroll;
all the starry host will fall(N)
like withered(O) leaves from the vine,
like shriveled figs from the fig tree.
5 My sword(P) has drunk its fill in the heavens;
see, it descends in judgment on Edom,(Q)
the people I have totally destroyed.(R)
6 The sword(S) of the Lord is bathed in blood,
it is covered with fat—
the blood of lambs and goats,
fat from the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice(T) in Bozrah(U)
and a great slaughter(V) in the land of Edom.
7 And the wild oxen(W) will fall with them,
the bull calves and the great bulls.(X)
Their land will be drenched with blood,(Y)
and the dust will be soaked with fat.
8 For the Lord has a day(Z) of vengeance,(AA)
a year of retribution,(AB) to uphold Zion’s cause.
9 Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch,
her dust into burning sulfur;(AC)
her land will become blazing pitch!
10 It will not be quenched(AD) night or day;
its smoke will rise forever.(AE)
From generation to generation(AF) it will lie desolate;(AG)
no one will ever pass through it again.
11 The desert owl[b](AH) and screech owl[c] will possess it;
the great owl[d] and the raven(AI) will nest there.
God will stretch out over Edom(AJ)
the measuring line of chaos(AK)
and the plumb line(AL) of desolation.
12 Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom,
all her princes(AM) will vanish(AN) away.
13 Thorns(AO) will overrun her citadels,
nettles and brambles her strongholds.(AP)
She will become a haunt for jackals,(AQ)
a home for owls.(AR)
14 Desert creatures(AS) will meet with hyenas,(AT)
and wild goats will bleat to each other;
there the night creatures(AU) will also lie down
and find for themselves places of rest.
15 The owl will nest there and lay eggs,
she will hatch them, and care for her young
under the shadow of her wings;(AV)
there also the falcons(AW) will gather,
each with its mate.
16 Look in the scroll(AX) of the Lord and read:
None of these will be missing,(AY)
not one will lack her mate.
For it is his mouth(AZ) that has given the order,(BA)
and his Spirit will gather them together.
17 He allots their portions;(BB)
his hand distributes them by measure.
They will possess it forever
and dwell there from generation to generation.(BC)
Joy of the Redeemed
35 The desert(BD) and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.(BE)
Like the crocus,(BF) 2 it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.(BG)
The glory of Lebanon(BH) will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel(BI) and Sharon;(BJ)
they will see the glory(BK) of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.(BL)
3 Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees(BM) that give way;
4 say(BN) to those with fearful hearts,(BO)
“Be strong, do not fear;(BP)
your God will come,(BQ)
he will come with vengeance;(BR)
with divine retribution
he will come to save(BS) you.”
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened(BT)
and the ears of the deaf(BU) unstopped.
6 Then will the lame(BV) leap like a deer,(BW)
and the mute tongue(BX) shout for joy.(BY)
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams(BZ) in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground(CA) bubbling springs.(CB)
In the haunts where jackals(CC) once lay,
grass and reeds(CD) and papyrus will grow.
8 And a highway(CE) will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;(CF)
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean(CG) will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion(CH) will be there,
nor any ravenous beast;(CI)
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed(CJ) will walk there,
10 and those the Lord has rescued(CK) will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;(CL)
everlasting joy(CM) will crown their heads.
Gladness(CN) and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.(CO)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 34:2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 5.
- Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
- Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
- Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
Isaiah 34-35
King James Version
Isaiah 34-35
King James Version
34 Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.
2 For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.
3 Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.
4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.
5 For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.
6 The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.
7 And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.
8 For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.
9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.
10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.
11 But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness.
12 They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there, and all her princes shall be nothing.
13 And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof: and it shall be an habitation of dragons, and a court for owls.
14 The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest.
15 There shall the great owl make her nest, and lay, and hatch, and gather under her shadow: there shall the vultures also be gathered, every one with her mate.
16 Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.
17 And he hath cast the lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them by line: they shall possess it for ever, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein.
35 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.
3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Micah 2-5
New American Standard Bible
Micah 2-5
New American Standard Bible
Woe to Oppressors
2 Woe to those who (A)devise wrongdoing,
Who practice evil on their beds!
[a](B)When morning comes, they do it,
Because it is in the (C)power of their hands.
2 They (D)covet fields, so they (E)seize them;
And houses, so they take them.
They [b](F)exploit a man and his house,
A person and his inheritance.
3 Therefore this is what the Lord says:
“Behold, I am (G)planning against this (H)family a catastrophe
From which you (I)cannot remove your necks;
And you will not walk (J)haughtily,
For it will be an (K)evil time.
4 On that day they will (L)take up against you a [c]song of mocking
And [d](M)utter a song of mourning and say,
‘We are completely (N)destroyed!
He exchanges the share of my people;
How He removes it from me!
To the apostate He (O)apportions our fields.’
5 Therefore you will have no one [e](P)applying a measuring line
For you by lot in the assembly of the Lord.
6 ‘(Q)Do not prophesy,’ so they prophesy.
But if [f]they do (R)not prophesy about these things,
(S)Insults will not be turned back.
7 Is it being said, house of Jacob:
‘Is the Spirit of the Lord (T)impatient?
Are these His works?’
Do My words not (U)do good
For the one (V)walking rightly?
8 [g]Recently My people have arisen as an (W)enemy—
You (X)strip the robe off the garment
From (Y)unsuspecting passers-by,
From those returned from war.
9 You (Z)evict the women of My people,
Each one from her pleasant house.
From her children you take My (AA)splendor forever.
10 Arise and go,
For this is no place (AB)of rest
Because of the (AC)uncleanness that brings on destruction,
A painful destruction.
11 If someone walking after wind and (AD)falsehood
Had lied and said,
‘I will prophesy to you about (AE)wine and liquor,’
He would become a prophet to (AF)this people.
12 “I will certainly (AG)assemble all of you, Jacob,
I will certainly gather the (AH)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,
“(AI)Hear now, you [h]leaders of Jacob
And rulers of the house of Israel:
Is it not for you to (AJ)know justice?
2 You who hate good and love evil,
Who (AK)tear off their skin from them
And their flesh from their bones,
3 Who (AL)eat the flesh of my people,
Strip off their skin from them,
Smash their bones,
And (AM)chop them up as for the pot,
And as meat in a cauldron!”
4 Then they will (AN)cry out to the Lord,
But He will not answer them.
Instead, He will (AO)hide His face from them at that time
Because they have (AP)practiced evil deeds.
5 This is what the Lord says concerning the prophets who (AQ)lead my people astray:
When they have something to bite with their teeth,
They (AR)cry out, “Peace!”
But against him who puts nothing in their mouths
They declare holy war.
6 Therefore it will be (AS)night for you—without vision,
And darkness for you—without divination.
The (AT)sun will go down on the prophets,
And the day will become dark over them.
7 The seers will be (AU)put to shame,
And the (AV)diviners will be ashamed.
Indeed, they will all (AW)cover their [i]lips
Because there is (AX)no answer from God.
8 On the other hand, (AY)I am filled with power—
With the Spirit of the Lord—
And with justice and courage
To (AZ)make known to Jacob his rebellious act,
And to Israel his sin.
9 Now hear this, you (BA)heads of the house of Jacob
And rulers of the house of Israel,
Who (BB)despise justice
And twist everything that is straight,
10 Who (BC)build Zion with bloodshed,
And Jerusalem with malice.
11 Her leaders pronounce (BD)judgment for a bribe,
Her (BE)priests teach for pay,
And her prophets divine for money.
Yet they lean on the Lord, saying,
“(BF)Is the Lord not in our midst?
Catastrophe will not come upon us.”
12 Therefore on account of you,
(BG)Zion will be plowed like a field,
(BH)Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,
And the (BI)mountain of the [j]temple will become high places of a forest.
Peaceful Latter Days
4 And it will come about in the (BJ)last days
That the (BK)mountain of the house of the Lord
Will be established [k]as the chief of the mountains.
It will be raised above the hills,
And the (BL)peoples will stream to it.
2 (BM)Many nations will come and say,
“(BN)Come and let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord
And to the house of the God of Jacob,
So that (BO)He may teach us about His ways,
And that we may walk in His paths.”
For (BP)from Zion will go forth the law,
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 And He will (BQ)judge between many peoples
And render decisions for mighty, [l]distant nations.
Then they will beat their swords (BR)into plowshares,
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation will not lift a sword against nation,
And never again will they [m]train for war.
4 Instead, each of them will (BS)sit under his vine
And under his fig tree,
With (BT)no one to make them afraid,
Because the (BU)mouth of the Lord of armies has spoken.
5 Though all the peoples walk,
Each in the (BV)name of his god,
As for us, (BW)we will walk
In the name of the (BX)Lord our God forever and ever.
6 “On that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will assemble those who (BY)limp
And (BZ)gather the scattered,
Those whom I have afflicted.
7 I will make those who limp a (CA)remnant,
And those who [n]have strayed a mighty nation,
And the (CB)Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion
From now on and forever.
8 As for you, [o](CC)tower of the flock,
[p]Hill of the daughter of Zion,
To you it will come—
Yes, the (CD)former dominion will come,
The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.
9 “Now, why do you (CE)cry out loudly?
Is there no king among you,
Or has your (CF)counselor perished,
That agony has gripped you like a woman in childbirth?
10 (CG)Writhe and scream,
Daughter of Zion,
Like a woman in childbirth;
For now you will (CH)go out of the city,
Live in the field,
And go to Babylon.
(CI)There you will be rescued,
(CJ)There the Lord will redeem you
From the hand of your enemies.
11 And now (CK)many nations have been assembled against you
Who say, ‘Let her be defiled,
And let our eyes [q]gloat over Zion!’
12 But they do not (CL)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 (CM)thresh, daughter of Zion,
For I will make your horn iron,
And I will make your hoofs bronze,
So that you may (CN)pulverize many peoples,
And (CO)dedicate to the Lord their unjust profit,
And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.
Birth of the King in Bethlehem
5 “[r]Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops;
[s]They have laid siege against us;
With a rod they will (CP)strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.
2 [t]But as for (CQ)you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From (CR)you One will come forth for Me to be (CS)ruler in Israel.
His times of coming forth are (CT)from long ago,
From the days of eternity.”
3 Therefore He will (CU)give them up until the time
When she (CV)who is in labor has given birth.
Then the (CW)remainder of His kinsmen
Will return to the sons of Israel.
4 And He will arise and (CX)shepherd His flock
In the strength of the Lord,
In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God.
And they will [u]remain,
Because [v]at that time He will be great
To the (CY)ends of the earth.
5 This One (CZ)will be our peace.
When the (DA)Assyrian invades our land,
When he tramples on our [w]citadels,
Then we will raise against him
Seven shepherds and eight leaders of people.
6 They will (DB)shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
The land of (DC)Nimrod at its entrances;
And He will (DD)rescue us from the Assyrian
When he invades our land,
And when he tramples our territory.
7 Then the (DE)remnant of Jacob
Will be among many peoples
Like (DF)dew from the Lord,
Like (DG)showers on vegetation
That do not wait for man,
Or delay for [x]mankind.
8 The remnant of Jacob
Will be among the nations,
Among many peoples
(DH)Like a lion among the animals of the forest,
Like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
Which, if he passes through,
(DI)Tramples and (DJ)tears,
And there is (DK)no one who can rescue.
9 Your hand will be (DL)lifted up against your adversaries,
And all your enemies will be eliminated.
10 “And it will be on that day,” declares the Lord,
“(DM)That I will eliminate your (DN)horses from among you,
And destroy your chariots.
11 I will also eliminate the (DO)cities of your land,
And tear down all your (DP)fortifications.
12 I will eliminate (DQ)sorceries from your hand,
And you will have no fortune-tellers.
13 (DR)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 [y](DS)Asherim from among you,
And destroy your cities.
15 And I will (DT)execute vengeance in anger and wrath
On the nations which have not obeyed.”
Footnotes
- 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 2-5
New International Version
Micah 2-5
New International Version
Human Plans and God’s Plans
2 Woe to those who plan iniquity,
to those who plot evil(A) on their beds!(B)
At morning’s light they carry it out
because it is in their power to do it.
2 They covet fields(C) and seize them,(D)
and houses, and take them.
They defraud(E) people of their homes,
they rob them of their inheritance.(F)
3 Therefore, the Lord says:
“I am planning disaster(G) against this people,
from which you cannot save yourselves.
You will no longer walk proudly,(H)
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;(I)
my people’s possession is divided up.(J)
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(M) will not overtake us.(N)”
7 You descendants of Jacob, should it be said,
“Does the Lord become[a] impatient?
Does he do such things?”
“Do not my words do good(O)
to the one whose ways are upright?(P)
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.(Q)
You take away my blessing
from their children forever.
10 Get up, go away!
For this is not your resting place,(R)
because it is defiled,(S)
it is ruined, beyond all remedy.
11 If a liar and deceiver(T) comes and says,
‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’(U)
that would be just the prophet for this people!(V)
Deliverance Promised
12 “I will surely gather all of you, Jacob;
I will surely bring together the remnant(W) of Israel.
I will bring them together like sheep in a pen,
like a flock in its pasture;
the place will throng with people.(X)
13 The One who breaks open the way will go up before(Y) them;
they will break through the gate(Z) 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(AA) 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;(AB)
3 who eat my people’s flesh,(AC)
strip off their skin
and break their bones in pieces;(AD)
who chop(AE) them up like meat for the pan,
like flesh for the pot?(AF)”
4 Then they will cry out to the Lord,
but he will not answer them.(AG)
At that time he will hide his face(AH) from them
because of the evil they have done.(AI)
5 This is what the Lord says:
“As for the prophets
who lead my people astray,(AJ)
they proclaim ‘peace’(AK)
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.(AL)
The sun will set for the prophets,(AM)
and the day will go dark for them.(AN)
7 The seers will be ashamed(AO)
and the diviners disgraced.(AP)
They will all cover(AQ) their faces(AR)
because there is no answer from God.(AS)”
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.(AT)
9 Hear this, you leaders of Jacob,
you rulers of Israel,
who despise justice
and distort all that is right;(AU)
10 who build(AV) Zion with bloodshed,(AW)
and Jerusalem with wickedness.(AX)
11 Her leaders judge for a bribe,(AY)
her priests teach for a price,(AZ)
and her prophets tell fortunes for money.(BA)
Yet they look(BB) for the Lord’s support and say,
“Is not the Lord among us?
No disaster will come upon us.”(BC)
12 Therefore because of you,
Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,(BD)
the temple(BE) hill a mound overgrown with thickets.(BF)
The Mountain of the Lord(BG)
4 In the last days
the mountain(BH) of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,(BI)
and peoples will stream to it.(BJ)
2 Many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,(BK)
to the temple of the God of Jacob.(BL)
He will teach us(BM) his ways,(BN)
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law(BO) 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.(BP)
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.(BQ)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war(BR) anymore.(BS)
4 Everyone will sit under their own vine
and under their own fig tree,(BT)
and no one will make them afraid,(BU)
for the Lord Almighty has spoken.(BV)
5 All the nations may walk
in the name of their gods,(BW)
but we will walk in the name of the Lord
our God for ever and ever.(BX)
The Lord’s Plan
6 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will gather the lame;(BY)
I will assemble the exiles(BZ)
and those I have brought to grief.(CA)
7 I will make the lame my remnant,(CB)
those driven away a strong nation.(CC)
The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion(CD)
from that day and forever.(CE)
8 As for you, watchtower of the flock,
stronghold[b] of Daughter Zion,
the former dominion will be restored(CF) to you;
kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.(CG)”
9 Why do you now cry aloud—
have you no king[c](CH)?
Has your ruler[d] perished,
that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?(CI)
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;(CJ)
there you will be rescued.
There the Lord will redeem(CK) 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(CL) over Zion!”
12 But they do not know
the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,(CM)
that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 “Rise and thresh,(CN) 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.”(CO)
You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,(CP)
their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.
A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem
5 [e]Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
on the cheek(CQ) with a rod.
2 “But you, Bethlehem(CR) Ephrathah,(CS)
though you are small among the clans[f] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler(CT) over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,(CU)
from ancient times.”(CV)
3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned(CW)
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(CX)
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(CY)
will reach to the ends of the earth.
5 And he will be our peace(CZ)
when the Assyrians invade(DA) our land
and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
even eight commanders,(DB)
6 who will rule[g] the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod(DC) with drawn sword.[h](DD)
He will deliver us from the Assyrians
when they invade our land
and march across our borders.(DE)
7 The remnant(DF) of Jacob will be
in the midst of many peoples
like dew(DG) from the Lord,
like showers on the grass,(DH)
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,(DI)
like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which mauls and mangles(DJ) as it goes,
and no one can rescue.(DK)
9 Your hand will be lifted up(DL) 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.(DM)
11 I will destroy the cities(DN) of your land
and tear down all your strongholds.(DO)
12 I will destroy your witchcraft
and you will no longer cast spells.(DP)
13 I will destroy your idols(DQ)
and your sacred stones from among you;(DR)
you will no longer bow down
to the work of your hands.(DS)
14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles[i](DT)
when I demolish your cities.
15 I will take vengeance(DU) in anger and wrath
on the nations that have not obeyed me.”
Footnotes
- 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 2-5
King James Version
Micah 2-5
King James Version
2 Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.
2 And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.
3 Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil.
4 In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! turning away he hath divided our fields.
5 Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the Lord.
6 Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.
7 O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the Lord straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?
8 Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war.
9 The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever.
10 Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.
11 If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.
12 I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.
13 The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them.
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.
4 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.
5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.
6 In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;
7 And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.
8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
9 Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.
10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
11 Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.
12 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.
13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.
5 Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
5 And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.
6 And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.
7 And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.
8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
9 Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.
10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots:
11 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:
12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:
13 Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands.
14 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.
15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.
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