Micah 3
American Standard Version
3 And I said, Hear, I pray you, ye heads of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel: is it not for you to know justice? 2 ye 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 break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron. 4 Then shall they cry unto Jehovah, but he will not answer them; yea, he will hide his face from them at that time, according as they have wrought evil in their doings.
5 Thus saith Jehovah concerning the prophets that make my people to err; that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and whoso putteth not into their mouths, they even [a]prepare war against him: 6 Therefore it shall be night unto you, that ye shall have no vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be black over them. 7 And the seers shall be put to shame, and the diviners confounded; yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God. 8 But as for me, I am full of power [b]by the Spirit of Jehovah, 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 rulers of the house of Israel, that abhor justice, 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 they lean upon Jehovah, and say, Is not Jehovah in the midst of us? no evil shall 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 a forest.
Micah 3
Lexham English Bible
Israel’s Leaders Denounced
3 And I said,
“Listen, O heads of Jacob
and leaders of the house of Israel!
Is it not for you to know justice?
2 Those of you who are haters of good
and lovers of evil,
who tear their skin from them
and their flesh from their bones,
3 and who eat the flesh of my people,
and strip their skin from them,
and break their bones,
and chop them like meat in the pot,
and like flesh in the midst of a cooking pot.”
4 Then they will cry to Yahweh,
but he will not answer them.
He will hide his face from them at that time,
when they have made their deeds evil.
5 Thus says Yahweh concerning the prophets
who are leading my people astray,
who are biting with their teeth
and proclaim, “Peace,”
but whoever puts nothing into their mouths
they declare war against.
6 Therefore it will be as night to you, without vision,
and darkness to you, without divination.
And the sun will set on the prophets,
and the day will grow dark over them.
7 Then the seers will be disgraced,
and those practicing divination will be put to shame.
All of them will cover their lips,
for there is no reply from God.
8 But I, I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of Yahweh,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his rebellion,
and to Israel his sin.
9 Hear this, O rulers of the house of Jacob
and leaders of the house of Israel,
those detesting justice
and perverting all that is right,
10 he who builds Zion with blood
and Jerusalem with wickedness.
11 Its rulers judge for a bribe;
its priests teach for a price;
its prophets practice divination for money.
But they lean on Yahweh, saying,
“Is not Yahweh in our midst?
Disaster will not come upon us.”
12 Therefore on account of you
Zion will be plowed as a field,
and Jerusalem will be a heap of rubble,
and the temple mount[a] as a high place in a forest.
Footnotes
- Micah 3:12 Literally “the mountain of the house”
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