Micah 3
Expanded Bible
The Leaders of Israel Are Guilty of Evil
3 Then I said,
“Listen, leaders of ·the people of Jacob [L Jacob];
listen, you rulers of the ·nation [L house] of Israel.
·You should [L Should you not…?] know ·how to decide cases fairly [justice],
2 but you hate good and love evil.
You skin my people alive
and tear the flesh off their bones.
3 You ·eat [devour] my people’s flesh
and skin them and break their bones;
you chop them up like meat for the pot,
like meat in a cooking pan.
4 Then they will cry to the Lord,
but he won’t answer them.
At that time he will hide his face from them,
because what they have done is evil.”
5 The Lord says this about the prophets who ·teach his people the wrong way of living [mislead/lead astray my people]:
“If these prophets are given food to eat,
they shout, ‘Peace!’
But if someone doesn’t ·give them what they ask for [L place food in their mouths],
they ·call for a holy war [declare war] against that person.
6 So it will become like night for them, without visions [C revelation from God will cease].
It will become dark for them, without ·any way to tell the future [divination].
The sun is about to set for the prophets;
their day will become dark.
7 The seers [C another name for prophets] will be ashamed;
the ·people who see the future [diviners] will be ·embarrassed [disgraced; humiliated].
Yes, all of them will cover their ·mouths [or lips; or faces],
because there will be no answer from God.”
Micah Is an Honest Prophet of God
8 But I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of the Lord,
and with justice and ·strength [might],
to ·tell the people of Jacob [L declare to Jacob] ·how they have turned against God [L his transgression],
and ·the people of Israel [L Israel] how they have sinned.
9 Leaders of [L the house of] Jacob and rulers of [L the house of] Israel,
listen to me,
you who hate ·fairness [justice]
and ·twist [pervert; distort] what is ·right [straight].
10 You build ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] ·by murdering people [L with bloodshed];
you build it with ·evil [wickedness; iniquity].
11 Its ·judges take money
to decide who wins in court [L rulers judge for a bribe].
Its priests only teach for ·pay [a price],
and its prophets ·only look into the future when they get paid [tell fortunes/practice divination for money].
But they lean on the Lord and say,
“The Lord is here with us,
so ·nothing bad [no harm] will ·happen to [overtake; come upon] us.”
12 [L Therefore] Because of you,
Jerusalem will be plowed like a field.
·The city [L Zion; v. 10] will become a ·pile of rocks [heap of rubble/ruins],
and the ·hill [mountain] ·on which the Temple stands [L of the house] will be ·covered with bushes [an overgrown hill; wooded heights].
Micah 3
Amplified Bible
Rulers Denounced
3 And I said,
“Hear now, heads of Jacob
And rulers of the house of Israel.
Is it not for you to know and administer justice?
2
“You who hate good and love evil,
Who tear the skin off my people
And their flesh from their bones;
3
You who eat the flesh of my people,
Strip off their skin from them,
Break their bones
And chop them in pieces as for the pot,
Like meat in a kettle.”
4
Then they will cry to the Lord,
But He will not answer them;
Instead, He will even hide His face from them at that time [withholding His mercy]
Because they have practiced and tolerated and ignored evil acts.(A)
5 Thus says the Lord concerning the [false] prophets who lead my people astray;
When they have something good to bite with their teeth,
They call out, “Peace,”
But against the one who gives them nothing to eat,
They declare a holy war.
6
Therefore it will be night (tragedy) for you—without vision,
And darkness (cataclysm) for you—without foresight.
The sun shall go down on the [false] prophets,
And the day shall become dark and black over them.
7
The seers shall be ashamed
And the diviners discredited and embarrassed;
Indeed, they shall all cover their mouths [in shame]
Because there is no answer from God.
8
But in fact, I am filled with power,
With the Spirit of the Lord,
And with justice and might,
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 hate and reject justice
And twist everything that is straight,
10
Who build Zion with blood [and extortion and murder]
And Jerusalem with violent injustice.
11
Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe,
Her priests teach for a fee,
And her prophets foretell for money;
Yet they lean on the Lord, saying,
“Is not the Lord among us?
No tragedy or distress will come on us.”(B)
12
Therefore, on account of you
[a]Zion shall be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem shall become [b]a heap of ruins,
And the mountain of the house [of the Lord] shall become like a densely wooded hill.(C)
Footnotes
- Micah 3:12 Zion (City of David) was the elevated area between the Tyropoeon and Kidron valleys (southeastern area of Jerusalem during the time of Jesus). The city was the capital of Israel (the united kingdom) during the reigns of David and Solomon, and the site of Solomon’s temple.
- Micah 3:12 In 586 b.c. Jerusalem (including Solomon’s temple) was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar ruler of Babylon (Chaldean Dynasty).
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
