Unjust Leaders Judged

Then I said, “Now listen,(A) leaders of Jacob,
you rulers of the house of Israel.
Aren’t you supposed to know what is just?(B)
You hate good and love evil.
You tear off people’s skin(C)
and strip their flesh from their bones.
You eat the flesh(D) of my people
after you strip their skin from them
and break their bones.
You chop them up(E)
like flesh for the cooking pot,
like meat in a cauldron.”
Then they will cry out(F) to the Lord,
but He will not answer them.
He will hide His face from them at that time(G)
because of the crimes they have committed.

False Prophets Judged

This is what the Lord says
concerning the prophets
who lead my people astray,(H)
who proclaim(I) peace
when they have food to sink their teeth into
but declare war against the one
who puts nothing in their mouths.
Therefore, it will be night(J) for you—
without visions;
it will grow dark for you—
without divination.(K)
The sun will set(L) on these prophets,
and the daylight will turn black over them.
Then the seers will be ashamed(M)
and the diviners disappointed.(N)
They will all cover their mouths[a](O)
because there will be no answer from God.(P)

As for me, however, I am filled with power(Q)
by the Spirit of the Lord,
with justice and courage,
to proclaim to Jacob his rebellion
and to Israel his sin.(R)

Zion’s Destruction

Listen to this, leaders of the house of Jacob,(S)
you rulers of the house of Israel,
who abhor justice(T)
and pervert everything that is right,
10 who build Zion with bloodshed(U)
and Jerusalem with injustice.
11 Her leaders issue rulings for a bribe,(V)
her priests teach for payment,(W)
and her prophets practice divination for money.
Yet they lean on the Lord, saying,
“Isn’t the Lord(X) among us?
No disaster will overtake us.”
12 Therefore, because of you,
Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become ruins,(Y)
and the hill of the temple mount(Z)
will be a thicket.(AA)

Footnotes

  1. Micah 3:7 Lit mustache

Israel’s Leaders Denounced

And I said,
“Listen, O heads of Jacob
    and leaders of the house of Israel!
    Is it not for you to know justice?
Those of you who are haters of good
    and lovers of evil,
who tear their skin from them
    and their flesh from their bones,
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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

  1. Micah 3:12 Literally “the mountain of the house”