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Micah 6:9-16
New International Version
Micah 6:9-16
New International Version
Israel’s Guilt and Punishment
9 Listen! The Lord is calling to the city—
and to fear your name is wisdom—
“Heed the rod(A) and the One who appointed it.[a]
10 Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house,
and the short ephah,[b] which is accursed?(B)
11 Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales,(C)
with a bag of false weights?(D)
12 Your rich people are violent;(E)
your inhabitants are liars(F)
and their tongues speak deceitfully.(G)
13 Therefore, I have begun to destroy(H) you,
to ruin[c] you because of your sins.
14 You will eat but not be satisfied;(I)
your stomach will still be empty.[d]
You will store up but save nothing,(J)
because what you save[e] I will give to the sword.
15 You will plant but not harvest;(K)
you will press olives but not use the oil,
you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.(L)
16 You have observed the statutes of Omri(M)
and all the practices of Ahab’s(N) house;
you have followed their traditions.(O)
Therefore I will give you over to ruin(P)
and your people to derision;
you will bear the scorn(Q) of the nations.[f]”
Footnotes
- Micah 6:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
- Micah 6:10 An ephah was a dry measure.
- Micah 6:13 Or Therefore, I will make you ill and destroy you; / I will ruin
- Micah 6:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Micah 6:14 Or You will press toward birth but not give birth, / and what you bring to birth
- Micah 6:16 Septuagint; Hebrew scorn due my people
Micah 6:9-16
International Standard Version
Micah 6:9-16
International Standard Version
A Call to Honest Business Practices
9 The voice of the Lord cries out to the city—
wisdom fears your name:
“Heed the rod, and the one who prepared it!
10 Are there still wicked treasures in the house of the wicked,
along with deceitful and abominable measuring standards?[a]
11 Will I tolerate those who maintain deceptive standards[b]
and who use deceitful weights in their business?[c]
12 Her rich people are filled with violence,
and her inhabitants tell lies—
their tongues speak deceitfully!
13 “Therefore I will make you ill when I attack you;
I will bring you to ruin because of your offenses.
14 You’ll eat,
but you won’t have enough;
and hunger will be common among you.
You’ll horde things,
but you won’t save them,
and what you preserve
I’ll give over to the sword.
15 You’ll plant,
but you won’t reap.
You’ll crush the olive harvest,
but you’ll have no oil to anoint yourself.
You’ll tread out the grapes,
but you’ll never drink wine.
16 You keep Omri’s[d] statutes
and observe the customs of the house of Ahab.
Because you live according to their advice,
I’ll make you desolate
and turn your[e] inhabitants into an object of scorn.
Therefore you will bear the shame of my people.”
Footnotes
- Micah 6:10 Lit. with short, detestable ephahs
- Micah 6:11 Lit. maintain evil balances
- Micah 6:11 The Heb. lacks in their business
- Micah 6:16 I.e. King Omri of Israel, father of Ahab (cf. 2Kings 8:26; 2Chr 22:2)
- Micah 6:16 Lit. its
Micah 6:9-16
King James Version
Micah 6:9-16
King James Version
9 The Lord's voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.
10 Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?
11 Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?
12 For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13 Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins.
14 Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword.
15 Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.
16 For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.
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