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Yahweh’s voice calls to the city,
    and wisdom sees your name:
“Listen to the rod,
    and he who appointed it.
10 Are there yet treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked,
    and a short ephah[a] that is accursed?
11 Shall I be pure with dishonest scales,
    and with a bag of deceitful weights?
12 Her rich men are full of violence,
    her inhabitants speak lies,
    and their tongue is deceitful in their speech.
13 Therefore I also have struck you with a grievous wound.
    I have made you desolate because of your sins.
14 You shall eat, but not be satisfied.
    Your humiliation will be within you.
    You will store up, but not save;
    and that which you save I will give up to the sword.
15 You will sow, but won’t reap.
    You will tread the olives, but won’t anoint yourself with oil;
    and crush grapes, but won’t drink the wine.
16 For the statutes of Omri are kept,
    and all the works of Ahab’s house.
    You walk in their counsels,
    that I may make you a ruin,
    and her inhabitants a hissing;
    And you will bear the reproach of my people.”

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Footnotes

  1. 6:10 An ephah is a measure of volume (about 22 liters or about 2/3 of a bushel), and a short ephah is made smaller than a full ephah for the purpose of cheating customers.

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

Fear the Lord if you are wise!
    His voice calls to everyone in Jerusalem:
“The armies of destruction are coming;
    the Lord is sending them.[a]
10 What shall I say about the homes of the wicked
    filled with treasures gained by cheating?
What about the disgusting practice
    of measuring out grain with dishonest measures?[b]
11 How can I tolerate your merchants
    who use dishonest scales and weights?
12 The rich among you have become wealthy
    through extortion and violence.
Your citizens are so used to lying
    that their tongues can no longer tell the truth.

13 “Therefore, I will wound you!
    I will bring you to ruin for all your sins.
14 You will eat but never have enough.
    Your hunger pangs and emptiness will remain.
And though you try to save your money,
    it will come to nothing in the end.
You will save a little,
    but I will give it to those who conquer you.
15 You will plant crops
    but not harvest them.
You will press your olives
    but not get enough oil to anoint yourselves.
You will trample the grapes
    but get no juice to make your wine.
16 You keep only the laws of evil King Omri;
    you follow only the example of wicked King Ahab!
Therefore, I will make an example of you,
    bringing you to complete ruin.
You will be treated with contempt,
    mocked by all who see you.”

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Footnotes

  1. 6:9 Hebrew “Listen to the rod. / Who appointed it?”
  2. 6:10 Hebrew of using the short ephah? The ephah was a unit for measuring grain.

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

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]

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 6:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
  2. Micah 6:10 An ephah was a dry measure.
  3. Micah 6:13 Or Therefore, I will make you ill and destroy you; / I will ruin
  4. Micah 6:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  5. Micah 6:14 Or You will press toward birth but not give birth, / and what you bring to birth
  6. Micah 6:16 Septuagint; Hebrew scorn due my people