Michoh 3
Orthodox Jewish Bible
3 And I said, Hear, O Rashei Ya’akov, and ye Ketzinim of Bais Yisroel. Is it not for you to have da’as of Mishpat (Justice)?
2 Who hate the tov, and love the rah; who tear off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their atzamot (bones);
3 Who also eat the flesh of Ami, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their atzamot, and chop them in pieces, like for the pot, and like the basar within the caldron.
4 Then shall they cry unto Hashem, but He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, because of the evil way they behaved themselves in their doings.
5 Thus saith Hashem concerning the nevi’im that make Ami err, leading them astray, the nevi’im that bite with their teeth, and preach, Shalom! And whoever putteth nothing into their mouths, v’kiddeshu milchamah (they sanctify war) against him.
6 Therefore lailah shall be unto you, because of the chazon; and choshech shall come upon you because of the soothsaying, the divination; and the shemesh shall go down over the nevi’im, and hayom shall be dark over them.
7 Then shall the chozim (seers) be ashamed, and the kosemim (diviners) blush in bushah; yea, they shall all cover their safam (mustache, i.e., their lips); ki ein ma’aneh Elohim (for there is no answer of G-d).
8 But truly I am full of ko’ach by the Ruach [Hakodesh] of Hashem, and of mishpat, and of gevurah (might), to preach unto Ya’akov his peysha, and to Yisroel his chattat. [Yeshayah 53:5,8,12]
9 Hear this, I pray you, ye Rashei Bais Ya’akov, and Ketzinim of Bais Yisroel, that abhor mishpat, and twist kol haYesharah (all the right, the straight).
10 Boneh Tziyon b’damim (they build up Tziyon with blood), and Yerushalayim with avlah (iniquity).
11 Her Rashim judge for a bribe, and her kohanim play the hireling moreh (teacher), and her nevi’im are fortunetellers for kesef; yet will they lean upon Hashem? And say, Is not Hashem among us? No ra’ah will come upon us.
12 Therefore because of you, Tziyon shall be plowed as a sadeh, and Yerushalayim shall become a rubble heap, and the Har HaBeis (HaMikdash, i.e., the Temple Mount) shall become a mound of scrubs. [T.N. fulfilled 586, B.C.E., 70 C.E.]
Micah 3
New King James Version
Wicked Rulers and Prophets
3 And I said:
“Hear now, O heads of Jacob,
And you (A)rulers of the house of Israel:
(B)Is it not for you to know justice?
2 You who hate good and love evil;
Who strip the skin from [a]My people,
And the flesh from their bones;
3 Who also (C)eat the flesh of My people,
Flay their skin from them,
Break their bones,
And chop them in pieces
Like meat for the pot,
(D)Like flesh in the caldron.”
4 Then (E)they will cry to the Lord,
But He will not hear them;
He will even hide His face from them at that time,
Because they have been evil in their deeds.
5 Thus says the Lord (F)concerning the prophets
Who make my people stray;
Who chant [b]“Peace”
[c]While they (G)chew with their teeth,
But who prepare war against him
(H)Who puts nothing into their mouths:
6 “Therefore(I) you shall have night without [d]vision,
And you shall have darkness without divination;
The sun shall go down on the prophets,
And the day shall be dark for (J)them.
7 So the seers shall be ashamed,
And the diviners abashed;
Indeed they shall all cover their lips;
(K)For there is no answer from God.”
8 But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord,
And of justice and might,
(L)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 abhor justice
And [e]pervert all equity,
10 (M)Who build up Zion with (N)bloodshed
And Jerusalem with iniquity:
11 (O)Her heads judge for a bribe,
(P)Her priests teach for pay,
And her prophets divine for [f]money.
(Q)Yet they lean on the Lord, and say,
“Is not the Lord among us?
No harm can come upon us.”
12 Therefore because of you
Zion shall be (R)plowed like a field,
(S)Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins,
And (T)the mountain of the [g]temple
Like the bare hills of the forest.
Footnotes
- Micah 3:2 Lit. them
- Micah 3:5 All is well
- Micah 3:5 For those who feed them
- Micah 3:6 Prophetic revelation
- Micah 3:9 Lit. twist
- Micah 3:11 Lit. silver
- Micah 3:12 Lit. house
Micah 3
English Standard Version
Rulers and Prophets Denounced
3 And I said:
(A)Hear, you heads of Jacob
and rulers of the house of Israel!
(B)Is it not for you to know justice?—
2 you (C)who hate the good and love the evil,
(D)who tear the skin from off my people[a]
and their flesh from off their bones,
3 (E)who eat the flesh of my people,
and flay their skin from off them,
and break their bones in pieces
and chop them up like meat in a pot,
like flesh in a cauldron.
4 (F)Then they will cry to the Lord,
but he will not answer them;
(G)he will hide his face from them at that time,
because they have made their deeds evil.
5 Thus says the Lord concerning (H)the prophets
who lead my people astray,
(I)who cry “Peace”
when they have something to eat,
but declare war against him
who puts nothing into their mouths.
6 Therefore (J)it shall be night to you, without vision,
and darkness to you, without divination.
(K)The sun shall go down on the prophets,
and the day shall be black over them;
7 (L)the seers shall be disgraced,
and the diviners put to shame;
(M)they shall all cover their lips,
for (N)there is no answer from God.
8 But as for me, (O)I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of the Lord,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob (P)his transgression
and to Israel his sin.
9 (Q)Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob
and rulers of the house of Israel,
(R)who detest justice
and make crooked all that is straight,
10 (S)who build Zion with blood
and Jerusalem with iniquity.
11 (T)Its heads give judgment for a bribe;
(U)its priests teach for a price;
(V)its prophets practice divination for money;
(W)yet they lean on the Lord and (X)say,
“Is not the Lord in the midst of us?
(Y)No disaster shall come upon us.”
12 Therefore because of you
(Z)Zion shall be plowed as a field;
Jerusalem (AA)shall become a heap of ruins,
and (AB)the mountain of the house (AC)a wooded height.
Footnotes
- Micah 3:2 Hebrew from off them
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
