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Micah 3
New International Version
Micah 3
New International Version
Leaders and Prophets Rebuked
3 Then I said,
“Listen, you leaders(A) of Jacob,
you rulers of Israel.
Should you not embrace justice,
2 you who hate good and love evil;
who tear the skin from my people
and the flesh from their bones;(B)
3 who eat my people’s flesh,(C)
strip off their skin
and break their bones in pieces;(D)
who chop(E) them up like meat for the pan,
like flesh for the pot?(F)”
4 Then they will cry out to the Lord,
but he will not answer them.(G)
At that time he will hide his face(H) from them
because of the evil they have done.(I)
5 This is what the Lord says:
“As for the prophets
who lead my people astray,(J)
they proclaim ‘peace’(K)
if they have something to eat,
but prepare to wage war against anyone
who refuses to feed them.
6 Therefore night will come over you, without visions,
and darkness, without divination.(L)
The sun will set for the prophets,(M)
and the day will go dark for them.(N)
7 The seers will be ashamed(O)
and the diviners disgraced.(P)
They will all cover(Q) their faces(R)
because there is no answer from God.(S)”
8 But as for me, I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of the Lord,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression,
to Israel his sin.(T)
9 Hear this, you leaders of Jacob,
you rulers of Israel,
who despise justice
and distort all that is right;(U)
10 who build(V) Zion with bloodshed,(W)
and Jerusalem with wickedness.(X)
11 Her leaders judge for a bribe,(Y)
her priests teach for a price,(Z)
and her prophets tell fortunes for money.(AA)
Yet they look(AB) for the Lord’s support and say,
“Is not the Lord among us?
No disaster will come upon us.”(AC)
12 Therefore because of you,
Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,(AD)
the temple(AE) hill a mound overgrown with thickets.(AF)
Micah 3
Revised Geneva Translation
Micah 3
Revised Geneva Translation
3 “And I said, ‘Hear now, O heads of Jacob, and you princes of the House of Israel. Should not you know judgment?’
2 “They hate good and love evil. They strip their skin from them, and their flesh from their bones.
3 “And they also eat the flesh of My people, and strip off their skin from them. And they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as if for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.”
4 Then they shall cry to the LORD, but He will not hear them. He will hide His Face from them at that time, because they have done wickedly in their works.
5 Thus says the LORD: “Concerning the prophets who deceive My people, and bite them with their teeth, and cry, ‘Peace!’ But if a man puts nothing into their mouths, they prepare war against him.
6 “Therefore, night shall be to you for a vision, and darkness to you for a divination. And the Sun shall go down over the prophets. And the day shall be dark over them.
7 “Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the soothsayers confounded. Yea, they shall all cover their lips, for they have no answer from God.”
8 Yet indeed I am full of power by the Spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of strength, to declare to Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
9 Please hear this, you heads of the House of Jacob, and princes of the House of Israel. They abhor judgment and pervert all that is right.
10 They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.
11 Their heads judge for rewards, and their priests teach for hire, and their prophets prophesy for money. Yet they will lean upon the LORD and say, “Is not the LORD among us? No evil can come upon us.”
12 Therefore, for your sake, shall Zion be plowed as a field. And Jerusalem shall be a heap and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.
Micah 3
New King James Version
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
Contemporary English Version
Micah 3
Contemporary English Version
Evil Rulers and Lying Prophets
3 Listen to me,
you rulers of Israel!
You know right from wrong,
2 but you prefer to do evil
instead of what is right.
You skin my people alive.
You strip off their flesh,
3 break their bones,
cook it all in a pot,
and gulp it down.
4 Someday you will beg the Lord
to help you,
but he will turn away
because of your sins.
5 You lying prophets promise
security for anyone
who gives you food,
but disaster for anyone
who refuses to feed you.
Here is what the Lord says
to you prophets:
6 “You will live in the dark,
far from the sight of the sun,
with no message from me.
7 You prophets and fortunetellers
will all be disgraced,
with no message from me.”
8 But the Lord has filled me
with power and his Spirit.
I have been given the courage
to speak about justice
and to tell you people of Israel
that you have sinned.
9 So listen to my message,
you rulers of Israel!
You hate justice
and twist the truth.
10 You make cruelty and murder
a way of life in Jerusalem.
11 You leaders accept bribes
for dishonest decisions.
You priests and prophets
teach and preach,
but only for money.
Then you say,
“The Lord is on our side.
No harm will come to us.”
12 (A) And so, because of you,
Jerusalem will be plowed under
and left in ruins.
Thorns will cover the mountain
where the temple now stands.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)
© 2019, 2024 by Five Talents Audio. All rights reserved.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.