Destruction of the Wicked

The voice of the Lord cries to the city—
    and it is sound wisdom to fear (A)your name:
“Hear of (B)the rod and of him who appointed it![a]
10     Can I forget any longer the treasures[b] of wickedness in the house of the wicked,
    and the scant measure that is accursed?
11 Shall I acquit the man (C)with wicked scales
    and with a bag of deceitful weights?
12 Your[c] rich men are (D)full of violence;
    your inhabitants (E)speak lies,
    and (F)their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13 Therefore I strike you with a grievous blow,
    (G)making you desolate because of your sins.
14 (H)You shall eat, but not be satisfied,
    and there shall be hunger within you;
you shall put away, but not preserve,
    and what you preserve I will give to the sword.
15 (I)You shall sow, but not reap;
    you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
    you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine.
16 For you have kept the statutes of (J)Omri,[d]
    and all the works of the house of (K)Ahab;
    and you have walked in their counsels,
that I may make you (L)a desolation, and your[e] inhabitants (M)a hissing;
    so you shall bear (N)the scorn of my people.”

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 6:9 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  2. Micah 6:10 Or Are there still treasures
  3. Micah 6:12 Hebrew whose
  4. Micah 6:16 Hebrew For the statutes of Omri are kept
  5. Micah 6:16 Hebrew its

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