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The Destruction of the Wicked

The voice of Yahweh calls to the city
    (it is sound judgment to fear your name):
    “Hear, O staff![a] Now who has appointed it?
10 Is there any longer a man in the house of the wicked
    treasures of wickedness,
    and the ephah of scarcity which is accursed?[b]
11 Shall I regard as pure the one with scales of wickedness,
    and with a bag of deceitful weights?
12 Because her rich are full of violence,
    and her inhabitants speak lies,
    and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13 And I also have made you sick by striking you down,[c]
    making you desolate because of your sins.
14 You yourself will eat but not be satisfied;
    your hunger will be in your midst,
and you will put away, but you will not save,
    and what you save I will hand over to the sword.
15 You yourself will sow, but you will not reap;
    you will tread olives, but you will not anoint yourself with oil;
    you will tread grapes, but you will not drink wine.
16 For you have observed the regulations of Omri
    and all the works of the house of Ahab.
And you have walked in their counsels,
    so that I am making you a desolation
and your inhabitants an object of scorn.
    So you will bear the scorn of my people.

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 6:9 Or “tribe”
  2. Micah 6:10 The meaning of the Hebrew text is uncertain
  3. Micah 6:13 Literally “I have made sick to strike you down”

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