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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

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.