Micah 6:9-16
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Cheating and Violence to Be Punished
9 The voice of the Lord cries to the city
(and he shall save those who fear his name[a]):
Hear, O tribe and assembly of the city![b]
10 Can I forget[c] the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked
and the despicable false measure?(A)
11 Can I tolerate wicked scales
and a bag of dishonest weights?(B)
12 Your[d] wealthy are full of violence;
your[e] inhabitants speak lies
with tongues of deceit in their mouths.
13 Therefore I have begun[f] to strike you down,
making you desolate because of your sins.(C)
14 You shall eat but not be satisfied,
and there shall be a gnawing hunger within you;
you shall put away but not save,
and what you save, I will hand over to the sword.(D)
15 You shall sow but not reap;
you shall tread olives but not anoint yourselves with oil;
you shall tread grapes but not drink wine.(E)
16 For you have kept the statutes of Omri[g]
and all the works of the house of Ahab,
and you have followed their counsels.
Therefore I will make you a desolation and your[h] inhabitants an object of hissing,
so you shall bear the scorn of my people.(F)
Micah 6:9-16
International Standard Version
A Call to Honest Business Practices
9 The voice of the Lord cries out to the city—
wisdom fears your name:
“Heed the rod, and the one who prepared it!
10 Are there still wicked treasures in the house of the wicked,
along with deceitful and abominable measuring standards?[a]
11 Will I tolerate those who maintain deceptive standards[b]
and who use deceitful weights in their business?[c]
12 Her rich people are filled with violence,
and her inhabitants tell lies—
their tongues speak deceitfully!
13 “Therefore I will make you ill when I attack you;
I will bring you to ruin because of your offenses.
14 You’ll eat,
but you won’t have enough;
and hunger will be common among you.
You’ll horde things,
but you won’t save them,
and what you preserve
I’ll give over to the sword.
15 You’ll plant,
but you won’t reap.
You’ll crush the olive harvest,
but you’ll have no oil to anoint yourself.
You’ll tread out the grapes,
but you’ll never drink wine.
16 You keep Omri’s[d] statutes
and observe the customs of the house of Ahab.
Because you live according to their advice,
I’ll make you desolate
and turn your[e] inhabitants into an object of scorn.
Therefore you will bear the shame of my people.”
Footnotes
- Micah 6:10 Lit. with short, detestable ephahs
- Micah 6:11 Lit. maintain evil balances
- Micah 6:11 The Heb. lacks in their business
- Micah 6:16 I.e. King Omri of Israel, father of Ahab (cf. 2Kings 8:26; 2Chr 22:2)
- Micah 6:16 Lit. its
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