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Micah 1-7
Young's Literal Translation
Micah 1-7
Young's Literal Translation
1 A word of Jehovah that hath been unto Micah the Morashite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah, that he hath seen concerning Samaria and Jerusalem:
2 Hear, O peoples, all of them! Attend, O earth, and its fulness, And the Lord Jehovah is against you for a witness, The Lord from His holy temple.
3 For lo, Jehovah is going out from His place, And He hath come down, And hath trodden on high places of earth.
4 Melted have been the mountains under Him, And the valleys do rend themselves, As wax from the presence of fire, As waters cast down by a slope.
5 For the transgression of Jacob [is] all this, And for the sins of the house of Israel. What [is] the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what the high places of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?
6 And I have set Samaria for a heap of the field, For plantations of a vineyard, And poured out into a valley her stones, And her foundations I uncover.
7 And all her graven images are beaten down, And all her gifts are burnt with fire, And all her idols I make a desolation, For, from the hire of a harlot she gathered, and unto the hire of a harlot they return.
8 For this I lament and howl, I go spoiled and naked, I make a lamentation like dragons, And a mourning like daughters of an ostrich.
9 For mortal [are] her wounds, For it hath come unto Judah, It hath come to a gate of My people -- to Jerusalem.
10 In Gath tell ye not -- in Acco weep not, In Beth-Aphrah, in dust roll thyself.
11 Pass over for thee, O inhabitant of Shaphir, Naked one of shame. Not gone out hath the inhabitant of Zaanan, The lamentation of Beth-Ezel doth take from you its standing.
12 For stayed for good hath the inhabitant of Maroth, For evil hath come down from Jehovah to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 Bind the chariot to a swift beast, O inhabitant of Lachish, The beginning of sin [is] she to the daughter of Zion, For in thee have been found the transgressions of Israel.
14 Therefore thou givest presents to Moresheth-Gath, The houses of Achzib become a lying thing to the kings of Israel.
15 Yet the possessor I do bring in to thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah, To Adullam come in doth the honour of Israel.
16 Make bald and shave, for thy delightful sons, Enlarge thy baldness as an eagle, For they have removed from thee!
2 Wo [to] those devising iniquity, And working evil on their beds, In the light of the morning they do it, For their hand is -- to God.
2 And they have desired fields, And they have taken violently, And houses, and they have taken away, And have oppressed a man and his house, Even a man and his inheritance.
3 Therefore, thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am devising against this family evil, From which ye do not remove your necks, Nor walk loftily, for a time of evil it [is].
4 In that day doth [one] take up for you a simile, And he hath wailed a wailing of wo, He hath said, We have been utterly spoiled, The portion of my people He doth change, How doth He move toward me! To the backslider our fields He apportioneth.
5 Therefore, thou hast no caster of a line by lot In the assembly of Jehovah.
6 Ye do not prophesy -- they do prophesy, They do not prophesy to these, It doth not remove shame.
7 Doth the house of Jacob say, `Hath the Spirit of Jehovah been shortened? Are these His doings?' Do not My words benefit the people that is walking uprightly?
8 And yesterday My people for an enemy doth raise himself up, From the outer garment the honourable ornament ye strip off, From the confident passers by, Ye who are turning back from war.
9 The women of My people ye cast out from its delightful house, From its sucklings ye take away My honour to the age.
10 Rise and go, for this [is] not the rest, Because of uncleanness it doth corrupt, And corruption is powerful.
11 If one is going [with] the wind, And [with] falsehood hath lied: `I prophesy to thee of wine, and of strong drink,' He hath been the prophet of this people!
12 I do surely gather thee, O Jacob, all of thee, I surely bring together the remnant of Israel, Together I do set it as the flock of Bozrah, As a drove in the midst of its pasture, It maketh a noise because of man.
13 Gone up hath the breaker before them, They have broken through, Yea, they pass through the gate, Yea, they go out through it, And pass on doth their king before them, And Jehovah at their head!
3 And I say, `Hear, I pray you, heads of Jacob, And ye judges of the house of Israel, Is it not for you to know the judgment?
2 Ye who are hating good, and loving evil, Taking violently their skin from off them, And their flesh from off their bones,
3 And who have eaten the flesh of My people, And their skin from off them have stript, And their bones they have broken, And they have spread [them] out as in a pot, And as flesh in the midst of a caldron.
4 Then do they cry unto Jehovah, And He doth not answer them, And hideth His face from them at that time, As they have made evil their doings.
5 Thus said Jehovah concerning the prophets Who are causing My people to err, Who are biting with their teeth, And have cried `Peace,' And he who doth not give unto their mouth, They have sanctified against him war.
6 Therefore a night ye have without vision, And darkness ye have without divination, And gone in hath the sun on the prophets, And black over them hath been the day.
7 And ashamed have been the seers, And confounded have been the diviners, And covered their lip have all of them, For their is no answer, O God.
8 And yet I have been full of power by the Spirit of Jehovah, And of judgment, and of might, To declare to Jacob his transgression, And to Israel his sin.
9 Hear this, I pray you, heads of the house of Jacob, And ye judges of the house of Israel, Who are making judgment abominable, And all uprightness do pervert.
10 Building up Zion with blood, And Jerusalem with iniquity.
11 Her heads for a bribe do judge, And her priests for hire do teach, And her prophets for silver divine, And on Jehovah they lean, saying, `Is not Jehovah in our midst? Evil doth not come in upon us.'
12 Therefore, for your sake, Zion is ploughed a field, and Jerusalem is heaps, And the mount of the house [is] for high places of a forest!
4 And it hath come to pass, In the latter end of the days, The mount of the house of Jehovah Is established above the top of the mounts, And it hath been lifted up above the hills, And flowed unto it have peoples.
2 And gone have many nations and said, Come and we go up to the mount of Jehovah, And unto the house of the God of Jacob, And He doth teach us of His ways, And we do walk in His paths, For from Zion doth go forth a law, And a word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.
3 And He hath judged between many peoples, And given a decision to mighty nations afar off, They have beaten their swords to ploughshares, And their spears to pruning-hooks, Nation lifteth not up sword unto nation, Nor do they learn war any more.
4 And they have sat each under his vine, And under his fig-tree, And there is none troubling, For the mouth of Jehovah of Hosts hath spoken.
5 For all the peoples do walk, Each in the name of its god -- and we, We do walk in the name of Jehovah our God, To the age and for ever.
6 In that day -- an affirmation of Jehovah, I do gather the halting one, And the driven away one I bring together, And she whom I have afflicted.
7 And I have set the halting for a remnant, And the far-off for a mighty nation, And reigned hath Jehovah over them in mount Zion, From henceforth, and unto the age.
8 And thou, O tower of Eder, Fort of the daughter of Zion, unto thee it cometh, Yea, come in hath the former rule, The kingdom to the daughter of Jerusalem.
9 Now, why dost thou shout aloud? A king -- is there none in thee? Hath thy counsellor perished, That taken hold of thee hath pain as a travailing woman?
10 Be pained, and bring forth, O daughter of Zion, As a travailing woman, For now, thou goest forth from the city, And thou hast dwelt in the field, And thou hast gone unto Babylon, There thou art delivered, There redeem thee doth Jehovah from the hand of thine enemies.
11 And now, gathered against thee have been many nations, who are saying: `Let her be defiled, and our eyes look on Zion.'
12 They have not known the thoughts of Jehovah, Nor have they understood His counsel, For He hath gathered them as a sheaf [into] a threshing-floor.
13 Arise, and thresh, O daughter of Zion, For thy horn I make iron, And thy hoofs I make brass, And thou hast beaten small many peoples, And I have devoted to Jehovah their gain, And their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth!
5 Now gather thyself together, O daughter of troops, A siege he hath laid against us, With a rod they smite on the cheek the judge of Israel.
2 And thou, Beth-Lehem Ephratah, Little to be among the chiefs of Judah! From thee to Me he cometh forth -- to be ruler in Israel, And his comings forth [are] of old, From the days of antiquity.
3 Therefore he doth give them out till the time She who bringeth forth hath brought forth, And the remnant of his brethren return to the sons of Israel.
4 And he hath stood and delighted in the strength of Jehovah, In the excellency of the name of Jehovah his God, And they have remained, For now he is great unto the ends of earth.
5 And this [one] hath been peace, Asshur! when he doth come into our land, And when he doth tread in our palaces, We have raised against him seven shepherds, And eight anointed of man.
6 And they have afflicted the land of Asshur with the sword, And the land of Nimrod at its openings, And he hath delivered from Asshur when he doth come into our land, And when he treadeth in our borders.
7 And the remnant of Jacob hath been in the midst of many peoples, As dew from Jehovah -- as showers on the herb, That waiteth not for man, nor stayeth for the sons of men.
8 Yea, the remnant of Jacob hath been among nations, In the midst of many peoples, As a lion among beasts of a forest, As a young lion among ranks of a flock, Which if it hath passed through, Hath both trodden down and hath torn, And there is no deliverer.
9 High is thy hand above thine adversaries, And all thine enemies are cut off.
10 And it hath come to pass in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah, I have cut off thy horses from thy midst, And I have destroyed thy chariots,
11 And I have cut off the cities of thy land, And I have thrown down all thy fortresses,
12 And have cut off sorcerers out of thy hand, And observers of clouds thou hast none.
13 And I have cut off thy graven images, And thy standing-pillars out of thy midst, And thou dost not bow thyself any more To the work of thy hands.
14 And I have plucked up thy shrines out of thy midst, And I have destroyed thine enemies.
15 And I have done vengeance in anger and in fury, With the nations who have not hearkened!
6 Hear, I pray you, that which Jehovah is saying: `Rise -- strive thou with the mountains, And cause thou the hills to hear thy voice.'
2 Hear, O mountains, the strife of Jehovah, Ye strong ones -- foundations of earth! For a strife [is] to Jehovah, with His people, And with Israel He doth reason.
3 O My people, what have I done to thee? And what -- have I wearied thee? Testify against Me.
4 For I brought thee up from the land of Egypt, And from the house of servants I have ransomed thee, And I send before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O My people, remember, I pray you, What counsel did Balak king of Moab, What answer him did Balaam son of Beor, (From Shittim unto Gilgal,) In order to know the righteous acts of Jehovah.'
6 With what do I come before Jehovah? Do I bow to God Most High? Do I come before Him with burnt-offerings? With calves -- sons of a year?
7 Is Jehovah pleased with thousands of rams? With myriads of streams of oil? Do I give my first-born [for] my transgression? The fruit of my body [for] the sin of my soul?
8 He hath declared to thee, O man, what [is] good; Yea, what is Jehovah requiring of thee, Except -- to do judgment, and love kindness, And lowly to walk with thy God?
9 A voice of Jehovah to the city calleth, And wisdom doth fear Thy name, Hear ye the rod, and Him who appointed it.
10 Are there yet [in] the house of the wicked Treasures of wickedness, And the abhorred scanty ephah?
11 Do I reckon [it] pure with balances of wickedness? And with a bag of deceitful stones?
12 Whose rich ones have been full of violence, And its inhabitants have spoken falsehood, And their tongue [is] deceitful in their mouth.
13 And I also, I have begun to smite thee, To make desolate, because of thy sins.
14 Thou -- thou eatest, and thou art not satisfied, And thy pit [is] in thy midst, And thou removest, and dost not deliver, And that which thou deliverest, to a sword I give.
15 Thou -- thou sowest, and thou dost not reap, Thou -- thou treadest the olive, And thou pourest not out oil, And new wine -- and thou drinkest not wine.
16 And kept habitually are the statutes of Omri, And all the work of the house of Ahab, And ye do walk in their counsels, For My giving thee for a desolation, And its inhabitants for a hissing, And the reproach of My people ye do bear!
7 My wo [is] to me, for I have been As gatherings of summer-fruit, As gleanings of harvest, There is no cluster to eat, The first-ripe fruit desired hath my soul.
2 Perished hath the kind out of the land, And upright among men -- there are none, All of them for blood lie in wait, Each his brother they hunt [with] a net.
3 On the evil [are] both hands to do [it] well, The prince is asking -- also the judge -- for recompence, And the great -- he is speaking the mischief of his soul, And they wrap it up.
4 Their best one [is] as a brier, The upright one -- than a thorn-hedge, The day of thy watchmen -- Thy visitation -- hath come. Now is their perplexity.
5 Believe not in a friend, trust not in a leader, From her who is lying in thy bosom keep the openings of thy mouth.
6 For a son is dishonouring a father, A daughter hath stood against her mother, A daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, The enemies of each [are] the men of his house.
7 And I -- in Jehovah I do watch, I do wait for the God of my salvation, Hear me doth my God.
8 Thou dost not rejoice over me, O mine enemy, When I have fallen, I have risen, When I sit in darkness Jehovah is a light to me.
9 The indignation of Jehovah I do bear, For I have sinned against Him, Till that He doth plead my cause, And hath executed my judgment, He doth bring me forth to the light, I look on His righteousness.
10 And see doth mine enemy, And cover her doth shame, Who saith unto me, `Where [is] Jehovah thy God?' Mine eyes do look on her, Now she is for a treading-place, As mire of the out-places.
11 The day to build thy walls! That day -- removed is the limit.
12 That day -- even unto thee it doth come in, From Asshur and the cities of the fortress, And from the fortress even unto the river, And from sea to sea, and mount to mount.
13 And the land hath been for a desolation, Because of its inhabitants, Because of the fruit of their doings.
14 Rule Thou Thy people with Thy rod, The flock of Thine inheritance, Dwelling alone [in] a forest in the midst of Carmel, They enjoy Bashan and Gilead as in days of old.
15 According to the days of thy coming forth out of the land of Egypt, I do shew it wonderful things.
16 See do nations, and they are ashamed of all their might, They lay a hand on the mouth, their ears are deaf.
17 They lick dust as a serpent, as fearful things of earth, They tremble from their enclosures, Of Jehovah our God they are afraid, Yea, they are afraid of Thee.
18 Who [is] a God like Thee? taking away iniquity, And passing by the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance, He hath not retained for ever His anger, Because He -- He delighteth [in] kindness.
19 He doth turn back, He pitieth us, He doth subdue our iniquities, And Thou castest into the depths of the sea all their sins.
20 Thou givest truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham, That thou hast sworn to our fathers, from the days of antiquity!
Micah 1-7
New International Version
Micah 1-7
New International Version
1 The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth(A) during the reigns of Jotham,(B) Ahaz(C) and Hezekiah,(D) kings of Judah(E)—the vision(F) he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
2 Hear,(G) you peoples, all of you,(H)
listen, earth(I) and all who live in it,
that the Sovereign Lord may bear witness(J) against you,
the Lord from his holy temple.(K)
Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem
3 Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling(L) place;
he comes down(M) and treads on the heights of the earth.(N)
4 The mountains melt(O) beneath him(P)
and the valleys split apart,(Q)
like wax before the fire,
like water rushing down a slope.
5 All this is because of Jacob’s transgression,
because of the sins of the people of Israel.
What is Jacob’s transgression?
Is it not Samaria?(R)
What is Judah’s high place?
Is it not Jerusalem?
6 “Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble,
a place for planting vineyards.(S)
I will pour her stones(T) into the valley
and lay bare her foundations.(U)
7 All her idols(V) will be broken to pieces;(W)
all her temple gifts will be burned with fire;
I will destroy all her images.(X)
Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes,(Y)
as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used.”
Weeping and Mourning
8 Because of this I will weep(Z) and wail;
I will go about barefoot(AA) and naked.
I will howl like a jackal
and moan like an owl.
9 For Samaria’s plague(AB) is incurable;(AC)
it has spread to Judah.(AD)
It has reached the very gate(AE) of my people,
even to Jerusalem itself.
10 Tell it not in Gath[a];
weep not at all.
In Beth Ophrah[b]
roll in the dust.
11 Pass by naked(AF) and in shame,
you who live in Shaphir.[c]
Those who live in Zaanan[d]
will not come out.
Beth Ezel is in mourning;
it no longer protects you.
12 Those who live in Maroth[e] writhe in pain,
waiting for relief,(AG)
because disaster(AH) has come from the Lord,
even to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 You who live in Lachish,(AI)
harness fast horses to the chariot.
You are where the sin of Daughter Zion(AJ) began,
for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
14 Therefore you will give parting gifts(AK)
to Moresheth(AL) Gath.
The town of Akzib[f](AM) will prove deceptive(AN)
to the kings of Israel.
15 I will bring a conqueror against you
who live in Mareshah.[g](AO)
The nobles of Israel
will flee to Adullam.(AP)
16 Shave(AQ) your head in mourning
for the children in whom you delight;
make yourself as bald as the vulture,
for they will go from you into exile.(AR)
Human Plans and God’s Plans
2 Woe to those who plan iniquity,
to those who plot evil(AS) on their beds!(AT)
At morning’s light they carry it out
because it is in their power to do it.
2 They covet fields(AU) and seize them,(AV)
and houses, and take them.
They defraud(AW) people of their homes,
they rob them of their inheritance.(AX)
3 Therefore, the Lord says:
“I am planning disaster(AY) against this people,
from which you cannot save yourselves.
You will no longer walk proudly,(AZ)
for it will be a time of calamity.
4 In that day people will ridicule you;
they will taunt you with this mournful song:
‘We are utterly ruined;(BA)
my people’s possession is divided up.(BB)
He takes it from me!
He assigns our fields to traitors.’”
False Prophets
6 “Do not prophesy,” their prophets say.
“Do not prophesy about these things;
disgrace(BE) will not overtake us.(BF)”
7 You descendants of Jacob, should it be said,
“Does the Lord become[h] impatient?
Does he do such things?”
“Do not my words do good(BG)
to the one whose ways are upright?(BH)
8 Lately my people have risen up
like an enemy.
You strip off the rich robe
from those who pass by without a care,
like men returning from battle.
9 You drive the women of my people
from their pleasant homes.(BI)
You take away my blessing
from their children forever.
10 Get up, go away!
For this is not your resting place,(BJ)
because it is defiled,(BK)
it is ruined, beyond all remedy.
11 If a liar and deceiver(BL) comes and says,
‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’(BM)
that would be just the prophet for this people!(BN)
Deliverance Promised
12 “I will surely gather all of you, Jacob;
I will surely bring together the remnant(BO) of Israel.
I will bring them together like sheep in a pen,
like a flock in its pasture;
the place will throng with people.(BP)
13 The One who breaks open the way will go up before(BQ) them;
they will break through the gate(BR) and go out.
Their King will pass through before them,
the Lord at their head.”
Leaders and Prophets Rebuked
3 Then I said,
“Listen, you leaders(BS) 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;(BT)
3 who eat my people’s flesh,(BU)
strip off their skin
and break their bones in pieces;(BV)
who chop(BW) them up like meat for the pan,
like flesh for the pot?(BX)”
4 Then they will cry out to the Lord,
but he will not answer them.(BY)
At that time he will hide his face(BZ) from them
because of the evil they have done.(CA)
5 This is what the Lord says:
“As for the prophets
who lead my people astray,(CB)
they proclaim ‘peace’(CC)
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.(CD)
The sun will set for the prophets,(CE)
and the day will go dark for them.(CF)
7 The seers will be ashamed(CG)
and the diviners disgraced.(CH)
They will all cover(CI) their faces(CJ)
because there is no answer from God.(CK)”
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.(CL)
9 Hear this, you leaders of Jacob,
you rulers of Israel,
who despise justice
and distort all that is right;(CM)
10 who build(CN) Zion with bloodshed,(CO)
and Jerusalem with wickedness.(CP)
11 Her leaders judge for a bribe,(CQ)
her priests teach for a price,(CR)
and her prophets tell fortunes for money.(CS)
Yet they look(CT) for the Lord’s support and say,
“Is not the Lord among us?
No disaster will come upon us.”(CU)
12 Therefore because of you,
Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,(CV)
the temple(CW) hill a mound overgrown with thickets.(CX)
The Mountain of the Lord(CY)
4 In the last days
the mountain(CZ) of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,(DA)
and peoples will stream to it.(DB)
2 Many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,(DC)
to the temple of the God of Jacob.(DD)
He will teach us(DE) his ways,(DF)
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law(DG) will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.(DH)
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.(DI)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war(DJ) anymore.(DK)
4 Everyone will sit under their own vine
and under their own fig tree,(DL)
and no one will make them afraid,(DM)
for the Lord Almighty has spoken.(DN)
5 All the nations may walk
in the name of their gods,(DO)
but we will walk in the name of the Lord
our God for ever and ever.(DP)
The Lord’s Plan
6 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will gather the lame;(DQ)
I will assemble the exiles(DR)
and those I have brought to grief.(DS)
7 I will make the lame my remnant,(DT)
those driven away a strong nation.(DU)
The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion(DV)
from that day and forever.(DW)
8 As for you, watchtower of the flock,
stronghold[i] of Daughter Zion,
the former dominion will be restored(DX) to you;
kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.(DY)”
9 Why do you now cry aloud—
have you no king[j](DZ)?
Has your ruler[k] perished,
that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?(EA)
10 Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion,
like a woman in labor,
for now you must leave the city
to camp in the open field.
You will go to Babylon;(EB)
there you will be rescued.
There the Lord will redeem(EC) you
out of the hand of your enemies.
11 But now many nations
are gathered against you.
They say, “Let her be defiled,
let our eyes gloat(ED) over Zion!”
12 But they do not know
the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,(EE)
that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 “Rise and thresh,(EF) Daughter Zion,
for I will give you horns of iron;
I will give you hooves of bronze,
and you will break to pieces many nations.”(EG)
You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,(EH)
their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.
A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem
5 [l]Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
on the cheek(EI) with a rod.
2 “But you, Bethlehem(EJ) Ephrathah,(EK)
though you are small among the clans[m] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler(EL) over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,(EM)
from ancient times.”(EN)
3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned(EO)
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.
4 He will stand and shepherd his flock(EP)
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness(EQ)
will reach to the ends of the earth.
5 And he will be our peace(ER)
when the Assyrians invade(ES) our land
and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
even eight commanders,(ET)
6 who will rule[n] the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod(EU) with drawn sword.[o](EV)
He will deliver us from the Assyrians
when they invade our land
and march across our borders.(EW)
7 The remnant(EX) of Jacob will be
in the midst of many peoples
like dew(EY) from the Lord,
like showers on the grass,(EZ)
which do not wait for anyone
or depend on man.
8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,(FA)
like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which mauls and mangles(FB) as it goes,
and no one can rescue.(FC)
9 Your hand will be lifted up(FD) in triumph over your enemies,
and all your foes will be destroyed.
10 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will destroy your horses from among you
and demolish your chariots.(FE)
11 I will destroy the cities(FF) of your land
and tear down all your strongholds.(FG)
12 I will destroy your witchcraft
and you will no longer cast spells.(FH)
13 I will destroy your idols(FI)
and your sacred stones from among you;(FJ)
you will no longer bow down
to the work of your hands.(FK)
14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles[p](FL)
when I demolish your cities.
15 I will take vengeance(FM) in anger and wrath
on the nations that have not obeyed me.”
The Lord’s Case Against Israel
6 Listen to what the Lord says:
“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;(FN)
let the hills hear what you have to say.
2 “Hear,(FO) you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;(FP)
listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.
For the Lord has a case(FQ) against his people;
he is lodging a charge(FR) against Israel.
3 “My people, what have I done to you?
How have I burdened(FS) you?(FT) Answer me.
4 I brought you up out of Egypt(FU)
and redeemed you from the land of slavery.(FV)
I sent Moses(FW) to lead you,
also Aaron(FX) and Miriam.(FY)
5 My people, remember
what Balak(FZ) king of Moab plotted
and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim(GA) to Gilgal,(GB)
that you may know the righteous acts(GC) of the Lord.”
6 With what shall I come before(GD) the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?(GE)
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,(GF)
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?(GG)
Shall I offer my firstborn(GH) for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?(GI)
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly(GJ) and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[q](GK) with your God.(GL)
Israel’s Guilt and Punishment
9 Listen! The Lord is calling to the city—
and to fear your name is wisdom—
“Heed the rod(GM) and the One who appointed it.[r]
10 Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house,
and the short ephah,[s] which is accursed?(GN)
11 Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales,(GO)
with a bag of false weights?(GP)
12 Your rich people are violent;(GQ)
your inhabitants are liars(GR)
and their tongues speak deceitfully.(GS)
13 Therefore, I have begun to destroy(GT) you,
to ruin[t] you because of your sins.
14 You will eat but not be satisfied;(GU)
your stomach will still be empty.[u]
You will store up but save nothing,(GV)
because what you save[v] I will give to the sword.
15 You will plant but not harvest;(GW)
you will press olives but not use the oil,
you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.(GX)
16 You have observed the statutes of Omri(GY)
and all the practices of Ahab’s(GZ) house;
you have followed their traditions.(HA)
Therefore I will give you over to ruin(HB)
and your people to derision;
you will bear the scorn(HC) of the nations.[w]”
Israel’s Misery
7 What misery is mine!
I am like one who gathers summer fruit
at the gleaning of the vineyard;
there is no cluster of grapes to eat,
none of the early figs(HD) that I crave.
2 The faithful have been swept from the land;(HE)
not one(HF) upright person remains.
Everyone lies in wait(HG) to shed blood;(HH)
they hunt each other(HI) with nets.(HJ)
3 Both hands are skilled in doing evil;(HK)
the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,(HL)
the powerful dictate what they desire—
they all conspire together.
4 The best of them is like a brier,(HM)
the most upright worse than a thorn(HN) hedge.
The day God visits you has come,
the day your watchmen sound the alarm.
Now is the time of your confusion.(HO)
5 Do not trust a neighbor;
put no confidence in a friend.(HP)
Even with the woman who lies in your embrace
guard the words of your lips.
6 For a son dishonors his father,
a daughter rises up against her mother,(HQ)
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.(HR)
7 But as for me, I watch(HS) in hope(HT) for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear(HU) me.
Israel Will Rise
8 Do not gloat over me,(HV) my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.(HW)
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.(HX)
9 Because I have sinned against him,
I will bear the Lord’s wrath,(HY)
until he pleads my case(HZ)
and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;(IA)
I will see his righteousness.(IB)
10 Then my enemy will see it
and will be covered with shame,(IC)
she who said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”(ID)
My eyes will see her downfall;(IE)
even now she will be trampled(IF) underfoot
like mire in the streets.
11 The day for building your walls(IG) will come,
the day for extending your boundaries.
12 In that day people will come to you
from Assyria(IH) and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates
and from sea to sea
and from mountain to mountain.(II)
13 The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,
as the result of their deeds.(IJ)
Prayer and Praise
14 Shepherd(IK) your people with your staff,(IL)
the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
in fertile pasturelands.[x](IM)
Let them feed in Bashan(IN) and Gilead(IO)
as in days long ago.(IP)
15 “As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
I will show them my wonders.(IQ)”
16 Nations will see and be ashamed,(IR)
deprived of all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths(IS)
and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust(IT) like a snake,
like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling(IU) out of their dens;
they will turn in fear(IV) to the Lord our God
and will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God(IW) like you,
who pardons sin(IX) and forgives(IY) the transgression
of the remnant(IZ) of his inheritance?(JA)
You do not stay angry(JB) forever
but delight to show mercy.(JC)
19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities(JD) into the depths of the sea.(JE)
20 You will be faithful to Jacob,
and show love to Abraham,(JF)
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors(JG)
in days long ago.(JH)
Footnotes
- Micah 1:10 Gath sounds like the Hebrew for tell.
- Micah 1:10 Beth Ophrah means house of dust.
- Micah 1:11 Shaphir means pleasant.
- Micah 1:11 Zaanan sounds like the Hebrew for come out.
- Micah 1:12 Maroth sounds like the Hebrew for bitter.
- Micah 1:14 Akzib means deception.
- Micah 1:15 Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew for conqueror.
- Micah 2:7 Or Is the Spirit of the Lord
- Micah 4:8 Or hill
- Micah 4:9 Or King
- Micah 4:9 Or Ruler
- Micah 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:14, and 5:2-15 is numbered 5:1-14.
- Micah 5:2 Or rulers
- Micah 5:6 Or crush
- Micah 5:6 Or Nimrod in its gates
- Micah 5:14 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
- Micah 6:8 Or prudently
- Micah 6:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
- Micah 6:10 An ephah was a dry measure.
- Micah 6:13 Or Therefore, I will make you ill and destroy you; / I will ruin
- Micah 6:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Micah 6:14 Or You will press toward birth but not give birth, / and what you bring to birth
- Micah 6:16 Septuagint; Hebrew scorn due my people
- Micah 7:14 Or in the middle of Carmel
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.