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Micah Chapter 3 (ROTHERHAM)

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Micah Chapter 3 – Rebuke of Israel's Rulers
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1 Then said I, Hear, I pray you, ye heads of Jacob, and ye judges of the house of Israel,—Is it not yours to know justice?

2 Ye haters of right, and lovers of wrong,—tearing away their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;

3 Who indeed have eaten the flesh of my people, and, their skin from off them, have stript, and, their bones, have they broken in pieces,—and will spread them out, as flesh with a fork, and as flesh, in the midst of a pot.

4 Then, shall they make outcry unto Yahweh, but he will not answer them,—that he may hide his face from them, at that time, even as they have made wicked their doings.

5 Thus, saith Yahweh, concerning the prophets who are leading astray my people,—who bite with their teeth, and then cry—Prosper! and whoso holdeth not to their mouth, they hallow against him a war!

6 Therefore, shall it be night to you, for lack of vision, and darkness to you, for lack of divination,—and the sun, shall go in, over the prophets, and the day, shall be overcast because of them;

7 And the men of vision, shall turn pale, and the diviners, shall blush, and shall put a covering upon their lip, all of them,—because there is no answer of God.

8 But, in very deed, I, am full of vigour, with the spirit of Yahweh, and of justice and of valour,—to declare to Jacob, his transgression, and to Israel, his sin.

9 Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and ye judges of the house of Israel,—who abhor justice, and, all right, do pervert:

10 Building Zion, with deeds of blood,—and Jerusalem, with perversity.

11 Her heads, for a bribe, pronounce sentence, and, her priests, for a price, give direction, and, her prophets, for silver, divine,—yet, on Yahweh, they lean, saying, Is not, Yahweh, in our midst? there shall not come upon us, calamity.

12 Wherefore, for your sake, Zion, as a field, shall be ploughed, and, Jerusalem, unto heaps of ruins, shall be turned,—and, the mountain of the house, shall [be] like mounds in a jungle.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Micah 3 accuse Israel's leaders of?
Using violent imagery, it accuses them of figuratively eating the flesh and breaking the bones of the people they should protect (v.1-3), and condemns prophets who "bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace" but curse anyone who won't pay them (v.5).
What does verse 11 say about the leaders' motives?
"The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us?" - corruption paired with false confidence, the same combination condemned in Jeremiah 6:13.
What is predicted for Zion and Jerusalem in this chapter?
Verse 12 says, "Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest" - complete devastation because of the leaders' corruption.

Today's Verse

And he said, Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him. For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me.

Genesis 22:12 | ASV

Verse Of The Day

He turns the same charge on prophets who "bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace" for those who pay them but declare war on anyone who doesn't, a corruption also denounced in Jeremiah 6:13. The chapter ends warning that Zion will be "plowed as a field." Continue in Micah 4.