Micah 1:12

1:12 Indeed, the residents of Maroth ¹  hope for something good to happen, ² 

though the Lord has sent disaster against the city of Jerusalem. ³ 

Micah 1:15

1:15 Residents of Mareshah, ⁴  a conqueror will attack you, ⁵ 

the leaders of Israel shall flee to Adullam. ⁶ 

Micah 2:10

2:10 But you are the ones who will be forced to leave! ⁷ 

For this land is not secure! ⁸ 

Sin will thoroughly destroy it! ⁹ 

Micah 3:2

3:2 yet you ¹⁰  hate what is good, ¹¹ 

and love what is evil. ¹² 

You flay my people’s skin ¹³ 

and rip the flesh from their bones. ¹⁴ 

[1:12]  ¹ sn The place name Maroth sounds like the Hebrew word for “bitter.”

[1:12]  ² tc The translation assumes an emendation of חָלָה (khalah; from חִיל, khil, “to writhe”) to יִחֲלָה (yikhalah; from יָחַל, yakhal, “to wait”).

[1:12]  ³ tn Heb “though disaster has come down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem.”

[1:15]  ⁴ sn The place name Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew word for “conqueror.”

[1:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “Again a conqueror I will bring to you, residents of Mareshah.” The first person verb is problematic, for the Lord would have to be the subject (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). But the prophet appears to be delivering this lament and the Lord is referred to in the third person in v. 12. Consequently many emend the verb to a third person form (יָבוֹא, yavo’) and understand the “conqueror” as subject.

[1:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “to Adullam the glory of Israel will go.” This probably means that the nation’s leadership will run for their lives and, like David of old, hide from their enemy in the caves of Adullam. Cf. NIV’s “He who is the glory of Israel will come to Adullam,” which sounds as if an individual is in view, and could be understood as a messianic reference.

[2:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “Arise and go!” These imperatives are rhetorical. Those who wrongly drove widows and orphans from their homes and land inheritances will themselves be driven out of the land (cf. Isa 5:8-17). This is an example of poetic justice.

[2:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “for this is no resting place.” The Lord speaks to the oppressors.

[2:10]  ⁹ tn Heb “uncleanness will destroy, and destruction will be severe.”

[3:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the ones who.”

[3:2]  ¹¹ tn Or “good.”

[3:2]  ¹² tn Or “evil.”

[3:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “their skin from upon them.” The referent of the pronoun (“my people,” referring to Jacob and/or the house of Israel, with the Lord as the speaker) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and their flesh from their bones.”