Micah 1:5

1:5 All this is because of Jacob’s rebellion

and ¹  the sins of the nation ²  of Israel.

How has Jacob rebelled, you ask? ³ 

Samaria epitomizes their rebellion! ⁴ 

Where are Judah’s pagan worship centers, you ask? ⁵ 

They are right in Jerusalem! ⁶ 

Micah 2:7

2:7 Does the family ⁷  of Jacob say, ⁸ 

‘The Lord’s patience ⁹  can’t be exhausted –

he would never do such things’? ¹⁰ 

To be sure, my commands bring a reward

for those who obey them, ¹¹ 

Micah 3:1

God Will Judge Judah’s Sinful Leaders

3:1 I said,

“Listen, you leaders ¹²  of Jacob,

you rulers of the nation ¹³  of Israel!

You ought to know what is just, ¹⁴ 

Micah 3:11

3:11 Her ¹⁵  leaders take bribes when they decide legal cases, ¹⁶ 

her priests proclaim rulings for profit,

and her prophets read omens for pay.

Yet they claim to trust ¹⁷  the Lord and say,

“The Lord is among us. ¹⁸ 

Disaster will not overtake ¹⁹  us!”

[1:5]  ¹ tn Heb “and because of.” This was simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:5]  ² tn Heb “house.”

[1:5]  ³ tn Heb “What is the rebellion of Jacob?”

[1:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “Is it not Samaria?” The negated rhetorical question expects the answer, “It certainly is!” To make this clear the question has been translated as a strong affirmative statement.

[1:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “What are Judah’s high places?”

[1:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “Is it not Jerusalem?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “It certainly is!”

[2:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “house” (so many English versions); CEV “descendants.’

[2:7]  ⁸ tc The MT has אָמוּר (’amur), an otherwise unattested passive participle, which is better emended to אָמוֹר (’amor), an infinitive absolute functioning as a finite verb (see BDB 55 s.v. אָמַר).

[2:7]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew word רוּחַ (ruach) often means “Spirit” when used of the Lord, but here it seems to have an abstract sense, “patience.” See BDB 925 s.v. 3.d.

[2:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Has the patience of the Lord run short? Or are these his deeds?” The rhetorical questions expect the answer, “No, of course not.” The people contest the prophet’s claims that the Lord’s judgment is falling on the nation.

[2:7]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Do not my words accomplish good for the one who walks uprightly?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course they do!” The Lord begins his response to the claim of the house of Jacob that they are immune to judgment (see v. 7a). He points out that the godly are indeed rewarded, but then he goes on to show that those in the house of Jacob are not godly and can expect divine judgment, not blessing (vv. 8-11). Some emend “my words” to “his words.” In this case, v. 7b is a continuation of the immediately preceding quotation. The people, thinking they are godly, confidently ask, “Do not his [God’s] words accomplish good for the one who walks uprightly?”

[3:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “heads.”

[3:1]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “house.”

[3:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “Should you not know justice?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course you should!”

[3:11]  ¹⁹ sn The pronoun Her refers to Jerusalem (note the previous line).

[3:11]  ²⁰ tn Heb “judge for a bribe.”

[3:11]  ²¹ tn Heb “they lean upon” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NAB “rely on.”

[3:11]  ²² tn Heb “Is not the Lord in our midst?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course he is!”

[3:11]  ²³ tn Or “come upon” (so many English versions); NCV “happen to us”; CEV “come to us.”