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 4:1

Better Days Ahead for Jerusalem

4:1 In the future ¹⁵  the Lord’s Temple Mount will be the most important mountain of all; ¹⁶ 

it will be more prominent than other hills. ¹⁷ 

People will stream to it.

Micah 6:4

6:4 In fact, I brought you up from the land of Egypt,

I delivered you from that place of slavery.

I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead you. ¹⁸ 

Micah 6:16

6:16 You implement the regulations of Omri,

and all the practices of Ahab’s dynasty; ¹⁹ 

you follow their policies. ²⁰ 

Therefore I will make you an appalling sight, ²¹ 

the city’s ²²  inhabitants will be taunted derisively, ²³ 

and nations will mock all of you.” ²⁴ 

Micah 7:6

7:6 For a son thinks his father is a fool,

a daughter challenges ²⁵  her mother,

and a daughter-in-law her mother-in-law;

a man’s enemies are his own servants. ²⁶ 

[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!”

[4:1]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “at the end of days.”

[4:1]  ²⁰ tn Heb “will be established as the head of the mountains.”

[4:1]  ²¹ tn Heb “it will be lifted up above the hills.”

[6:4]  ²⁵ tn Heb “before you.”

[6:16]  ³¹ tn Heb “the edicts of Omri are kept, and all the deeds of the house of Ahab.”

[6:16]  ³² tn Heb “and you walk in their plans.”

[6:16]  ³³ tn The Hebrew term שַׁמָּה (shammah) can refer to “destruction; ruin,” or to the reaction it produces in those who witness the destruction.

[6:16]  ³⁴ tn Heb “her”; the referent (the city) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:16]  ³⁵ tn Heb “[an object] of hissing,” which was a way of taunting someone.

[6:16]  ³⁶ tc The translation assumes an emendation of the MT’s עַמִּי (’ammi, “my people”) to עַמִּים (’ammim, “nations”).

[7:6]  ³⁷ tn Heb “rises up against.”

[7:6]  ³⁸ tn Heb “the enemies of a man are the men of his house.”