Micah 2:13--3:1

2:13 The one who can break through barriers will lead them out ¹ 

they will break out, pass through the gate, and leave. ² 

Their king will advance ³  before them,

The Lord himself will lead them. ⁴ 

God Will Judge Judah’s Sinful Leaders

3:1 I said,

“Listen, you leaders ⁵  of Jacob,

you rulers of the nation ⁶  of Israel!

You ought to know what is just, ⁷ 

Micah 3:9

3:9 Listen to this, you leaders of the family ⁸  of Jacob,

you rulers of the nation ⁹  of Israel!

You ¹⁰  hate justice

and pervert all that is right.

Micah 4:1

Better Days Ahead for Jerusalem

4:1 In the future ¹¹  the Lord’s Temple Mount will be the most important mountain of all; ¹² 

it will be more prominent than other hills. ¹³ 

People will stream to it.

Micah 3:11

3:11 Her ¹⁴  leaders take bribes when they decide legal cases, ¹⁵ 

her priests proclaim rulings for profit,

and her prophets read omens for pay.

Yet they claim to trust ¹⁶  the Lord and say,

“The Lord is among us. ¹⁷ 

Disaster will not overtake ¹⁸  us!”

[2:13]  ¹ tn Heb “the one who breaks through goes up before them.” The verb form is understood as a perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of this coming event.

[2:13]  ² tn The three verb forms (a perfect and two preterites with vav [ו] consecutive) indicate certitude.

[2:13]  ³ tn The verb form (a preterite with vav [ו] consecutive) indicates certitude.

[2:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “the Lord [will be] at their head.”

[3:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “heads.”

[3:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “house.”

[3:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “Should you not know justice?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course you should!”

[3:9]  ⁹ tn Heb “house.”

[3:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “house.”

[3:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “who.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons (also at the beginning of v. 10).

[4:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “at the end of days.”

[4:1]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “will be established as the head of the mountains.”

[4:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “it will be lifted up above the hills.”

[3:11]  ¹⁷ sn The pronoun Her refers to Jerusalem (note the previous line).

[3:11]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “judge for a bribe.”

[3:11]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “they lean upon” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NAB “rely on.”

[3:11]  ²⁰ tn Heb “Is not the Lord in our midst?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course he is!”

[3:11]  ²¹ tn Or “come upon” (so many English versions); NCV “happen to us”; CEV “come to us.”