Micah 3:8-11

Context

3:8 But I¹ am full of the courage that the Lord’s Spirit gives,

and have a strong commitment to justice.²

This enables me to confront Jacob with its rebellion,

and Israel with its sin.³

3:9 Listen to this, you leaders of the family⁴ of Jacob,

you rulers of the nation⁵ of Israel!

You⁶ hate justice

and pervert all that is right.

3:10 You⁷ build Zion through bloody crimes,⁸

Jerusalem⁹ through unjust violence.

3:11 Her¹⁰ leaders take bribes when they decide legal cases,¹¹

her priests proclaim rulings for profit,

and her prophets read omens for pay.

Yet they claim to trust¹² the Lord and say,

“The Lord is among us.¹³

Disaster will not overtake¹⁴ us!”

[3:8] ¹sn The prophet Micah speaks here and contrasts himself with the mercenaries just denounced by the Lord in the preceding verses.

[3:8] ²tn Heb “am full of power, the Spirit of the Lord, and justice and strength.” The appositional phrase “the Spirit of the Lord” explains the source of the prophet’s power. The phrase “justice and strength” is understood here as a hendiadys, referring to the prophet’s strong sense of justice.

[3:8] ³tn Heb “to declare to Jacob his rebellion and to Israel his sin.” The words “this enables me” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[3:9] ⁴tn Heb “house.”

[3:9] ⁵tn Heb “house.”

[3:9] ⁶tn Heb “who.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons (also at the beginning of v. 10).

[3:10] ⁷tn Heb “who.”

[3:10] ⁸tn Heb “bloodshed” (so NAB, NASB, NIV); NLT “murder.”

[3:10] ⁹map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[3:11] ¹⁰sn The pronoun Her refers to Jerusalem (note the previous line).

[3:11] ¹¹tn Heb “judge for a bribe.”

[3:11] ¹²tn Heb “they lean upon” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NAB “rely on.”

[3:11] ¹³tn Heb “Is not the Lord in our midst?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course he is!”

[3:11] ¹⁴tn Or “come upon” (so many English versions); NCV “happen to us”; CEV “come to us.”