Micah 6:13

6:13 I will strike you brutally ¹ 

and destroy you because of your sin.

Micah 7:13

7:13 The earth will become desolate ² 

because of what its inhabitants have done. ³ 

Micah 1:3

1:3 Look, ⁴  the Lord is coming out of his dwelling place!

He will descend and march on the earth’s mountaintops! ⁵ 

Micah 1:14

1:14 Therefore you ⁶  will have to say farewell ⁷  to Moresheth Gath.

The residents ⁸  of Achzib ⁹  will be as disappointing

as a dried up well ¹⁰  to the kings of Israel. ¹¹ 

Micah 1:16

1:16 Shave your heads bald as you mourn for the children you love; ¹² 

shave your foreheads as bald ¹³  as an eagle, ¹⁴ 

for they are taken from you into exile.

Micah 3:7

3:7 The prophets ¹⁵  will be ashamed;

the omen readers will be humiliated.

All of them will cover their mouths, ¹⁶ 

for they will receive no divine oracles.” ¹⁷ 

Micah 5:9

5:9 Lift your hand triumphantly against your adversaries; ¹⁸ 

may all your enemies be destroyed! ¹⁹ 

Micah 7:16

7:16 Nations will see this and be disappointed by ²⁰  all their strength,

they will put their hands over their mouths,

and act as if they were deaf. ²¹ 

Micah 3:5

3:5 This is what the Lord says: “The prophets who mislead my people

are as good as dead. ²² 

If someone gives them enough to eat,

they offer an oracle of peace. ²³ 

But if someone does not give them food,

they are ready to declare war on him. ²⁴ 

Micah 1:1

Introduction

1:1 This is the prophetic message that the Lord gave to ²⁵  Micah of Moresheth. He delivered this message ²⁶  during the reigns of ²⁷  Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. The prophecies pertain to ²⁸  Samaria ²⁹  and Jerusalem. ³⁰ 

Micah 1:8

1:8 For this reason I ³¹  will mourn and wail;

I will walk around barefoot ³²  and without my outer garments. ³³ 

I will howl ³⁴  like a wild dog, ³⁵ 

and screech ³⁶  like an owl. ³⁷ 

Micah 2:1

Land Robbers Will Lose their Land

2:1 Those who devise sinful plans are as good as dead, ³⁸ 

those who dream about doing evil as they lie in bed. ³⁹ 

As soon as morning dawns they carry out their plans, ⁴⁰ 

because they have the power to do so.

Micah 3:6

3:6 Therefore night will fall, and you will receive no visions; ⁴¹ 

it will grow dark, and you will no longer be able to read the omens. ⁴² 

The sun will set on these prophets,

and the daylight will turn to darkness over their heads. ⁴³ 

Micah 5:1

5:1 (4:14) ⁴⁴  But now slash yourself, ⁴⁵  daughter surrounded by soldiers! ⁴⁶ 

We are besieged!

With a scepter ⁴⁷  they strike Israel’s ruler ⁴⁸ 

on the side of his face.

Micah 5:3

5:3 So the Lord ⁴⁹  will hand the people of Israel ⁵⁰  over to their enemies ⁵¹ 

until the time when the woman in labor ⁵²  gives birth. ⁵³ 

Then the rest of the king’s ⁵⁴  countrymen will return

to be reunited with the people of Israel. ⁵⁵ 

Micah 7:3

7:3 They are determined to be experts at doing evil; ⁵⁶ 

government officials and judges take bribes, ⁵⁷ 

prominent men make demands,

and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them. ⁵⁸ 

Micah 7:18

7:18 There is no other God like you! ⁵⁹ 

You ⁶⁰  forgive sin

and pardon ⁶¹  the rebellion

of those who remain among your people. ⁶² 

You do not remain angry forever, ⁶³ 

but delight in showing loyal love.

Micah 2:3

2:3 Therefore the Lord says this: “Look, I am devising disaster for this nation! ⁶⁴ 

It will be like a yoke from which you cannot free your neck. ⁶⁵ 

You will no longer ⁶⁶  walk proudly,

for it will be a time of catastrophe.

[6:13]  ¹ tn Heb “and also I, I will make you sick, striking you.”

[7:13]  ² tn Or “will be ruined.”

[7:13]  ³ tn Heb “on account of its inhabitants, because of the fruit of their deeds.”

[1:3]  ³ tn Or “For look.” The expression כִּי־הִנֵּה (ki-hinneh) may function as an explanatory introduction (“For look!”; Isa 26:21; 60:2; 65:17, 18: 66:15; Jer 1:15; 25:29; 30:10; 45:5; 46:27; 50:9; Ezek 30:9; 36:9; Zech 2:10; 3:8), or as an emphatic introduction (“Look!”; Jdgs 3:15; Isa 3:1; Jer 8:17; 30:3; 49:15; Hos 9:6; Joel 3:1 [HT 4:1]; Amos 4:2, 13; 6:11, 14; 9:9; Hab 1:6; Zech 2:9 [HT 2:13]; Zech 3:9; 11:16).

[1:3]  ⁴ tn Or “high places” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[1:14]  ⁴ tn The subject of the feminine singular verb is probably Lachish.

[1:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “you will give a dowry to”; NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “give parting gifts to.” Lachish is compared to a father who presents wedding gifts to his daughter as she leaves her father’s home to take up residence with her husband. In similar fashion Lachish will bid farewell to Moresheth Gath, for the latter will be taken by the invader.

[1:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “houses.” By metonymy this refers to the people who live in them.

[1:14]  ⁷ sn The place name Achzib (אַכְזִיב, ’akhziv, “place on the dried up river”; see HALOT 45 s.v. אַכְזָב) creates a word play on the similar sounding term כָּזָב (kazav, “lie, deception”; HALOT 468 s.v. כָּזָב). Like the dried up river upon which its name was based, the city of Achzib would fail to help the kings of Israel in their time of need.

[1:14]  ⁸ tn Or “will be a deception.” The term אַכְזָב (’akhzav) is often translated “deception,” as derived from the verb I כָּזָב (“to deceive, lie”; HALOT 467-68 s.v. I כזב). However, it probably means “what is dried up,” since (1) the noun elsewhere refers to an empty well or dried river in summer (Jer 15:18; cf. Job 6:15-20) (HALOT 45 s.v. אַכְזָב); (2) the place-name “Achzib” (אַכְזִיב) literally means “place on the אַכְזָב [dried up river]” (HALOT 45 s.v. אַכְזָב); and (3) it is derived from the verb II כָּזָב (“to dry up [brook]”; Isa 58:11), which also appears in Mishnaic Hebrew and Arabic. The point of the metaphor is that Achzib will be as disappointing to the kings of Israel as a dried up spring in the summer is to a thirsty traveler in the Jordanian desert.

[1:14]  ⁹ sn Because of the enemy invasion, Achzib would not be able to deliver soldiers for the army and/or services normally rendered to the crown.

[1:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “over the sons of your delight.”

[1:16]  ⁶ tn Heb “make wide your baldness.”

[1:16]  ⁷ tn Or “a vulture” (cf. NIV, TEV); CEV “a buzzard.” The Hebrew term נֶשֶׁר (nesher) refers to the griffon vulture or eagle.

[3:7]  ⁶ tn Or “seers.”

[3:7]  ⁷ tn Or “the mustache,” or perhaps “the beard.” Cf. KJV, NAB, NRSV “cover their lips.”

[3:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “for there will be no answer from God.”

[5:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “let your hand be lifted against your adversaries.”

[5:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “be cut off.”

[7:16]  ⁸ tn Or “be ashamed of.”

[7:16]  ⁹ tn Heb “and their ears will be deaf.” Apparently this means the opposing nations will be left dumbfounded by the Lord’s power. Their inability to respond will make them appear to be deaf mutes.

[3:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “concerning the prophets, those who mislead my people.” The first person pronominal suffix is awkward in a quotation formula that introduces the words of the Lord. For this reason some prefer to begin the quotation after “the Lord says” (cf. NIV), but this leaves “concerning the prophets” hanging very awkwardly at the beginning of the quotation. It is preferable to add הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) at the beginning of the quotation, right after the graphically similar יְהוָה (yÿhvah; see D. R. Hillers, Micah [Hermeneia], 44). The phrase הוֹי עַל (hoy ’al, “woe upon”) occurs in Jer 50:27 and Ezek 13:3 (with “the prophets” following the preposition in the latter instance).

[3:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “those who bite with their teeth and cry out, ‘peace.’” The phrase “bite with the teeth” is taken here as idiomatic for eating. Apparently these prophets were driven by mercenary motives. If they were paid well, they gave positive oracles to their clients, but if someone could not afford to pay them, they were hostile and delivered oracles of doom.

[3:5]  ¹¹ tn Heb “but [as for the one] who does not place [food] in their mouths, they prepare for war against him.”

[1:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “The word of the Lord which came to.”

[1:1]  ¹¹ tn The words “he delivered this message” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[1:1]  ¹² tn Heb “in the days of” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV).

[1:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “which he saw concerning.”

[1:1]  ¹⁴ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

[1:1]  ¹⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:8]  ¹¹ tn The prophet is probably the speaker here.

[1:8]  ¹² tn Or “stripped.” The precise meaning of this Hebrew word is unclear. It may refer to walking barefoot (see 2 Sam 15:30) or to partially stripping oneself (see Job 12:17-19).

[1:8]  ¹³ tn Heb “naked.” This probably does not refer to complete nudity, but to stripping off one’s outer garments as an outward sign of the destitution felt by the mourner.

[1:8]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “I will make lamentation.”

[1:8]  ¹⁵ tn Or “a jackal”; CEV “howling wolves.”

[1:8]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “[make] a mourning.”

[1:8]  ¹⁷ tn Or perhaps “ostrich” (cf. ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT).

[2:1]  ¹² tn Heb “Woe to those who plan sin.” The Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy, “woe”; “ah”) was a cry used in mourning the dead.

[2:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “those who do evil upon their beds.”

[2:1]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “at the light of morning they do it.”

[3:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “it will be night for you without a vision.”

[3:6]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “it will be dark for you without divination.”

[3:6]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and the day will be dark over them.”

[5:1]  ¹⁴ sn Beginning with 5:1, the verse numbers through 5:15 in the English Bible differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 5:1 ET = 4:14 HT, 5:2 ET = 5:1 HT, 5:3 ET = 5:2 HT, etc., through 5:15 ET = 5:14 HT. From 6:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.

[5:1]  ¹⁵ tn The Hebrew verb גָדַד (gadad) can be translated “slash yourself” or “gather in troops.” A number of English translations are based on the latter meaning (e.g., NASB, NIV, NLT).

[5:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “daughter of a troop of warriors.”

[5:1]  ¹⁷ tn Or “staff”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “rod”; CEV “stick”; NCV “club.”

[5:1]  ¹⁸ tn Traditionally, “the judge of Israel” (so KJV, NASB).

[5:3]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people of Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:3]  ¹⁷ tn The words “to their enemies” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:3]  ¹⁸ sn The woman in labor. Personified, suffering Jerusalem is the referent. See 4:9-10.

[5:3]  ¹⁹ sn Gives birth. The point of the figurative language is that Jerusalem finally finds relief from her suffering. See 4:10.

[5:3]  ²⁰ tn Heb “his”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:3]  ²¹ tn Heb “to the sons of Israel.” The words “be reunited with” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[7:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “upon evil [are their] hands to do [it] well.”

[7:3]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the official asks – and the judge – for a bribe.”

[7:3]  ¹⁸ tn More literally, “the great one announces what his appetite desires and they weave it together.” Apparently this means that subordinates plot and maneuver to make sure the prominent man’s desires materialize.

[7:18]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Who is a God like you?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one!”

[7:18]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “one who.” The prayer moves from direct address (second person) in v. 18a to a descriptive (third person) style in vv. 18b-19a and then back to direct address (second person) in vv. 19b-20. Due to considerations of English style and the unfamiliarity of the modern reader with alternation of persons in Hebrew poetry, the entire section has been rendered as direct address (second person) in the translation.

[7:18]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “pass over.”

[7:18]  ²⁰ tn Heb “of the remnant of his inheritance.”

[7:18]  ²¹ tn Heb “he does not keep hold of his anger forever.”

[2:3]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “clan” or “extended family.”

[2:3]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “from which you will not remove your neck.” The words “It will be like a yoke” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[2:3]  ²⁰ tn Or “you will not.”