Micah 3

HCSB

Micah 3

Unjust Leaders Judged

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Then I said, “Now listen,^(A) leaders of Jacob,
you rulers of the house of Israel.
Aren’t you supposed to know what is just?^(B)

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You hate good and love evil.
You tear off people’s skin^(C)
and strip their flesh from their bones.

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You eat the flesh^(D) of my people
after you strip their skin from them
and break their bones.
You chop them up^(E)
like flesh for the cooking pot,
like meat in a cauldron.”

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Then they will cry out^(F) to the Lord,
but He will not answer them.
He will hide His face from them at that time^(G)
because of the crimes they have committed.

False Prophets Judged

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This is what the Lord says
concerning the prophets
who lead my people astray,^(H)
who proclaim^(I) peace
when they have food to sink their teeth into
but declare war against the one
who puts nothing in their mouths.

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Therefore, it will be night^(J) for you—
without visions;
it will grow dark for you—
without divination.^(K)
The sun will set^(L) on these prophets,
and the daylight will turn black over them.

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Then the seers will be ashamed^(M)
and the diviners disappointed.^(N)
They will all cover their mouths^(a)^(O)
because there will be no answer from God.^(P)

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As for me, however, I am filled with power^(Q)
by the Spirit of the Lord,
with justice and courage,
to proclaim to Jacob his rebellion
and to Israel his sin.^(R)

Zion’s Destruction

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Listen to this, leaders of the house of Jacob,^(S)
you rulers of the house of Israel,
who abhor justice^(T)
and pervert everything that is right,

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who build Zion with bloodshed^(U)
and Jerusalem with injustice.

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Her leaders issue rulings for a bribe,^(V)
her priests teach for payment,^(W)
and her prophets practice divination for money.
Yet they lean on the Lord, saying,
“Isn’t the Lord^(X) among us?
No disaster will overtake us.”

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Therefore, because of you,
Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become ruins,^(Y)
and the hill of the temple mount^(Z)
will be a thicket.^(AA)

Footnotes:

a. Micah 3:7: Lit mustache

Cross references:

A. Micah 3:1: Isaiah 1:10

B. Micah 3:1: Psalm 82:1-5; Jeremiah 5:5

C. Micah 3:2: Psalm 53:4; Ezekiel 22:27; Ezekiel 7:2-3

D. Micah 3:3: Psalm 14:4; Psalm 27:2

E. Micah 3:3: Ezekiel 11:3; Ezekiel 11:6-7

F. Micah 3:4: Psalm 18:41; Proverbs 1:28; Isaiah 1:15; Jeremiah 11:11

G. Micah 3:4: Deuteronomy 31:17; Isaiah 59:2

H. Micah 3:5: Isaiah 3:12; Isaiah 9:15-16; Jeremiah 14:14-15

I. Micah 3:5: Jeremiah 6:14

J. Micah 3:6: Isaiah 8:20-22; Isaiah 29:10-12

K. Micah 3:6: Deuteronomy 18:10; Joshua 13:22

L. Micah 3:6: Isaiah 59:10

M. Micah 3:7: Zechariah 13:4

N. Micah 3:7: Isaiah 44:25; Isaiah 47:12-14

O. Micah 3:7: Leviticus 13:45; Ezekiel 24:17; Ezekiel 24:22

P. Micah 3:7: Isaiah 29:9-12

Q. Micah 3:8: Isaiah 61:1-2; Jeremiah 1:18

R. Micah 3:8: Isaiah 58:1

S. Micah 3:9: Micah 3:1

T. Micah 3:9: Psalm 58:1-2; Isaiah 1:23

U. Micah 3:10: Jeremiah 22:13; Jeremiah 22:17; Habakkuk 2:12

V. Micah 3:11: Isaiah 1:23

W. Micah 3:11: Jeremiah 6:13

X. Micah 3:11: Isaiah 48:2

Y. Micah 3:12: Jeremiah 9:11

Z. Micah 3:12: Micah 4:1

AA. Micah 3:12: Jeremiah 26:18