Israel's Leaders Denounced
1 Hear, O ye heads of the house of Jacob, and ye leaders of the house of Israel: Should not ye know, what were lawful and right?
1 And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment?
1 And I said,“(A)Hear now, heads of JacobAnd rulers of the house of Israel.Is it not for you to (B)know justice?
1 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)
1 "He will say, "Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you officials of the house of Israel! You should know justice, should you not?
2 But ye hate the good, and love the evil: ye pluck off men's skins, and the flesh from their bones;
2 Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;
2 “You who hate good and love evil,Who (C)tear off their skin from themAnd their flesh from their bones,
2 you who despise good and love evil, who tear off the skin of my people, along with the flesh from their bones.
3 ye eat the flesh of my people, and flay of their skin; ye break their bones, ye chop them in pieces as it were into a cauldron, and as flesh into a pot.
3 Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.
3 Who (D)eat the flesh of my people,Strip off their skin from them,Break their bonesAnd (E)chop them up as for the potAnd as meat in a kettle.”
3 You eat the flesh(D) of my peopleafter you strip their skin from themand break their bones.You chop them up(E)like flesh for the cooking pot,like meat in a cauldron.”
3 You eat the flesh of my people, flaying their skin from them. You break their bones, chopping them in pieces like meat for a pot, like meat destined for a soup kettle.'
4 Now the time shall come, that when they call unto the LORD, he shall not hear them, but hide his face from them, because that through their own Imaginations they have dealt so wickedly.
4 Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.
4 Then they will (F)cry out to the Lord,But He will not answer them.Instead, He will (G)hide His face from them at that timeBecause they have (H)practiced evil deeds.
4 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.
4 "Then they will cry to the LORD, but he will not listen to them. In fact, he will hide his face from them at that time, because they were so wicked in what they were doing."
False Prophets Judged
5 And as concerning the prophets that deceive my people, thus the LORD sayeth against them: When they have any thing to bite upon, then they preach that all shall be well. But if a man put not some thing in to their mouths, they preach of war against him.
5 Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.
5 Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who (I)lead my people astray;When they have something to bite with their teeth,They (J)cry, “Peace,”But against him who puts nothing in their mouthsThey declare holy war.
5 This is what the Lord saysconcerning the prophetswho lead my people astray,(H)who proclaim(I) peacewhen they have food to sink their teeth intobut declare war against the onewho puts nothing in their mouths.
5 "This is what the LORD says about the prophets who are causing my people to go astray, who are calling out "Peace' when they're being fed, but who declare war against those who won't feed them:
6 Therefore your vision shall be turned to night, and your prophesying to darkness. The Sun shall go down over those prophets, and the day shall be dark unto them.
6 Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.
6 Therefore it will be (K)night for you—without vision,And darkness for you—without divination.The (L)sun will go down on the prophets,And the day will become dark over them.
6 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.
6 "You will have nights without visions, and darkness without prophecy. The sun will set on the prophets, and the day will darken for them.
7 Then shall the vision seers be ashamed, and the soothsayers confounded: yea they shall be fain, all the pack of them, to stop their mouths: for they have not God's word.
7 Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.
7 The seers will be (M)ashamedAnd the (N)diviners will be embarrassed.Indeed, they will all (O)cover their (a)mouthsBecause there is (P)no answer from God.
7 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)
7 Those who see visions will be put to shame, and the diviners will be disgraced every one of them they will cover their faces, because there will be no answer from God.'"
Micah Is An Honest Prophet Of God
8 As for me, I am full of strength, and of the spirit of the LORD; full of judgment and boldness, to show the house of Jacob their wickedness, and the house of Israel their sin.
8 But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
8 On the other hand (Q)I am filled with power—With the Spirit of the Lord—And with justice and courageTo (R)make known to Jacob his rebellious act,Even to Israel his sin.
8 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 rebellionand to Israel his sin.(R)
8 "As for me, I am truly filled with power by the Spirit of the LORD, filled with judgment and power to announce to Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
Zion's Destruction
9 O hear this, ye rulers of the house of Jacob, and ye judges of the house of Israel: ye that abhor the thing that is lawful, and wrest aside the thing that is straight;
9 Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.
9 Now hear this, (S)heads of the house of JacobAnd rulers of the house of Israel,Who (T)abhor justiceAnd twist everything that is straight,
9 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,
9 Please listen to this, you leaders of the house of Jacob, you officials of the house of Israel, you who hate administering justice, who pervert the very meaning of equity,
11 O ye judges, ye give sentence for gifts; O ye priests, ye teach for lucre; O ye prophets, ye prophesy for money. Yet will they be taken as those that hold upon God, and say, "Is not the LORD among us? Tush, there can no misfortune happen us."
11 The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.
11 Her leaders pronounce (V)judgment for a bribe,Her (W)priests instruct for a priceAnd her prophets divine for money.Yet they lean on the Lord saying,“(X)Is not the Lord in our midst?Calamity will not come upon us.”
11 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.”
11 Her leaders judge for the money, her priests teach only when they're paid, and her prophets prophesy for cash. Even so, don't they all rely on the LORD as they ask, "The LORD is among us, is he not? Nothing bad can possibly happen to us!'
12 Therefore shall Zion, for your sakes, be plowed like a field: Jerusalem shall become a heap of stones, and the hill of the temple shall be turned to a high wood.
12 Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.
12 Therefore, on account of you(Y)Zion will be plowed as a field,(Z)Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,And the (AA)mountain of the (b)temple will become high places of a forest.
12 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)
12 "Therefore, because of you, Zion will be plowed up like a field, and Jerusalem will become heaps of rubble, and the Temple Mount like a forest high place."