1And I said: Hear, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to know justice?— (Jer 5:5; Eze 22:6; Eze 22:27; Mic 1:2)2you who hate the good and love the evil, who tear the skin from off my people[1] and their flesh from off their bones, (Eze 34:3; Mic 3:9)3who eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them, and break their bones in pieces and chop them up like meat in a pot, like flesh in a cauldron. (Ps 14:4; Isa 3:15)4Then they will cry to the Lord, but he will not answer them; he will hide his face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil. (De 31:17; Pr 1:28; Isa 1:15)5Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry “Peace” when they have something to eat, but declare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths. (Jer 6:14; Jer 23:13; Jer 23:32; Eze 13:10)6Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination. The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be black over them; (Eze 12:24; Eze 13:23; Am 8:9)7the seers shall be disgraced, and the diviners put to shame; they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God. (Le 13:45; Jer 37:19; Am 8:11; Zec 13:4)8But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. (Isa 58:1; Jer 6:11; Eze 23:36; Mic 1:5)9Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who detest justice and make crooked all that is straight, (Mic 1:2; Mic 3:2)10who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity. (Jer 22:13; Eze 22:27; Hab 2:12)11Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the Lord and say, “Is not the Lord in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.” (Isa 1:23; Isa 48:2; Jer 6:13; Jer 7:4; Jer 23:17; Eze 22:25; Am 5:14; Am 9:10; Mic 3:5; Mic 7:3)12Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height. (Jer 26:18; Mic 1:6; Mic 4:2; Lu 13:35)
Micah 3
New International Version
Leaders and prophets rebuked
1Then I said, ‘Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel. Should you not embrace justice,2you who hate good and love evil; who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones;3who eat my people’s flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces; who chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot?’4Then they will cry out to the Lord, but he will not answer them. At that time he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done.5This is what the Lord says: ‘As for the prophets who lead my people astray, they proclaim “peace” if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them.6Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination. The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them.7The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God.’8But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.9Hear this, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right;10who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness.11Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they look for the Lord’s support and say, ‘Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us.’12Therefore because of you, Zion will be ploughed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.
Micah 3
King James Version
1And 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?2Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;3Who 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.4Then 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.5Thus 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.6Therefore 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.7Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.8But 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.9Hear 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.10They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.11The 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.12Therefore 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.
Micah 3
New International Reader’s Version
The Lord warns Israel’s leaders and prophets
1Then I said, ‘Listen, you leaders of Jacob’s people! Pay attention, you rulers of Israel! You should want to judge others fairly.2But you hate what is good. And you love what is evil. You are like someone who tears the skin off my people. You pull the meat off their bones.3You eat my people’s bodies. You strip off their skin. You break their bones in pieces. You chop them up like meat. You put them in a cooking pot.’4The time will come when Israel will cry out to the LORD. But he won’t answer them. In fact, he’ll turn his face away from them. They have done what is evil.5The LORD says, ‘The prophets are those who lead my people astray. If my people feed them, the prophets promise them peace. If my people do not feed them, the prophets prepare to go to war against them.6So night will come on the prophets. But they will not have any visions. Darkness will cover them. But they will not be able to figure out what is going to happen. The sun will set on the prophets. The day will become dark for them.7Those who see visions will be put to shame. Those who try to figure out what is going to happen will be dishonoured. All of them will cover their faces. I will not answer them.’8The Spirit of the LORD has filled me with power. He helps me do what is fair. He makes me brave. Now I’m prepared to tell Jacob’s people what they’ve done wrong. I’m ready to tell Israel they’ve sinned.9Listen to me, you leaders of Jacob’s people! Pay attention, you rulers of Israel! You hate to do what is fair. You twist everything that is right.10You build up Zion by spilling the blood of others. You build Jerusalem by doing what is evil.11Your judges take money from people who want special favours. Your priests teach only if they get paid for it. Your prophets won’t tell fortunes unless they receive money. But you still look for the LORD’s help. You say, ‘The LORD is with us. No trouble will come on us.’12So because of what you have done, Zion will be ploughed up like a field. Jerusalem will be turned into a pile of rubble. The temple hill will be covered with bushes and weeds.