Mic.3.1
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?
Mic.3.1
Then I said: "Listen, leaders of Jacob, leaders of Israel: Don't you know anything of justice?
Mic.3.1
Then I said, "Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Should you not know justice,
Mic.3.1
And I said: "Hear now, O heads of Jacob, And you rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know justice?
Mic.3.1
Listen, you leaders of Israel! You are supposed to know right from wrong,
Mic.3.2
Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;
Mic.3.2
Haters of good, lovers of evil: Isn't justice in your job description? But you skin my people alive. You rip the meat off their bones.
Mic.3.2
you who hate good and love evil; who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones;
Mic.3.2
You who hate good and love evil; Who strip the skin from My people, And the flesh from their bones;
Mic.3.2
but you are the very ones who hate good and love evil. You skin my people alive and tear the flesh off their bones.
Mic.3.3
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.
Mic.3.3
You break up the bones, chop the meat, and throw it in a pot for cannibal stew."
Mic.3.3
who 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?"
Mic.3.3
Who also eat the flesh of My people, Flay their skin from them, Break their bones, And chop them in pieces Like meat for the pot, Like flesh in the caldron."
Mic.3.3
You eat my people's flesh, cut away their skin, and break their bones. You chop them up like meat for the cooking pot.
Mic.3.4
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.
Mic.3.4
The time's coming, though, when these same leaders will cry out for help to GOD, but he won't listen. He'll turn his face the other way because of their history of evil. [JC]
Mic.3.4
Then 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.
Mic.3.4
Then they will cry to the LORD, But He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, Because they have been evil in their deeds.
Mic.3.4
Then you beg the LORD for help in times of trouble! Do you really expect him to listen? After all the evil you have done, he won't even look at you!
Mic.3.5
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.
Mic.3.5
Here is GOD's Message to the prophets, the preachers who lie to my people: "For as long as they're well paid and well fed, the prophets preach, "Isn't life wonderful! Peace to all!' But if you don't pay up and jump on their bandwagon, their "God bless you' turns into "God damn you.'
Mic.3.5
This is what the LORD says: "As for the prophets who lead my people astray, if one feeds them, they proclaim 'peace'; if he does not, they prepare to wage war against him.
Mic.3.5
Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets Who make my people stray; Who chant "Peace" While they chew with their teeth, But who prepare war against him Who puts nothing into their mouths:
Mic.3.5
This is what the LORD says to you false prophets: "You are leading my people astray! You promise peace for those who give you food, but you declare war on anyone who refuses to pay you.
Mic.3.6
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.
Mic.3.6
Therefore, you're going blind. You'll see nothing. You'll live in deep shadows and know nothing. The sun has set on the prophets. They've had their day; from now on it's night.
Mic.3.6
Therefore 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.
Mic.3.6
"Therefore you shall have night without vision, And you shall have darkness without divination; The sun shall go down on the prophets, And the day shall be dark for them.
Mic.3.6
Now the night will close around you, cutting off all your visions. Darkness will cover you, making it impossible for you to predict the future. The sun will set for you prophets, and your day will come to an end.
Mic.3.7
Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.
Mic.3.7
Visionaries will be confused, experts will be all mixed up. They'll hide behind their reputations and make lame excuses to cover up their God-ignorance." [JC]
Mic.3.7
The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God."
Mic.3.7
So the seers shall be ashamed, And the diviners abashed; Indeed they shall all cover their lips; For there is no answer from God."
Mic.3.7
Then you seers will cover your faces in shame, and you diviners will be disgraced. And you will admit that your messages were not from God."
Mic.3.8
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.
Mic.3.8
But me--I'm filled with GOD's power, filled with GOD's Spirit of justice and strength, Ready to confront Jacob's crime and Israel's sin.
Mic.3.8
But 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.
Mic.3.8
But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the LORD, And of justice and might, To declare to Jacob his transgression And to Israel his sin.
Mic.3.8
But as for me, I am filled with power and the Spirit of the LORD. I am filled with justice and might, fearlessly pointing out Israel's sin and rebellion.
Mic.3.9
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.
Mic.3.9
The leaders of Jacob and the leaders of Israel are Leaders contemptuous of justice, who twist and distort right living,
Mic.3.9
Hear this, you leaders of the house of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right;
Mic.3.9
Now hear this, You heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel, Who abhor justice And pervert all equity,
Mic.3.9
Listen to me, you leaders of Israel! You hate justice and twist all that is right.
Mic.3.10
They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.
Mic.3.10
Leaders who build Zion by killing people, who expand Jerusalem by committing crimes.
Mic.3.10
who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness.
Mic.3.10
Who build up Zion with bloodshed And Jerusalem with iniquity:
Mic.3.10
You are building Jerusalem on a foundation of murder and corruption.
Mic.3.11
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.
Mic.3.11
Judges sell verdicts to the highest bidder, priests mass-market their teaching, prophets preach for high fees, All the while posturing and pretending dependence on GOD: "We've got GOD on our side. He'll protect us from disaster."
Mic.3.11
Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD and say, "Is not the LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us."
Mic.3.11
Her heads judge for a bribe, Her priests teach for pay, And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD, and say, "Is not the LORD among us? No harm can come upon us."
Mic.3.11
You rulers govern for the bribes you can get; you priests teach God's laws only for a price; you prophets won't prophesy unless you are paid. Yet all of you claim you are depending on the LORD. "No harm can come to us," you say, "for the LORD is here among us."
Mic.3.12
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.
Mic.3.12
Because of people like you, Zion will be turned back into farmland, Jerusalem end up as a pile of rubble, and instead of the Temple on the mountain, a few scraggly scrub pines.
Mic.3.12
Therefore because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.
Mic.3.12
Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, And the mountain of the temple Like the bare hills of the forest.
Mic.3.12
So because of you, Mount Zion will be plowed like an open field; Jerusalem will be reduced to rubble! A great forest will grow on the hilltop, where the Temple now stands.
