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Micah 3-4
New Life Version
Micah 3-4
New Life Version
Sinful Leaders and Rulers
3 And I said, “Hear now, leaders of Jacob and rulers of the people of Israel! Should you not know what is fair? 2 Yet you hate good and love sin. You tear off the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones. 3 You eat my people’s flesh, pull their skin off, break their bones, and cut them up like meat for the pot.” 4 Then 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 done sinful things.
5 This is what the Lord says about the men who speak in God’s name and lead my people the wrong way. When they have something to eat, they speak of peace. But they make holy war against him who does not feed them. 6 So night will come to you without a special dream. Darkness will come to you without any word about the future. The sun will go down on those who speak about special dreams, and the day will become dark over them. 7 Those who tell what is going to happen in the future will be ashamed. Those who learn about the future using their secret ways will be ashamed. They will all cover their mouths because there is no answer from God. 8 But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, with what is fair, and with strength. I am able to make known to Jacob his wrong-doing, and to Israel his sin. 9 Now listen to this, you leaders of Jacob and rulers of the people of Israel. You hate what is fair, and turn everything around that is right. 10 You built Zion with blood and Jerusalem with much wrong-doing. 11 Her leaders take pay in secret for doing wrong. Her religious leaders teach for a price. Her men who tell what is going to happen in the future do it for money. Yet they rest upon the Lord and say, “Is not the Lord among us? No trouble will come to us.” 12 So because of you Zion will be plowed as a field. Jerusalem will be laid waste. And the mountain of the Lord’s house will be covered with trees.
The Lord Rules in Jerusalem
4 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest one of all. It will be raised above the hills, and the people will flow to it. 2 Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.” For the Law will go out from Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 3 He will judge between many people. He will decide for strong nations that are far away. Then they will beat their swords into plows, and their spears into cutting hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and they will never learn war any more. 4 Every man will sit under his vine and under his fig tree, with no one to make him afraid. For the mouth of the Lord of All has spoken. 5 All the nations may walk in the name of their god. But we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.
Israel Will Return from the Strange Land
6 “In that day,” says the Lord, “I will gather together those who cannot walk and those who have been driven away, even those whom I have made to suffer. 7 I will make a new beginning with those who cannot walk. I will make a strong nation of those who have been driven away. And the Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever. 8 As for you, O watch-tower of the flock, the strong-place of the people of Zion, the power you had to rule will come to you again. The nation will come to Jerusalem.
9 “Now why do you cry out in a loud voice? Is there no king among you? Has your wise man died, so that you have pains like a woman giving birth? 10 Suffer in pain, O people of Zion, like a woman giving birth. For now you will go out of the city and live in the field, and go to Babylon. There you will be saved and He will make you free from the power of those who hate you.
11 “Now many nations are gathered against you. They say, ‘Let her be unclean. Let our eyes look on Zion.’ 12 But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord. They do not understand His plan. For He has gathered them like grain to the crushing-floor. 13 Get up and crush the grain, O people of Zion. For I will give you horns of iron and feet of brass, and you will break many nations to pieces. You will give to the Lord what they received by hurting others. You will give their riches to the Lord of all the earth.
Micah 3-4
New International Version
Micah 3-4
New International Version
Leaders and Prophets Rebuked
3 Then I said,
“Listen, you leaders(A) of Jacob,
you rulers of Israel.
Should you not embrace justice,
2 you who hate good and love evil;
who tear the skin from my people
and the flesh from their bones;(B)
3 who eat my people’s flesh,(C)
strip off their skin
and break their bones in pieces;(D)
who chop(E) them up like meat for the pan,
like flesh for the pot?(F)”
4 Then they will cry out to the Lord,
but he will not answer them.(G)
At that time he will hide his face(H) from them
because of the evil they have done.(I)
5 This is what the Lord says:
“As for the prophets
who lead my people astray,(J)
they proclaim ‘peace’(K)
if they have something to eat,
but prepare to wage war against anyone
who refuses to feed them.
6 Therefore night will come over you, without visions,
and darkness, without divination.(L)
The sun will set for the prophets,(M)
and the day will go dark for them.(N)
7 The seers will be ashamed(O)
and the diviners disgraced.(P)
They will all cover(Q) their faces(R)
because there is no answer from God.(S)”
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.(T)
9 Hear this, you leaders of Jacob,
you rulers of Israel,
who despise justice
and distort all that is right;(U)
10 who build(V) Zion with bloodshed,(W)
and Jerusalem with wickedness.(X)
11 Her leaders judge for a bribe,(Y)
her priests teach for a price,(Z)
and her prophets tell fortunes for money.(AA)
Yet they look(AB) for the Lord’s support and say,
“Is not the Lord among us?
No disaster will come upon us.”(AC)
12 Therefore because of you,
Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,(AD)
the temple(AE) hill a mound overgrown with thickets.(AF)
The Mountain of the Lord(AG)
4 In the last days
the mountain(AH) of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,(AI)
and peoples will stream to it.(AJ)
2 Many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,(AK)
to the temple of the God of Jacob.(AL)
He will teach us(AM) his ways,(AN)
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law(AO) will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.(AP)
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.(AQ)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war(AR) anymore.(AS)
4 Everyone will sit under their own vine
and under their own fig tree,(AT)
and no one will make them afraid,(AU)
for the Lord Almighty has spoken.(AV)
5 All the nations may walk
in the name of their gods,(AW)
but we will walk in the name of the Lord
our God for ever and ever.(AX)
The Lord’s Plan
6 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will gather the lame;(AY)
I will assemble the exiles(AZ)
and those I have brought to grief.(BA)
7 I will make the lame my remnant,(BB)
those driven away a strong nation.(BC)
The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion(BD)
from that day and forever.(BE)
8 As for you, watchtower of the flock,
stronghold[a] of Daughter Zion,
the former dominion will be restored(BF) to you;
kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.(BG)”
9 Why do you now cry aloud—
have you no king[b](BH)?
Has your ruler[c] perished,
that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?(BI)
10 Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion,
like a woman in labor,
for now you must leave the city
to camp in the open field.
You will go to Babylon;(BJ)
there you will be rescued.
There the Lord will redeem(BK) you
out of the hand of your enemies.
11 But now many nations
are gathered against you.
They say, “Let her be defiled,
let our eyes gloat(BL) over Zion!”
12 But they do not know
the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,(BM)
that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 “Rise and thresh,(BN) Daughter Zion,
for I will give you horns of iron;
I will give you hooves of bronze,
and you will break to pieces many nations.”(BO)
You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,(BP)
their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.
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