Mikha 1:13

1:13 Residents of Lachish, ¹  hitch the horses to the chariots!

You ²  influenced Daughter Zion ³  to sin, ⁴ 

for Israel’s rebellious deeds can be traced back ⁵  to you!

Mikha 3:4

3:4 Someday these sinners will cry to the Lord for help, ⁶ 

but he will not answer them.

He will hide his face from them at that time,

because they have done such wicked deeds.”

Mikha 3:8

3:8 But I ⁷  am full of the courage that the Lord’s Spirit gives,

and have a strong commitment to justice. ⁸ 

This enables me to confront Jacob with its rebellion,

and Israel with its sin. ⁹ 

Mikha 4:9

4:9 Jerusalem, why are you ¹⁰  now shouting so loudly? ¹¹ 

Has your king disappeared? ¹² 

Has your wise leader ¹³  been destroyed?

Is this why ¹⁴  pain grips ¹⁵  you as if you were a woman in labor?

Mikha 7:3

7:3 They are determined to be experts at doing evil; ¹⁶ 

government officials and judges take bribes, ¹⁷ 

prominent men make demands,

and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them. ¹⁸ 

Mikha 7:16

7:16 Nations will see this and be disappointed by ¹⁹  all their strength,

they will put their hands over their mouths,

and act as if they were deaf. ²⁰ 

[1:13]  ¹ sn The place name Lachish sounds like the Hebrew word for “team [of horses].”

[1:13]  ² tn Heb “she”; this has been translated as second person (“you”) in keeping with the direct address to the residents of Lachish in the previous line.

[1:13]  ³ sn The epithet Daughter Zion pictures the city of Jerusalem as a young lady.

[1:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “She was the beginning of sin for Daughter Zion.”

[1:13]  ⁵ tn Heb “for in you was found the transgressions of Israel.”

[3:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “then they will cry out to the Lord.” The words “Someday these sinners” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[3:8]  ⁷ sn The prophet Micah speaks here and contrasts himself with the mercenaries just denounced by the Lord in the preceding verses.

[3:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “am full of power, the Spirit of the Lord, and justice and strength.” The appositional phrase “the Spirit of the Lord” explains the source of the prophet’s power. The phrase “justice and strength” is understood here as a hendiadys, referring to the prophet’s strong sense of justice.

[3:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “to declare to Jacob his rebellion and to Israel his sin.” The words “this enables me” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[4:9]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew form is feminine singular, indicating that Jerusalem, personified as a young woman, is now addressed (see v. 10). In v. 8 the tower/fortress was addressed with masculine forms, so there is clearly a shift in addressee here. “Jerusalem” has been supplied in the translation at the beginning of v. 9 to make this shift apparent.

[4:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Now why are you shouting [with] a shout.”

[4:9]  ¹² tn Heb “Is there no king over you?”

[4:9]  ¹³ tn Traditionally, “counselor” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). This refers to the king mentioned in the previous line; the title points to the king’s roles as chief strategist and policy maker, both of which required extraordinary wisdom.

[4:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “that.” The Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) is used here in a resultative sense; for this use see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 73, §450.

[4:9]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “grabs hold of, seizes.”

[7:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “upon evil [are their] hands to do [it] well.”

[7:3]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the official asks – and the judge – for a bribe.”

[7:3]  ¹⁸ tn More literally, “the great one announces what his appetite desires and they weave it together.” Apparently this means that subordinates plot and maneuver to make sure the prominent man’s desires materialize.

[7:16]  ¹⁹ tn Or “be ashamed of.”

[7:16]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and their ears will be deaf.” Apparently this means the opposing nations will be left dumbfounded by the Lord’s power. Their inability to respond will make them appear to be deaf mutes.