Mikha 2:1

Land Robbers Will Lose their Land

2:1 Those who devise sinful plans are as good as dead, ¹ 

those who dream about doing evil as they lie in bed. ² 

As soon as morning dawns they carry out their plans, ³ 

because they have the power to do so.

Mikha 4:7

4:7 I will transform the lame into the nucleus of a new nation, ⁴ 

and those far off ⁵  into a mighty nation.

The Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion,

from that day forward and forevermore.” ⁶ 

Mikha 7:16

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

they will put their hands over their mouths,

and act as if they were deaf. ⁸ 

[2:1]  ¹ tn Heb “Woe to those who plan sin.” The Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy, “woe”; “ah”) was a cry used in mourning the dead.

[2:1]  ² tn Heb “those who do evil upon their beds.”

[2:1]  ³ tn Heb “at the light of morning they do it.”

[4:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “make the lame into a remnant.”

[4:7]  ⁵ tn The precise meaning of this difficult form is uncertain. The present translation assumes the form is a Niphal participle of an otherwise unattested denominative verb הָלָא (hala’, “to be far off”; see BDB 229 s.v.), but attractive emendations include הַנַּחֲלָה (hannakhalah, “the sick one[s]”) from חָלָה (khalah) and הַנִּלְאָה (hannil’ah, “the weary one[s]”) from לָאָה (la’ah).

[4:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “from now until forever.”

[7:16]  ⁷ tn Or “be ashamed of.”

[7:16]  ⁸ 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.