Mikha 2:5

2:5 Therefore no one will assign you land in the Lord’s community. ¹ 

Mikha 2:1

Land Robbers Will Lose their Land

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

those who dream about doing evil as they lie in bed. ³ 

As soon as morning dawns they carry out their plans, ⁴ 

because they have the power to do so.

Mikha 3:12

3:12 Therefore, because of you, ⁵  Zion will be plowed up like ⁶  a field,

Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,

and the Temple Mount ⁷  will become a hill overgrown with brush! ⁸ 

Mikha 3:4

3:4 Someday these sinners will cry to the Lord for help, ⁹ 

but he will not answer them.

He will hide his face from them at that time,

because they have done such wicked deeds.”

Mikha 6:13

6:13 I will strike you brutally ¹⁰ 

and destroy you because of your sin.

Mikha 1:5

1:5 All this is because of Jacob’s rebellion

and ¹¹  the sins of the nation ¹²  of Israel.

How has Jacob rebelled, you ask? ¹³ 

Samaria epitomizes their rebellion! ¹⁴ 

Where are Judah’s pagan worship centers, you ask? ¹⁵ 

They are right in Jerusalem! ¹⁶ 

Mikha 6:7

6:7 Will the Lord accept a thousand rams,

or ten thousand streams of olive oil?

Should I give him my firstborn child as payment for my rebellion,

my offspring – my own flesh and blood – for my sin? ¹⁷ 

Mikha 7:13

7:13 The earth will become desolate ¹⁸ 

because of what its inhabitants have done. ¹⁹ 

Mikha 3:7

3:7 The prophets ²⁰  will be ashamed;

the omen readers will be humiliated.

All of them will cover their mouths, ²¹ 

for they will receive no divine oracles.” ²² 

Mikha 1:9

1:9 For Samaria’s ²³  disease ²⁴  is incurable.

It has infected ²⁵  Judah;

it has spread to ²⁶  the leadership ²⁷  of my people

and has even contaminated Jerusalem! ²⁸ 

Mikha 2:3

2:3 Therefore the Lord says this: “Look, I am devising disaster for this nation! ²⁹ 

It will be like a yoke from which you cannot free your neck. ³⁰ 

You will no longer ³¹  walk proudly,

for it will be a time of catastrophe.

Mikha 1:14

1:14 Therefore you ³²  will have to say farewell ³³  to Moresheth Gath.

The residents ³⁴  of Achzib ³⁵  will be as disappointing

as a dried up well ³⁶  to the kings of Israel. ³⁷ 

Mikha 1:8

1:8 For this reason I ³⁸  will mourn and wail;

I will walk around barefoot ³⁹  and without my outer garments. ⁴⁰ 

I will howl ⁴¹  like a wild dog, ⁴² 

and screech ⁴³  like an owl. ⁴⁴ 

Mikha 5:3

5:3 So the Lord ⁴⁵  will hand the people of Israel ⁴⁶  over to their enemies ⁴⁷ 

until the time when the woman in labor ⁴⁸  gives birth. ⁴⁹ 

Then the rest of the king’s ⁵⁰  countrymen will return

to be reunited with the people of Israel. ⁵¹ 

Mikha 2:10

2:10 But you are the ones who will be forced to leave! ⁵² 

For this land is not secure! ⁵³ 

Sin will thoroughly destroy it! ⁵⁴ 

Mikha 1:16

1:16 Shave your heads bald as you mourn for the children you love; ⁵⁵ 

shave your foreheads as bald ⁵⁶  as an eagle, ⁵⁷ 

for they are taken from you into exile.

Mikha 1:12

1:12 Indeed, the residents of Maroth ⁵⁸  hope for something good to happen, ⁵⁹ 

though the Lord has sent disaster against the city of Jerusalem. ⁶⁰ 

Mikha 3:11

3:11 Her ⁶¹  leaders take bribes when they decide legal cases, ⁶² 

her priests proclaim rulings for profit,

and her prophets read omens for pay.

Yet they claim to trust ⁶³  the Lord and say,

“The Lord is among us. ⁶⁴ 

Disaster will not overtake ⁶⁵  us!”

Mikha 1:13

1:13 Residents of Lachish, ⁶⁶  hitch the horses to the chariots!

You ⁶⁷  influenced Daughter Zion ⁶⁸  to sin, ⁶⁹ 

for Israel’s rebellious deeds can be traced back ⁷⁰  to you!

Mikha 4:4

4:4 Each will sit under his own grapevine

or under his own fig tree without any fear. ⁷¹ 

The Lord who commands armies has decreed it. ⁷² 

Mikha 7:1

Micah Laments Judah’s Sin

7:1 I am depressed! ⁷³ 

Indeed, ⁷⁴  it is as if the summer fruit has been gathered,

and the grapes have been harvested. ⁷⁵ 

There is no grape cluster to eat,

no fresh figs that I crave so much. ⁷⁶ 

Mikha 6:16

6:16 You implement the regulations of Omri,

and all the practices of Ahab’s dynasty; ⁷⁷ 

you follow their policies. ⁷⁸ 

Therefore I will make you an appalling sight, ⁷⁹ 

the city’s ⁸⁰  inhabitants will be taunted derisively, ⁸¹ 

and nations will mock all of you.” ⁸² 

Mikha 6:2

6:2 Hear the Lord’s accusation, you mountains,

you enduring foundations of the earth!

For the Lord has a case against his people;

he has a dispute with Israel! ⁸³ 

Mikha 1:3

1:3 Look, ⁸⁴  the Lord is coming out of his dwelling place!

He will descend and march on the earth’s mountaintops! ⁸⁵ 

Mikha 7:18

7:18 There is no other God like you! ⁸⁶ 

You ⁸⁷  forgive sin

and pardon ⁸⁸  the rebellion

of those who remain among your people. ⁸⁹ 

You do not remain angry forever, ⁹⁰ 

but delight in showing loyal love.

Mikha 1:7

1:7 All her carved idols will be smashed to pieces;

all her metal cult statues will be destroyed by fire. ⁹¹ 

I will make a waste heap ⁹²  of all her images.

Since ⁹³  she gathered the metal ⁹⁴  as a prostitute collects her wages,

the idols will become a prostitute’s wages again.” ⁹⁵ 

Mikha 2:11

2:11 If a lying windbag should come and say, ⁹⁶ 

‘I’ll promise you blessings of wine and beer,’ ⁹⁷ 

he would be just the right preacher for these people! ⁹⁸ 

Mikha 6:4

6:4 In fact, I brought you up from the land of Egypt,

I delivered you from that place of slavery.

I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead you. ⁹⁹ 

Mikha 7:16

7:16 Nations will see this and be disappointed by ¹⁰⁰  all their strength,

they will put their hands over their mouths,

and act as if they were deaf. ¹⁰¹ 

Mikha 6:12

6:12 The city’s rich men think nothing of resorting to violence; ¹⁰² 

her inhabitants lie, ¹⁰³ 

their tongues speak deceptive words. ¹⁰⁴ 

Mikha 4:9

4:9 Jerusalem, why are you ¹⁰⁵  now shouting so loudly? ¹⁰⁶ 

Has your king disappeared? ¹⁰⁷ 

Has your wise leader ¹⁰⁸  been destroyed?

Is this why ¹⁰⁹  pain grips ¹¹⁰  you as if you were a woman in labor?

Mikha 4:2

4:2 Many nations will come, saying,

“Come on! Let’s go up to the Lord’s mountain,

to the temple ¹¹¹  of Jacob’s God,

so he can teach us his commands ¹¹² 

and we can live by his laws.” ¹¹³ 

For Zion will be the source of instruction;

the Lord’s teachings will proceed from Jerusalem. ¹¹⁴ 

Mikha 6:9

6:9 Listen! The Lord is calling ¹¹⁵  to the city!

It is wise to respect your authority, O Lord! ¹¹⁶ 

Listen, O nation, and those assembled in the city! ¹¹⁷ 

Mikha 4:12

4:12 But they do not know what the Lord is planning;

they do not understand his strategy.

He has gathered them like stalks of grain to be threshed ¹¹⁸  at the threshing floor.

Mikha 1:2

The Judge is Coming

1:2 Listen, all you nations! ¹¹⁹ 

Pay attention, all inhabitants of earth! ¹²⁰ 

The sovereign Lord will testify ¹²¹  against you;

the Lord will accuse you ¹²²  from his majestic palace. ¹²³ 

Mikha 4:10

4:10 Twist and strain, ¹²⁴  Daughter Zion, as if you were in labor!

For you will leave the city

and live in the open field.

You will go to Babylon,

but there you will be rescued.

There the Lord will deliver ¹²⁵  you

from the power ¹²⁶  of your enemies.

Mikha 7:9

7:9 I must endure ¹²⁷  the Lord’s anger,

for I have sinned against him.

But then ¹²⁸  he will defend my cause, ¹²⁹ 

and accomplish justice on my behalf.

He will lead me out into the light;

I will experience firsthand ¹³⁰  his deliverance. ¹³¹ 

Mikha 2:2

2:2 They confiscate the fields they desire,

and seize the houses they want. ¹³² 

They defraud people of their homes, ¹³³ 

and deprive people of the land they have inherited. ¹³⁴ 

Mikha 4:3

4:3 He will arbitrate ¹³⁵  between many peoples

and settle disputes between many ¹³⁶  distant nations. ¹³⁷ 

They will beat their swords into plowshares, ¹³⁸ 

and their spears into pruning hooks. ¹³⁹ 

Nations will not use weapons ¹⁴⁰  against other nations,

and they will no longer train for war.

Mikha 7:14

7:14 Shepherd your people with your shepherd’s rod, ¹⁴¹ 

the flock that belongs to you, ¹⁴² 

the one that lives alone in a thicket,

in the midst of a pastureland. ¹⁴³ 

Allow them to graze in Bashan and Gilead, ¹⁴⁴ 

as they did in the old days. ¹⁴⁵ 

Mikha 6:14

6:14 You will eat, but not be satisfied.

Even if you have the strength ¹⁴⁶  to overtake some prey, ¹⁴⁷ 

you will not be able to carry it away; ¹⁴⁸ 

if you do happen to carry away something,

I will deliver it over to the sword.

Mikha 2:12

The Lord Will Restore His People

2:12 I will certainly gather all of you, O Jacob,

I will certainly assemble those Israelites who remain. ¹⁴⁹ 

I will bring them together like sheep in a fold, ¹⁵⁰ 

like a flock in the middle of a pasture; ¹⁵¹ 

they will be so numerous that they will make a lot of noise. ¹⁵² 

Mikha 1:6

1:6 “I will turn Samaria ¹⁵³  into a heap of ruins in an open field –

vineyards will be planted there! ¹⁵⁴ 

I will tumble ¹⁵⁵  the rubble of her stone walls ¹⁵⁶  down into the valley,

and tear down her fortifications to their foundations. ¹⁵⁷ 

Mikha 7:10

7:10 When my enemies see this, they will be covered with shame.

They say ¹⁵⁸  to me, “Where is the Lord your God?”

I will gloat over them. ¹⁵⁹ 

Then they will be trampled down ¹⁶⁰ 

like mud in the streets.

Mikha 4:13

4:13 “Get up and thresh, Daughter Zion!

For I will give you iron horns; ¹⁶¹ 

I will give you bronze hooves,

and you will crush many nations.” ¹⁶² 

You will devote to the Lord the spoils you take from them,

and dedicate their wealth to the sovereign Ruler ¹⁶³  of the whole earth. ¹⁶⁴ 

Mikha 3:6

3:6 Therefore night will fall, and you will receive no visions; ¹⁶⁵ 

it will grow dark, and you will no longer be able to read the omens. ¹⁶⁶ 

The sun will set on these prophets,

and the daylight will turn to darkness over their heads. ¹⁶⁷ 

Mikha 7:6

7:6 For a son thinks his father is a fool,

a daughter challenges ¹⁶⁸  her mother,

and a daughter-in-law her mother-in-law;

a man’s enemies are his own servants. ¹⁶⁹ 

Mikha 4:5

4:5 Though all the nations follow their respective gods, ¹⁷⁰ 

we will follow ¹⁷¹  the Lord our God forever.

Mikha 5:4

5:4 He will assume his post ¹⁷²  and shepherd the people ¹⁷³  by the Lord’s strength,

by the sovereign authority of the Lord his God. ¹⁷⁴ 

They will live securely, ¹⁷⁵  for at that time he will be honored ¹⁷⁶ 

even in the distant regions of ¹⁷⁷  the earth.

Mikha 1:10

1:10 Don’t spread the news in Gath! ¹⁷⁸ 

Don’t shed even a single tear! ¹⁷⁹ 

In Beth Leaphrah sit in the dust! ¹⁸⁰ 

Mikha 7:8

Jerusalem Will Be Vindicated

7:8 My enemies, ¹⁸¹  do not gloat ¹⁸²  over me!

Though I have fallen, I will get up.

Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. ¹⁸³ 

[2:5]  ¹ tn Heb “therefore you will not have one who strings out a measuring line by lot in the assembly of the Lord.”

[2:5]  sn No one will assign you land in the Lord’s community. When judgment passes and the people are restored to the land, those greedy ones who disregarded the ancient land allotments will not be allowed to participate in the future redistribution of the land.

[2:1]  ² 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]  ³ tn Heb “those who do evil upon their beds.”

[2:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “at the light of morning they do it.”

[3:12]  ⁵ tn The plural pronoun refers to the leaders, priests, and prophets mentioned in the preceding verse.

[3:12]  ⁶ tn Or “into” (an adverbial accusative of result).

[3:12]  ⁷ tn Heb “the mountain of the house” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).

[3:12]  ⁸ tn Heb “a high place of overgrowth.”

[3:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “then they will cry out to the Lord.” The words “Someday these sinners” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[6:13]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and also I, I will make you sick, striking you.”

[1:5]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and because of.” This was simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:5]  ¹² tn Heb “house.”

[1:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “What is the rebellion of Jacob?”

[1:5]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Is it not Samaria?” The negated rhetorical question expects the answer, “It certainly is!” To make this clear the question has been translated as a strong affirmative statement.

[1:5]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “What are Judah’s high places?”

[1:5]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “Is it not Jerusalem?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “It certainly is!”

[1:5]  sn In vv. 2-5 Micah narrows the scope of God’s judgment from the nations (vv. 2-4) to his covenant people (v. 5). Universal judgment is coming, but ironically Israel is the focal point of God’s anger. In v. 5c the prophet includes Judah within the scope of divine judgment, for it has followed in the pagan steps of the northern kingdom. He accomplishes this with rhetorical skill. In v. 5b he develops the first assertion of v. 5a (“All of this is because of Jacob’s rebellion”). One expects in v. 5c an elaboration of the second assertion in v. 5a (“and the sins of the nation of Israel”), which one assumes, in light of v. 5b, pertains to the northern kingdom. But the prophet specifies the “sins” as “high places” and makes it clear that “the nation of Israel” includes Judah. Verses 6-7 further develop v. 5b (judgment on the northern kingdom), while vv. 8-16 expand on v. 5c (judgment on Judah).

[1:5]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[6:7]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is often translated “soul,” but the word usually refers to the whole person; here “the sin of my soul” = “my sin.”

[7:13]  ¹⁸ tn Or “will be ruined.”

[7:13]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “on account of its inhabitants, because of the fruit of their deeds.”

[3:7]  ²⁰ tn Or “seers.”

[3:7]  ²¹ tn Or “the mustache,” or perhaps “the beard.” Cf. KJV, NAB, NRSV “cover their lips.”

[3:7]  ²² tn Heb “for there will be no answer from God.”

[1:9]  ²³ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Samaria) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:9]  ²⁴ tc The MT reads the plural “wounds”; the singular is read by the LXX, Syriac, and Vg.

[1:9]  tn Or “wound.”

[1:9]  ²⁵ tn Heb “come to.”

[1:9]  ²⁶ tn Or “reached.”

[1:9]  ²⁷ tn Heb “the gate.” Kings and civic leaders typically conducted important business at the city gate (see 1 Kgs 22:10 for an example), and the term is understood here to refer by metonymy to the leadership who would be present at the gate.

[1:9]  ²⁸ tn Heb “to Jerusalem.” The expression “it has contaminated” do not appear in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied to fill out the parallelism with the preceding line.

[1:9]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:3]  ²⁹ tn Heb “clan” or “extended family.”

[2:3]  ³⁰ tn Heb “from which you will not remove your neck.” The words “It will be like a yoke” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[2:3]  ³¹ tn Or “you will not.”

[1:14]  ³² tn The subject of the feminine singular verb is probably Lachish.

[1:14]  ³³ tn Heb “you will give a dowry to”; NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “give parting gifts to.” Lachish is compared to a father who presents wedding gifts to his daughter as she leaves her father’s home to take up residence with her husband. In similar fashion Lachish will bid farewell to Moresheth Gath, for the latter will be taken by the invader.

[1:14]  ³⁴ tn Heb “houses.” By metonymy this refers to the people who live in them.

[1:14]  ³⁵ sn The place name Achzib (אַכְזִיב, ’akhziv, “place on the dried up river”; see HALOT 45 s.v. אַכְזָב) creates a word play on the similar sounding term כָּזָב (kazav, “lie, deception”; HALOT 468 s.v. כָּזָב). Like the dried up river upon which its name was based, the city of Achzib would fail to help the kings of Israel in their time of need.

[1:14]  ³⁶ tn Or “will be a deception.” The term אַכְזָב (’akhzav) is often translated “deception,” as derived from the verb I כָּזָב (“to deceive, lie”; HALOT 467-68 s.v. I כזב). However, it probably means “what is dried up,” since (1) the noun elsewhere refers to an empty well or dried river in summer (Jer 15:18; cf. Job 6:15-20) (HALOT 45 s.v. אַכְזָב); (2) the place-name “Achzib” (אַכְזִיב) literally means “place on the אַכְזָב [dried up river]” (HALOT 45 s.v. אַכְזָב); and (3) it is derived from the verb II כָּזָב (“to dry up [brook]”; Isa 58:11), which also appears in Mishnaic Hebrew and Arabic. The point of the metaphor is that Achzib will be as disappointing to the kings of Israel as a dried up spring in the summer is to a thirsty traveler in the Jordanian desert.

[1:14]  ³⁷ sn Because of the enemy invasion, Achzib would not be able to deliver soldiers for the army and/or services normally rendered to the crown.

[1:8]  ³⁸ tn The prophet is probably the speaker here.

[1:8]  ³⁹ tn Or “stripped.” The precise meaning of this Hebrew word is unclear. It may refer to walking barefoot (see 2 Sam 15:30) or to partially stripping oneself (see Job 12:17-19).

[1:8]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “naked.” This probably does not refer to complete nudity, but to stripping off one’s outer garments as an outward sign of the destitution felt by the mourner.

[1:8]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “I will make lamentation.”

[1:8]  ⁴² tn Or “a jackal”; CEV “howling wolves.”

[1:8]  ⁴³ tn Heb “[make] a mourning.”

[1:8]  ⁴⁴ tn Or perhaps “ostrich” (cf. ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT).

[5:3]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:3]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people of Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:3]  ⁴⁷ tn The words “to their enemies” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:3]  ⁴⁸ sn The woman in labor. Personified, suffering Jerusalem is the referent. See 4:9-10.

[5:3]  ⁴⁹ sn Gives birth. The point of the figurative language is that Jerusalem finally finds relief from her suffering. See 4:10.

[5:3]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “his”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:3]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “to the sons of Israel.” The words “be reunited with” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[5:3]  sn The rest of the king’s brothers are the coming king’s fellow Judahites, while the sons of Israel are the northern tribes. The verse pictures the reunification of the nation under the Davidic king. See Isa 11:12-13; Jer 31:2-6, 15-20; Ezek 37; Hos 1:11; 3:5.

[2:10]  ⁵² tn Heb “Arise and go!” These imperatives are rhetorical. Those who wrongly drove widows and orphans from their homes and land inheritances will themselves be driven out of the land (cf. Isa 5:8-17). This is an example of poetic justice.

[2:10]  ⁵³ tn Heb “for this is no resting place.” The Lord speaks to the oppressors.

[2:10]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “uncleanness will destroy, and destruction will be severe.”

[1:16]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “over the sons of your delight.”

[1:16]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “make wide your baldness.”

[1:16]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “a vulture” (cf. NIV, TEV); CEV “a buzzard.” The Hebrew term נֶשֶׁר (nesher) refers to the griffon vulture or eagle.

[1:12]  ⁵⁸ sn The place name Maroth sounds like the Hebrew word for “bitter.”

[1:12]  ⁵⁹ tc The translation assumes an emendation of חָלָה (khalah; from חִיל, khil, “to writhe”) to יִחֲלָה (yikhalah; from יָחַל, yakhal, “to wait”).

[1:12]  tn Heb “[the residents of Maroth] writhe [= “anxiously long for”?] good.”

[1:12]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “though disaster has come down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem.”

[3:11]  ⁶¹ sn The pronoun Her refers to Jerusalem (note the previous line).

[3:11]  ⁶² tn Heb “judge for a bribe.”

[3:11]  ⁶³ tn Heb “they lean upon” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NAB “rely on.”

[3:11]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “Is not the Lord in our midst?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course he is!”

[3:11]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “come upon” (so many English versions); NCV “happen to us”; CEV “come to us.”

[1:13]  ⁶⁶ sn The place name Lachish sounds like the Hebrew word for “team [of horses].”

[1:13]  ⁶⁷ 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]  ⁶⁸ sn The epithet Daughter Zion pictures the city of Jerusalem as a young lady.

[1:13]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “She was the beginning of sin for Daughter Zion.”

[1:13]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “for in you was found the transgressions of Israel.”

[4:4]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “and there will be no one making [him] afraid.”

[4:4]  ⁷² tn Heb “for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken.”

[7:1]  ⁷³ tn Heb “woe to me!” In light of the image that follows, perhaps one could translate, “I am disappointed.”

[7:1]  ⁷⁴ tn Or “for.”

[7:1]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “I am like the gathering of the summer fruit, like the gleanings of the harvest.” Micah is not comparing himself to the harvested fruit. There is an ellipsis here, as the second half of the verse makes clear. The idea is, “I am like [one at the time] the summer fruit is gathered and the grapes are harvested.”

[7:1]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “my appetite craves.”

[6:16]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “the edicts of Omri are kept, and all the deeds of the house of Ahab.”

[6:16]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “and you walk in their plans.”

[6:16]  sn The Omride dynasty, of which Ahab was the most infamous king, had a reputation for implementing unjust and oppressive measures. See 1 Kgs 21.

[6:16]  ⁷⁹ tn The Hebrew term שַׁמָּה (shammah) can refer to “destruction; ruin,” or to the reaction it produces in those who witness the destruction.

[6:16]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “her”; the referent (the city) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:16]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “[an object] of hissing,” which was a way of taunting someone.

[6:16]  ⁸² tc The translation assumes an emendation of the MT’s עַמִּי (’ammi, “my people”) to עַמִּים (’ammim, “nations”).

[6:16]  tn Heb “and the reproach of my people you will bear.” The second person verb is plural here, in contrast to the singular forms used in vv. 13-15.

[6:2]  ⁸³ tn This verse briefly interrupts the Lord’s statement (see vv. 1, 3) as the prophet summons the mountains as witnesses. Because of this v. 2 has been placed in parentheses in the translation.

[1:3]  ⁸⁴ tn Or “For look.” The expression כִּי־הִנֵּה (ki-hinneh) may function as an explanatory introduction (“For look!”; Isa 26:21; 60:2; 65:17, 18: 66:15; Jer 1:15; 25:29; 30:10; 45:5; 46:27; 50:9; Ezek 30:9; 36:9; Zech 2:10; 3:8), or as an emphatic introduction (“Look!”; Jdgs 3:15; Isa 3:1; Jer 8:17; 30:3; 49:15; Hos 9:6; Joel 3:1 [HT 4:1]; Amos 4:2, 13; 6:11, 14; 9:9; Hab 1:6; Zech 2:9 [HT 2:13]; Zech 3:9; 11:16).

[1:3]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “high places” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[7:18]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “Who is a God like you?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one!”

[7:18]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “one who.” The prayer moves from direct address (second person) in v. 18a to a descriptive (third person) style in vv. 18b-19a and then back to direct address (second person) in vv. 19b-20. Due to considerations of English style and the unfamiliarity of the modern reader with alternation of persons in Hebrew poetry, the entire section has been rendered as direct address (second person) in the translation.

[7:18]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “pass over.”

[7:18]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “of the remnant of his inheritance.”

[7:18]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “he does not keep hold of his anger forever.”

[1:7]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “and all her prostitute’s wages will be burned with fire.”

[1:7]  sn The precious metal used by Samaria’s pagan worship centers to make idols are here compared to a prostitute’s wages because Samaria had been unfaithful to the Lord and prostituted herself to pagan gods, such as Baal.

[1:7]  ⁹² tn Heb “I will make desolate” (so NASB).

[1:7]  ⁹³ tn Or “for” (KJV, NASB, NRSV).

[1:7]  ⁹⁴ tn No object is specified in the Hebrew text; the words “the metal” are supplied from the context.

[1:7]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “for from a prostitute’s wages she gathered, and to a prostitute’s wages they will return.” When the metal was first collected it was comparable to the coins a prostitute would receive for her services. The metal was then formed into idols, but now the Lord’s fiery judgment would reduce the metal images to their original condition.

[2:11]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “if a man, coming [as] wind and falsehood, should lie”; NASB “walking after wind and falsehood”; NIV “a liar and a deceiver.”

[2:11]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “I will foam at the mouth concerning wine and beer.”

[2:11]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “he would be the foamer at the mouth for this people.”

[6:4]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “before you.”

[7:16]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Or “be ashamed of.”

[7:16]  ¹⁰¹ 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.

[6:12]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “because her rich are full of violence.”

[6:12]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “speak lies.”

[6:12]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “and their tongue is deceptive in their mouth.”

[4:9]  ¹⁰⁵ 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]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “Now why are you shouting [with] a shout.”

[4:9]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “Is there no king over you?”

[4:9]  ¹⁰⁸ 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]  ¹⁰⁹ 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]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “grabs hold of, seizes.”

[4:2]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “house.”

[4:2]  ¹¹² tn Heb “ways.”

[4:2]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and we can walk in his paths.”

[4:2]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “instruction [or, “law”] will go out from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

[4:2]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[6:9]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or “the voice of the Lord is calling.” The translation understands קוֹל (qol, “voice”) as equivalent to an imperative.

[6:9]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “one who sees your name is wisdom.” It is probably better to emend יִרְאֶה (yir’eh, “he sees”) to יִרְאָה (yir’ah, “fearing”). One may then translate, “fearing your name is wisdom.” The Lord’s “name” here stands by metonymy for his authority.

[6:9]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb (apparently) “Listen [to] the staff and the one who appointed it.” Verse 10 then begins with עוֹד (yod, “still” or “again”). The translation assumes an emendation to שִׁמְעוּ מַטֶּה וּמוֹעֵד הָעִיר (shim’u matteh umo’ed ha’ir, “listen, O tribe and the assembly of the city”).

[4:12]  ¹¹⁸ tn The words “to be threshed” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation to make it clear that the Lord is planning to enable “Daughter Zion” to “thresh” her enemies.

[1:2]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “O peoples, all of them.”

[1:2]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “O earth and all its fullness”; KJV “and all that therein is.”

[1:2]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “May the sovereign Lord testify against you.” The verb וִיהִי (vihiy) is jussive, which normally conveys a volitional sense of an urgent request or prayer (“may he testify!”). However, GKC 325-26 §109.k notes that here the jussive form is used without any volitional sense for the ordinary imperfect, as a rhythmic shortening at the beginning of a sentence, thus removed as far as possible from the principal accent (cf. Gen 49:17; Deut 28:8; 1 Sam 10:5; 2 Sam 5:24; Hos 6:1; 11:4; Amos 5:14; Zeph 2:13; Zech 9:5; Pss 72:16-17; 104:31; Job 18:12; 20:23, 26, 28; 27:8; 33:21; 34:37; Ruth 3:4). Thus, the translation here renders the jussive as an ordinary imperfect. Some translations render it in a traditional jussive sense: (1) urgent request: “And let my Lord God be your accuser” (NJPS); or (2) dependent purpose/result: “that the Sovereign Lord may witness against you” (NIV).

[1:2]  ¹²² tn Heb “the Lord from his majestic palace.” Since the verb is omitted it is unclear whether the implied term be supplied from the preceding line (“he will testify against you”) or the following line (“he is leaving”). So the line may be rendered “the Lord will accuse you from his majestic temple” or “the Lord will come forth from his majestic temple.” Most translations render it literally, but some remove the ambiguity: “the Lord God accuses you from his holy temple” (CEV); “He speaks from his holy temple” (TEV).

[1:2]  ¹²³ tn Or “his holy temple” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). This refers to the Lord’s dwelling in heaven, however, rather than the temple in Jerusalem (note the following verse, which describes a theophany).

[4:10]  ¹²⁴ tn Or perhaps “scream”; NRSV, TEV, NLT “groan.”

[4:10]  ¹²⁵ tn Or “redeem” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[4:10]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “hand.” The Hebrew idiom is a metonymy for power or control.

[7:9]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “lift, bear.”

[7:9]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “until.”

[7:9]  ¹²⁹ tn Or “plead my case” (NASB and NIV both similar); NRSV “until he takes my side.”

[7:9]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “see.”

[7:9]  ¹³¹ tn Or “justice, vindication.”

[2:2]  ¹³² tn Heb “they desire fields and rob [them], and houses and take [them] away.”

[2:2]  ¹³³ tn Heb “and they oppress a man and his home.”

[2:2]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “and a man and his inheritance.” The verb עָשַׁק (’ashaq, “to oppress”; “to wrong”) does double duty in the parallel structure and is understood by ellipsis in the second line.

[4:3]  ¹³⁵ tn Or “judge.”

[4:3]  ¹³⁶ tn Or “mighty” (NASB); KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV “strong”; TEV “among the great powers.”

[4:3]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “[for many nations] to a distance.”

[4:3]  ¹³⁸ sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.

[4:3]  ¹³⁹ sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle.

[4:3]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “take up the sword.”

[7:14]  ¹⁴¹ tn Or “with your scepter” (the Hebrew term can mean either “rod” or “scepter”).

[7:14]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “the flock of your inheritance.”

[7:14]  ¹⁴³ tn Or “in the midst of Carmel.” The Hebrew term translated “pastureland” may be a place name.

[7:14]  sn The point seems to be that Israel is in a vulnerable position, like sheep in a thicket populated by predators, while rich pastureland (their homeland and God’s blessings) is in view.

[7:14]  ¹⁴⁴ sn The regions of Bashan and Gilead, located in Transjordan, were noted for their rich grazing lands.

[7:14]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “as in the days of antiquity.”

[6:14]  ¹⁴⁶ tc The first Hebrew term in the line (וְיֶשְׁחֲךָ, vÿyeshkhakha) is obscure. HALOT 446 s.v. יֶשַׁח understands a noun meaning “filth,” which would yield the translation, “and your filth is inside you.” The translation assumes an emendation to כֹּחַ-וְיֶשׁ (vÿyesh-koakh, “and [if] there is strength inside you”).

[6:14]  ¹⁴⁷ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term וְתַסֵּג (vÿtasseg) is unclear. The translation assumes it is a Hiphal imperfect from נָסַג/נָשַׂג (nasag/nasag, “reach; overtake”) and that hunting imagery is employed. (Note the reference to hunger in the first line of the verse.) See D. R. Hillers, Micah (Hermeneia), 80.

[6:14]  ¹⁴⁸ tn The Hiphal of פָּלַט (palat) is used in Isa 5:29 of an animal carrying its prey to a secure place.

[2:12]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “the remnant of Israel.”

[2:12]  ¹⁵⁰ tc The MT reads בָּצְרָה (batsrah, “Bozrah”) but the form should be emended to בַּצִּרָה (batsirah, “into the fold”). See D. R. Hillers, Micah (Hermeneia), 38.

[2:12]  ¹⁵¹ tc The MT reads “its pasture,” but the final vav (ו) belongs with the following verb. See GKC 413 §127.i.

[2:12]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “and they will be noisy [or perhaps, “excited”] from men.” The subject of the third feminine plural verb תְּהִימֶנָה (tÿhimenah, “they will be noisy”) is probably the feminine singular צֹאן (tso’n, “flock”). (For another example of this collective singular noun with a feminine plural verb, see Gen 30:38.) In the construction מֵאָדָם (me’adam, “from men”) the preposition is probably causal. L. C. Allen translates “bleating in fear of men” (Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah [NICOT], 300), but it is possible to take the causal sense as “because of the large quantity of men.” In this case the sheep metaphor and the underlying reality are mixed.

[1:6]  ¹⁵³ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

[1:6]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “into a planting place for vineyards.”

[1:6]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “pour” (so NASB, NIV); KJV, NRSV “pour down”; NAB “throw down”; NLT “roll.”

[1:6]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “her stones.” The term stones is a metonymy for the city walls whose foundations were constructed of stone masonry.

[1:6]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “I will uncover her foundations.” The term “foundations” refers to the lower courses of the stones of the city’s outer fortification walls.

[7:10]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “who say.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:10]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “My eyes will look on them.”

[7:10]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “a trampled-down place.”

[4:13]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “I will make your horn iron.”

[4:13]  ¹⁶² sn Jerusalem (Daughter Zion at the beginning of the verse; cf. 4:8) is here compared to a powerful ox which crushes the grain on the threshing floor with its hooves.

[4:13]  ¹⁶³ tn Or “the Lord” (so many English versions); Heb “the master.”

[4:13]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “and their wealth to the master of all the earth.” The verb “devote” does double duty in the parallelism and is supplied in the second line for clarification.

[4:13]  sn In vv. 11-13 the prophet jumps from the present crisis (which will result in exile, v. 10) to a time beyond the restoration of the exiles when God will protect his city from invaders. The Lord’s victory over the Assyrian armies in 701 b.c. foreshadowed this.

[3:6]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “it will be night for you without a vision.”

[3:6]  sn The coming of night (and darkness in the following line) symbolizes the cessation of revelation.

[3:6]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “it will be dark for you without divination.”

[3:6]  sn The reading of omens (Heb “divination”) was forbidden in the law (Deut 18:10), so this probably reflects the prophets’ view of how they received divine revelation.

[3:6]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “and the day will be dark over them.”

[7:6]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “rises up against.”

[7:6]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “the enemies of a man are the men of his house.”

[4:5]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “walk each in the name of his god.” The term “name” here has the idea of “authority.” To “walk in the name” of a god is to recognize the god’s authority as binding over one’s life.

[4:5]  ¹⁷¹ tn Heb “walk in the name of.”

[5:4]  ¹⁷² tn Heb “stand up”; NAB “stand firm”; NASB “will arise.”

[5:4]  ¹⁷³ tn The words “the people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:4]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “by the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.”

[5:4]  ¹⁷⁵ tn The words “in peace” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Perhaps וְיָשָׁבוּ (vÿyashavu, “and they will live”) should be emended to וְשָׁבוּ (vÿshavu, “and they will return”).

[5:4]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “be great.”

[5:4]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Or “to the ends of.”

[1:10]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “Tell it not in Gath.” The Hebrew word for “tell” (נָגַד, nagad) sounds like the name of the city, Gath (גַּת, gat).

[1:10]  ¹⁷⁹ tn The Hebrew infinitive absolute before the negated jussive emphasizes the prohibition.

[1:10]  ¹⁸⁰ tc The translation assumes a masculine plural imperative. If one were to emend בְּבֵית (bÿvet) to בֵית (vet), Beth Leaphrah would then be the addressee and the feminine singular imperative (see Qere) could be retained, “O Beth Leaphrah, sit in the dust.”

[1:10]  tn Heb “roll about in mourning in the dust”; or “wallow about in mourning in the dust.” The verb פָּלַשׁ (palash, “roll about in mourning [in dust]”; HALOT 935 s.v. פלשׁ) is figurative (metonymy) for sitting as an outward sign of mourning.

[1:10]  sn To sit in the dust was an outward sign of mourning. The name Beth Leaphrah means “house of dust.”

[7:8]  ¹⁸¹ tn The singular form is understood as collective.

[7:8]  ¹⁸² tn Or “rejoice” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NCV “don’t laugh at me.”

[7:8]  ¹⁸³ sn Darkness represents judgment; light (also in v. 9) symbolizes deliverance. The Lord is the source of the latter.