Micah 3
1 I also said: Hear, O ye heads of Jacob, And ye leaders of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to administer justice?
I said, “Now listen, you leaders of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not right for you to understand justice?
2 But ye hate what is good, and love what is evil; Ye tear from men their skin, Yea, their flesh from their bones;
You who hate good and love evil, you who tear off their skin, their flesh from their bones—
3 Ye devour the flesh of my people, And strip them of their skin, And break their bones, And cut them in pieces, as for the pot, And as flesh for the caldron?
you who also eat the flesh of my people, and tear their skin off, break their bones, and chop them in pieces, just like meat for a pot, just like meat in a cauldron.
4 Then shall they cry to Jehovah, But he will not hear them; Yea, at that time will he hide his face from them, Because they have done iniquity.
Then you rulers will cry out to Yahweh, but he will not answer you. He will hide his face from you at that time, because you have done evil deeds.”
5 Thus saith Jehovah concerning the prophets, who deceive my people, Who, while they bite with their teeth, proclaim peace, But who, if one fill not their mouths, prepare war against him:
Yahweh says this, “As for the prophets who lead my people astray, if one gives them something to eat, they proclaim, 'Peace.' But if he puts nothing in their mouths, they dedicate themselves to wage war on him.
6 Therefore shall night come upon you, so that ye shall have no vision, And darkness, so that ye shall not divine; The sun shall go down upon the prophets, And the day shall be dark to them.
Therefore, it will be night for you with no vision for you; it will be dark so that you will do no divination. The sun will go down on the prophets, and the day will be dark on them.
7 Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded, So that all of them shall hide their faces, Because there is no answer from God.
The seers will be put to shame, and the diviners will be confused. All of them will cover their lips, for there is no answer from me.”
8 But I am full of power, even of the spirit of Jehovah; Full of uprightness and courage, To declare to Jacob his transgression, And to Israel his sin.
But as for me, I am full of power by the Spirit of Yahweh, and am full of justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
9 O hear this, ye heads of the house of Jacob, And ye leaders of the house of Israel, Who abhor justice, And pervert all equity,
Now listen to this, you leaders of the house of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel, you who detest justice, and pervert everything right.
10 Who build up Zion with blood, And Jerusalem with iniquity!
You build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity.
11 Her heads judge for reward, And her priests teach for hire, And her prophets divine for money, And yet they lean upon Jehovah, saying, “Is not Jehovah in the midst of us? No evil can come upon us.”
Your leaders judge for a bribe, your priests teach for a price, and your prophets do divination for money. Yet you rely on Yahweh and say, “Is not Yahweh with us? No evil will come on us.”
12 Therefore because of you shall Zion be ploughed as a field, And Jerusalem become heaps of stones, And the mountain of the temple like the heights of a forest.
Therefore, because of you, Zion will become a plowed field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, and the hill of the temple will become a thicket.
