Micah 3
1 I said, “Now listen, you leaders of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not right for you to understand justice?
And I said: Listen, leaders of Jacob and chiefs of the house of Israel. Does it not belong to you to know judgment,
2 You who hate good and love evil, you who tear off their skin, their flesh from their bones—
you who hold hatred for good, and love evil, who violently steal their skins from over them and their flesh from over their bones?
3 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.
They have devoured the flesh of my people, and have stripped their skin from over them, and they have shattered and chopped their bones, as if for the kettle, and like flesh in the middle of the pot.
4 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.”
Then they will cry out to the Lord, and he will not heed them. And he will hide his face from them in that time, just as they have acted wickedly with their inventions.
5 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.
Thus says the Lord about the prophets who seduce my people: They bite with their teeth and preach peace, and if anyone does not give something to their mouth, they sanctify a battle against him.
6 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.
Because of this, night will be yours for vision, and darkness yours for divination, and the sun will meet with death over the prophets, and the day will be darkened over them.
7 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.”
And those who see visions will be confounded, and the diviners will be confounded. And they will all cover their faces, because there is no response from God.
8 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.
Nevertheless, truly I have been filled with the strength of the Spirit of the Lord, with judgment and virtue, in order to announce to Jacob his wickedness and to Israel his sin.
9 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.
Hear this, leaders of the house of Jacob and judges of the house of Israel, you who abominate judgment and who pervert all that is right.
10 You build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity.
You build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.
11 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.”
Her leaders have judged for tributes, and her priests have taught for payment, and her prophets divined for money. And they leaned upon the Lord, saying: “Is not the Lord in our midst? No disaster will overcome us.”
12 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.
For this reason, because of you, Zion will be plowed under like a field, and Jerusalem will become like a pile of stones, and the mountain of the temple like the high places of the forests.
