1  THE WORD of YHWH that came to Micah the Morashtite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

1  AND the word of the Lord came to Michaeas the son of Morasthi, in the days of Joatham, and Achaz, and Ezekias, kings of Juda, concerning what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem.

2  Hear, ye peoples, all of you; Hearken, O earth, and all that therein is; and let YHWH GOD be witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple.

2  Hear these words, ye people; and let the earth give heed, and all that are in it: and the Lord God shall be among you for a testimony, the Lord out of his holy habitation.

2  All peoples, listen. And may the earth and its fullness pay attention. And may the Lord God be a witness to you, the Lord from his holy temple.

3  For, behold, YHWH cometh forth out of His place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.

3  For behold, the Lord will go forth from his place. And he will descend, and he will trample over the high places of the earth.

4  And the mountains shall be molten under Him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, as waters that are poured down a steep place.

5  For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria? And what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem?

5  All this is for the wickedness of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the wickedness of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the loftiness of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?

6  Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the field, a place for the planting of vineyards; and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will uncover the foundations thereof.

6  And I will place Samaria like a pile of stones in the field, when a vineyard is planted. And I will pull down its stones into the valley, and I will reveal her foundations.

7  And all her graven images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her hires shall be burned with fire, and all her idols will I lay desolate; for of the hire of a harlot hath she gathered them, and unto the hire of a harlot shall they return.

7  And they shall cut in pieces all the graven images, and all that she has hired they shall burn with fire, and I will utterly destroy all her idols: because she has gathered of the hires of fornication, and of the hires of fornication has she amassed wealth.

7  And all her graven images will be cut to pieces, and all her rewards will be burned with fire, and I will place all her idols in perdition. For they have been gathered together from the pay of a kept woman, and even to the pay of a kept woman, they will return.

8  For this will I wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked; I will make a wailing like the jackals, and a mourning like the ostriches.

8  Therefore shall she lament and wail, she shall go barefooted, and being naked she shall make lamentation as that of serpents, and mourning as of the daughters of sirens.

8  Therefore I will mourn and howl, and walk bare footed and naked; I will make a wailing like the jackal and mourning like the owl.

9  For her wound is incurable; for it is come even unto Judah; it reacheth unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.

9  For her plague has become grievous; for it has come even to Juda; and has reached to the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.

10  Tell it not in Gath, weep not at all; at Beth-le-aphrah roll thyself in the dust.

10  Ye that are in Geth, exalt not yourselves, and ye Enakim, do not rebuild from the ruins of the house in derision: sprinkle dust in the place of your laughter.

11  Pass ye away, O inhabitant of Saphir, in nakedness and shame; the inhabitant of Zaanan is not come forth; the wailing of Beth- ezel shall take from you the standing-place thereof.

11  And cross over to your dwelling place, Beauty, bewildered by disgrace. She did not depart, who dwells at the place of departure. The House nearby, which remained firm by herself, will receive mourning from you.

12  For the inhabitant of Maroth waiteth anxiously for good; because evil is come down from YHWH unto the gate of Jerusalem.

12  Who has begun to act for good to her that dwells in sorrow? for calamities have come down from the Lord upon the gates of Jerusalem,

12  For she has been weakened in goodness, who dwells in bitterness. For disaster has descended from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem.

13  Bind the chariots to the swift steeds, O inhabitant of Lachish; she was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; for the transgressions of Israel are found in thee.

13  A tumult of four-horse chariots has stupefied the inhabitants of Lachish. The beginning has been sin for the daughter of Zion, because in you have been found the evil deeds of Israel.

14  Therefore shalt thou give a parting gift to Moresheth-gath; the houses of Achzib shall be a deceitful thing unto the kings of Israel.

14  Therefore shall he cause men to be sent forth as far as the inheritance of Geth, even vain houses; they are become vanity to the kings of Israel;

14  Because of this, she will send emissaries to the inheritance of Gath: the house of Lying in order to deceive the kings of Israel.

15  I will yet bring unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah, him that shall possess thee; the glory of Israel shall come even unto Adullam.

15  Nevertheless, I will lead an heir to you, who dwell in Mareshah: the glory of Israel will reach all the way to Adullam.

15  Yet will I bring an heir against you, O inhabitant of Mareshah; he shall exalt the glory of Israel for ever.

16  Make thee bald, and poll thee for the children of thy delight; enlarge thy baldness as the vulture; for they are gone into captivity from thee.

16  Become bald and shaved for your delicate sons. Increase your baldness like the eagle. For they have been carried into captivity from you.

16  Make yourself bald, pull out your hair, for your delicate children; enlarge your baldness as the eagle; for they are carried into captivity from you.

2:1  Woe to them that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds! When the morning is light, they execute it, because it is in the power of their hand.

1  They meditated troubles, and wrought wickedness on their beds, and they put it in execution with the daylight; for they have not lifted up their hands to God.

1  Woe to you who devise useless things and who work evil in your beds. In the morning light, they undertake it, because their hand is against God.

2:2  And they covet fields, and seize them; and houses, and take them away; thus they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

2  And they desired fields, and plundered orphans, and oppressed families, and spoiled a man and his house, even a man and his inheritance.

2  They covet fields and houses, and seize them by force; they oppress a man, taking away from him his possessions and his inheritance.

2:3  Therefore thus saith YHWH: Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks, neither shall ye walk upright; for it shall be an evil time.

3  For this reason, thus says the Lord: Behold, I devise an evil against this family, from which you will not steal away your necks. And you will not walk in arrogance, because this is a most wicked time.

2:4  In that day shall they take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say: 'We are utterly ruined; he changeth the portion of my people; how doth he remove it from me! Instead of restoring our fields, he divideth them.'

4  In that day shall a parable be taken up against you, and a plaintive lamentation shall be uttered, saying, We are thoroughly miserable: the portion of my people has been measured out with a line, and there was none to hinder him so as to turn him back; your fields have been divided.

4  In that day, a parable will be taken up about you, and a song will be sung with sweetness, saying: “We have been devastated by depopulation.” The fate of my people has been altered. How can he withdraw from me, when he might be turned back, he who might tear apart our country?

2:5  Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast the line by lot in the congregation of YHWH.

5  Because of this, there will be for you no casting of the cord of fate in the assembly of the Lord.

5  Therefore you shall have none that shall measure by the measuring line and divide by casting the lots in the congregation of the LORD.

2:6  'Preach ye not', they preach; 'They shall not preach of these things, that they shall not take shame.'

6  Weep not with tears in the assembly of the Lord, neither let any weep for these things; for he shall not remove the reproaches,

6  Shed not tears, and weep not over these things,

2:7  Do I change, O house of Jacob? Is the spirit of YHWH straitened? Are these His doings? Do not My words do good to him that walketh uprightly?

7  That the shame which is spoken against the house of Jacob may not overtake you; for the spirit of the LORD is angry at these devices; behold, my words are good to him who walked uprightly.

2:8  But of late My people is risen up as an enemy; with the garment ye strip also the mantle from them that pass by securely, so that they are as men returning from war.

8  Even beforetime my people withstood him as an enemy against his peace; they have stripped off his skin to remove hope in the conflict of war.

2:9  The women of My people ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their young children ye take away My glory for ever.

9  The leaders of my people shall be cast forth from their luxurious houses; they are rejected because of their evil practices; draw ye near to the everlasting mountains.

9  You have evicted the women among my people from their delicate houses. You have taken my praise forever from their little ones.

2:10  Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your resting-place; because of the uncleanness thereof, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.

10  Arise thou, and depart; for this is not thy rest because of uncleanness: ye have been utterly destroyed;

2:11  If a man walking in wind and falsehood do lie: 'I will preach unto thee of wine and of strong drink'; he shall even be the preacher of this people.

11  ye have fled, no one pursuing you: thy spirit has framed falsehood, it has dropped on thee for wine and strong drink. But it shall come to pass, that out of the dropping of this people,

11  I wish that I were not a man who has breath, and that I rather spoke a lie. I will drop it down to you in wine and in drunkenness. And it will be this people on whom it will rain down.

2:12  I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will render them all as sheep in a fold; as a flock in the midst of their pasture; they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.

12  I will gather together in a congregation all of you, Jacob. I will lead together as one, the remnant of Israel. I will set them together like a flock in the fold, like a sheep in the midst of the sheep pen. They will cause a tumult before the multitude of men.

2:13  The breaker is gone up before them; they have broken forth and passed on, by the gate, and are gone out thereat; and their king is passed on before them, and YHWH at the head of them.

13  they have broken through, and passed the gate, and gone out by it: and their king has gone out before them, and the Lord shall lead them.

13  For he will ascend, opening the way before them. They will separate, and they will cross the gate and enter through it. And their king will pass by, before their very eyes, and the Lord will be at their head.

3:1  And I said: Hear, I pray you, ye heads of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel: is it not for you to know justice?

1  And he shall say, Hear now these words, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and ye remnant of the house of Israel; is it not for you to know judgement?

3:2  Who hate the good, and love the evil; who rob their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;

2  you who hold hatred for good, and love evil, who violently steal their skins from over them and their flesh from over their bones?

3:3  Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them, and break their bones; yea, they chop them in pieces, as that which is in the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.

3  even as they devoured the flesh of my people, and stripped their skins off them, and broke their bones, and divided them as flesh for the caldron, and as meat for the pot,

3:4  Then shall they cry unto YHWH, but He will not answer them; yea, He will hide His face from them at that time, according as they have wrought evil in their doings.

4  thus they shall cry to the Lord, but he shall not hearken to them; and he shall turn away his face from them at that time, because they have done wickedly in their practices against themselves.

4  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.

3:5  Thus saith YHWH concerning the prophets that make my people to err; that cry: 'Peace', when their teeth have any thing to bite; and whoso putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him

5  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.

3:6  Therefore it shall be night unto you, that ye shall have no vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be black over them.

6  therefore there shall be night to you instead of a vision, and there shall be to you darkness instead of prophecy; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be dark upon them.

6  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.

3:7  And the seers shall be put to shame, and the diviners confounded; yea, they shall all cover their upper lips; for there shall be no answer of God.

7  And the seers of night-visions shall be ashamed, and the prophets shall be laughed to scorn: and all the people shall speak against them, because there shall be none to hearken to them.

7  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.

3:8  But I truly am full of power by the spirit of YHWH, and of justice, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.

8  Surely I will strengthen myself with the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgement, and of power, to declare to Jacob his transgressions, and to Israel his sins.

8  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.

3:9  Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel, that abhor justice, and pervert all equity;

9  Hear now these words, ye chiefs of the house of Jacob, and the remnant of the house of Israel, who hate judgement, and pervert all righteousness;

9  Now hear this, O you chiefs of the house of Jacob and princes of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and pervert all equity;

3:10  That build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.

10  Who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity;

3:11  The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money; yet will they lean upon YHWH, and say: 'Is not the YHWH in the midst of us? No evil shall come upon us'?

11  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.”

11  The chiefs thereof judge for a bribe, and its priests teach for hire, and its prophets divine for money; yet they rely upon the LORD, saying, The LORD is among us, no evil can come upon us;

3:12  Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.

12  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.

4:1  But in the end of days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of YHWH'S house shall be established as the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow unto it.

1  And this shall be: In the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be prepared at the top of the mountains and high above the hills. And the people will flow to it.

4:2  And many nations shall go and say: 'Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of YHWH, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths'; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the YHWH from Jerusalem.

4:3  And He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide concerning mighty nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

3  And he will judge among the many peoples, and he will correct strong nations, even from afar. And they will cut up their swords into plows, and their spears into hoes. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, and they will no longer learn to wage war.

4:4  But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree; and none shall make them afraid; for the mouth of YHWH of hosts hath spoken.

4  And every one shall rest under his vine, and every one under his fig-tree; and there shall be none to alarm them: for the mouth of the Lord Almighty has spoken these words.

4  And a man will sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will be no one to fear, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.

4:5  For let all the peoples walk each one in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of YHWH our God for ever and ever.

5  For all other nations shall walk everyone in his own way, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.

4:6  In that day, saith YHWH, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven away, and her that I have afflicted;

6  In that day, saith the Lord, I will gather her that is bruised, and will receive her that is cast out, and those whom I rejected.

6  In that day, says the LORD, I will gather those who are afar off, and I will bring near those who have been driven out and those whom I have afflicted.

4:7  And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a mighty nation; and YHWH shall reign over them in mount Zion from thenceforth even for ever.

7  And I will place the lame within the remnant, and she who had been in distress, within a healthy people. And the Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion, from the present time and even unto eternity.

4:8  And thou, Migdal-eder, the hill of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come; yea, the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.

8  And you, O gloomy ruler of the daughter of Zion, your time has come, and the former ruler of the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem is coming.

4:9  Now why dost thou cry out aloud? Is there no King in thee, is thy Counsellor perished, that pangs have taken hold of thee as of a woman in travail?

4:10  Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail; for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and shalt dwell in the field, and shalt come even unto Babylon; there shalt thou be rescued; there shall YHWH redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

10  Be in pain, and strengthen thyself, and draw near, O daughter of Sion, as a woman in travail: for now thou shalt go forth out of the city, and shalt lodge in the plain, and shalt reach even to Babylon: thence shall the Lord thy God deliver thee, and thence shall he redeem thee out of the hand of thine enemies.

10  Be grieved and overwhelmed, daughter of Zion, like a woman giving birth. For now you must depart from the city and dwell in the countryside, and you will approach even to Babylon. There you will be delivered. There the Lord will redeem you from the hand of your adversaries.

4:11  And now many nations are assembled against thee, that say: 'Let her be defiled, and let our eye gaze upon Zion.'

11  Now many nations shall gather against you, who say, Let Zion be defiled, and let our eyes look upon it.

4:12  But they know not the thoughts of YHWH, neither understand they His counsel; for He hath gathered them as the sheaves to the threshing-floor.

12  But they have not known the thoughts of the Lord, and they have not understood his counsel. For he has gathered them together like hay on a threshing floor.

4:13  Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion; for I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass; and thou shalt beat in pieces many peoples; and thou shalt devote their gain unto YHWH, and their substance unto YHWH of the whole earth.

13  Arise, and thresh them, O daughter of Sion: for I will make thine horns iron, and I will make thine hoofs brass: and thou shalt utterly destroy many nations, and shalt consecrate their abundance to the Lord, and their strength to the Lord of all the earth.

13  Rise and thresh, daughter of Zion. For I will set your horn like iron, and I will set your hoofs like brass. And you will shatter many peoples, and you will immolate their spoils for the Lord, and their strength for the Lord of the whole earth.

5:2  But thou, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from ancient days.

2  And thou, Bethleem, house of Ephratha, art few in number to be reckoned among the thousands of Juda; yet out of thee shall one come forth to me, to be a ruler of Israel; and his goings forth were from the beginning, even from eternity.

2  And you, Bethlehem Ephrata, are a little one among the thousands of Judah. From you will go forth he who shall be the ruler in Israel, and his landing place has been set from the beginning, from the days of eternity.

5:3  Therefore will He give them up, until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth; then the residue of his brethren shall return with the children of Israel.

3  Therefore shall he appoint them to wait till the time of her that travails: she shall bring forth, and then the remnant of their brethren shall return to the children of Israel.

3  Because of this, he will provide for them, even until the time in which she who bears him gives birth. And the remnant of his brothers will be converted to the sons of Israel.

5:4  And he shall stand, and shall feed his flock in the strength of YHWH, in the majesty of the name of the YHWH his God; and they shall abide, for then shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

4  And he will stand firm and feed on the strength of the Lord, according to the sublime name of the Lord his God. And they will be converted, for now he will be magnified, even to the ends of the earth.

5:5  And this shall be peace: when the Assyrian shall come into our land, and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight princes among men.

5  And she shall have peace when Assur shall come into your land, and when he shall come up upon your country; and there shall be raised up against him seven shepherds, and eight attacks of men.

5  And this man will be our peace, when the Assyrian will come into our land, and when he will trample on our houses; and we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight principal men.

5:6  And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the keen-edged sword; and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our border.

6  And they shall tend the Assyrian with a sword, and the land of Nebrod with her trench: and he shall deliver you from the Assyrian, when he shall come upon your land, and when he shall invade your coasts.

5:7  And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, as dew from YHWH, as showers upon the grass, that are not looked for from man, nor awaited at the hands of the sons of men.

7  And there will be a remnant of Jacob in the midst of many peoples, like a dew from the Lord and like drops upon the grass, which awaits no man and does not stand before the sons of men.

5:8  And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through, treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and there is none to deliver.

5:9  Let Thy hand be lifted up above Thine adversaries, and let all Thine enemies be cut off.

9  Thine hand shall be lifted up against them that afflict thee, and all thine enemies shall be utterly destroyed.

9  Your hand will be exalted over your enemies, and all your adversaries will pass away.

5:10  And it shall come to pass in that day, saith YHWH, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and will destroy thy chariots;

10  And it will be in that day, says the Lord: I will take away your horses from your midst, and I will utterly ruin your four-horse chariots.

5:11  And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and will throw down all thy strongholds;

11  And I will destroy the cities of your land, and I will pull down all your fortifications, and I will take away evil-doing from your hand, and there will be no divinations among you.

11  And I will lay waste the towns of your land, and demolish all your strongholds.

5:12  And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers;

12  and I will utterly destroy thy sorceries out of thine hands; and there shall be no soothsayers in thee.

12  And I will destroy the magicians from within your reach; and you shall have no more soothsayers;

5:13  And I will cut off thy graven images and thy pillars out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thy hands.

13  And I will utterly destroy thy graven images, and thy statues out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt never any more worship the works of thine hands.

13  And I will cause your graven images to perish, and your statues, from your midst. And you will no longer adore the works of your hands.

5:14  And I will pluck up thy Asherim out of the midst of thee; and I will destroy thine enemies.

14  And I will root out your sacred groves from your midst, and I will crush your cities.

5:15  And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the nations, because they hearkened not.

15  And I will exact vengeance, in fury and in indignation, among all the nations which have not listened.

6:1  Hear ye now what YHWH saith: Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

1  Hear now a word: the Lord God has said; Arise, plead with the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

1  Listen to what the Lord says: Rise, contend in judgment against the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.

6:2  Hear, O ye mountains, YHWH'S controversy, and ye enduring rocks, the foundations of the earth; for the YHWH hath a controversy with His people, and He will plead with Israel.

2  Let the mountains listen to the judgment of the Lord, and the strong foundations of the earth. For the judgment of the Lord is with his people, and he will enter into judgment with Israel.

2  Hear, O you mountains, the judgment of the LORD, listen, O you deep foundations of the earth; for the LORD will contend with his people, and he will judge Israel;

6:3  O My people, what have I done unto thee? And wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against Me.

3  My people, what have I done to you, or how have I assailed you? Respond to me.

6:4  For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of bondage, and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

4  For I led you out of the land of Egypt, and I freed you from the house of servitude, and I sent before your face Moses, and Aaron, and Miriam.

4  Have not I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and delivered you from the house of bondage? And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam?

6:5  O My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him; from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteous acts of YHWH.

5  My people, remember, I ask you, what Balak the king of Moab planned, and how Balaam the son of Beor responded to him, from Shittim even to Gilgal, so that you may know the justice of the Lord.

6:6  'Wherewith shall I come before YHWH, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old?

6  What worthy thing might I offer to the Lord, as I bend the knee before God on high? How could I offer holocausts to him, and one year-old calves?

6:7  Will YHWH be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?'

7  Would the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with many thousands of fat he-goats? How could I give up my firstborn because of my evil deed, the fruit of my womb because of the sin of my soul?

7  The LORD will not be pleased with thousands of rams, nor with ten thousands of heifers; if I should offer my first-born, it is an iniquity to myself, and the fruit of my body, it is a sin against my soul.

6:8  It hath been told thee, O man, what is good, and what YHWH doth require of thee: only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.

8  Has it not been told thee, O man, what is good? or what does the Lord require of thee, but to do justice, and love mercy, and be ready to walk with the Lord thy God?

8  I will reveal to you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires from you, and how to act with judgment, and to love mercy, and to walk carefully with your God.

6:9  Hark! YHWH crieth unto the city--and it is wisdom to have regard for Thy name--hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.

9  The Lord’s voice shall be proclaimed in the city, and he shall save those that fear his name: hear, O tribe; and who shall order the city?

9  The voice of the Lord cries out to the city, “Listen, you tribes,” and who will confirm it? And salvation will be for those who fear your name.

6:10  Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?

10  For there is still fire in the house of the wicked and in the storehouses of iniquity and in the short measure of deceit.

6:11  'Shall I be pure with wicked balances, and with a bag of deceitful weights?'

11  Shall I justify unfaithful balances, and the deceitful weighing of a small bag?

11  How can they justify themselves with the wicked scales and with the bag of deceitful weights?

6:12  For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

12  whereby they have accumulated their ungodly wealth, and they that dwell in the city have uttered falsehoods, and their tongue has been exalted in their mouth?

12  By this, her wealthy have been filled with iniquity, and her inhabitants have spoken lies, and their tongue was deceitful in their mouth.

6:13  Therefore I also do smite thee with a grievous wound; I do make thee desolate because of thy sins.

13  Therefore will I begin to smite thee; I will destroy thee in thy sins.

13  And I, therefore, began to strike you with perdition because of your sins.

6:14  Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy sickness shall be in thine inward parts; and thou shalt conceive, but shalt not bring forth; and whomsoever thou bringest forth will I give up to the sword.

14  You will consume and not be satisfied, and your humiliation will be in your midst. And you will take hold, and not save, and those whom you will save, I will deliver to the sword.

6:15  Thou shalt sow, but shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but shalt not anoint thee with oil; and the vintage, but shalt not drink wine.

15  You will sow, and not reap. You will tread the olives, and not be anointed with oil, and crush the grapes, and not drink the wine.

15  You shall sow, but you shall not reap; you shall tread the olives, but you shall not anoint yourselves with oil; you shall tread grapes but you shall not drink wine.

6:16  For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I may make thee an astonishment, and the inhabitants thereof a hissing; and ye shall bear the reproach of My people.

16  For thou hast kept the statues of Zambri, and done all the works of the house of Achaab; and ye have walked in their ways, that I might deliver thee to utter destruction, and those that inhabit the city to hissing: and ye shall bear the reproach of nations.

16  For you have kept the precepts of Omri, and all the works of the house of Ahab. And you have walked according their wills, so that I should give you over to perdition and its hissing inhabitants, and you would carry the disgrace of my people.

7:1  Woe is me! for I am as the last of the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage; there is no cluster to eat; nor first-ripe fig which my soul desireth.

1  Alas for me! for I am become as one gathering straw in harvest, and as one gathering grape-gleanings in the vintage, when there is no cluster for me to eat the first-ripe fruit: alas my soul!

1  Woe to me, for I have become just like one who gleans the clusters of the vintage in autumn. There is no cluster of grapes to consume; my soul desired figs out of season.

7:2  The godly man is perished out of the earth, and the upright among men is no more; they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.

2  For the godly is perished from the earth; and there is none among men that orders his way aright: they all quarrel even to blood: they grievously afflict every one his neighbour

2  The holy ones pass away from the land, and there is no one righteous among men. All wait in ambush for blood; a man hunts his brother to death.

7:3  Their hands are upon that which is evil to do it diligently; the prince asketh, and the judge is ready for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together.

3  they prepare their hands for mischief, the prince asks a reward, and the judge speaks flattering words; it is the desire of their soul

7:4  The best of them is as a brier; the most upright is worse than a thorn hedge; the day of thy watchmen, even thy visitation, is come; now shall be their perplexity.

4  therefore I will take away their goods as a devouring moth, and as one who acts by a rigid rule in a day of visitation. Woe, woe, thy times of vengeance are come; now shall be their lamentations.

7:5  Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a familiar friend; keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.

5  Trust not in friends, and confide not in guides: beware of thy wife, so as not to commit anything to her.

5  Do not be willing to believe a friend. And do not be willing to confide in a commander. From her, who sleeps in your bosom, keep the doors of your mouth closed.

7:6  For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.

7:7  'But as for me, I will look unto YHWH; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

7  But I will look to the Lord; I will wait upon God my Saviour: my God will hearken to me.

7  Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God my Saviour; my God will hear me.

7:8  Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; though I am fallen, I shall arise; though I sit in darkness, YHWH is a light unto me.

8  You, my enemy, should not rejoice over me because I have fallen. I will rise up, when I sit in darkness. The Lord is my light.

8  Rejoice not over me, O my enemy, because I have fallen; I shall rise again; though I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light to me.

7:9  I will bear the indignation of YHWH, because I have sinned against Him; until He plead my cause, and execute judgment for me; He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold His righteousness.

9  I will carry the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he may judge my case and execute judgment for me. He will lead me into the light. I will behold his justice.

7:10  Then mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her; who said unto me: Where is YHWH thy God? Mine eyes shall gaze upon her; now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.'

10  And she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shall clothe herself with shame, who says, Where is the Lord thy God? mine eyes shall look upon her: now shall she be for trampling as mire in the ways.

10  And my enemy will look, and she will be covered with confusion, she who says to me, “Where is the Lord your God?” My eyes will look upon her. Now she will be trampled under foot like the mud of the streets.

7:11  'The day for building thy walls, even that day, shall be far removed.'

11  It is the day of making of brick; that day shall be thine utter destruction, and that day shall utterly abolish thine ordinances.

11  It is a day to build your walls; it is a day to be lifted up.

7:12  There shall be a day when they shall come unto thee, from Assyria even to the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt even to the River, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.

12  In that day also, they will come towards you even from Assur, and even to the fortified cities, and from the fortified cities even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.

7:13  And the land shall be desolate for them that dwell therein, because of the fruit of their doings.

13  And the land will be in desolation, because of its inhabitants and because of the fruit of their intentions.

13  Nevertheless the land shall be desolate to its inhabitants because of the fruit of their doings.

7:14  Tend Thy people with Thy staff, the flock of Thy heritage, that dwell solitarily, as a forest in the midst of the fruitful field; let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

14  With your rod, pasture your people, the flock of your inheritance, living alone in the narrow forest, in the midst of Carmel. They will graze in Bashan and Gilead, as in the ancient days.

7:15  'As in the days of thy coming forth out of the land of Egypt will I show unto him marvellous things.'

15  And according to the days of thy departure out of Egypt shall ye see marvellous things.

15  As in the days of your departure from the land of Egypt, I will reveal miracles to him.

7:16  The nations shall see and be put to shame for all their might; they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.

16  The nations will look, and they will be confounded at the strength of them all. They will place hand over mouth; their ears will be deaf.

7:17  They shall lick the dust like a serpent; like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their close places; they shall come with fear unto YHWH our God, and shall be afraid because of Thee.

17  They will lick the dust like serpents, and, like the creeping things of the earth, they will be disturbed in their houses. They will dread the Lord our God, and they will fear you.

7:18  Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth the iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy.

18  Who is a God like thee, cancelling iniquities, and passing over the sins of the remnant of his inheritance? and he has not kept his anger for a testimony, for he delights in mercy.

18  What God is like you, who takes away iniquity and passes over the sin of the remnant of your inheritance? No longer will he send forth his fury, because he is willing to be merciful.

7:19  He will again have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

19  He will return and have mercy upon us; he will sink our iniquities, and they shall be cast into the depth of the sea, even all our sins.

19  He will turn again and have mercy on us; he will sweep away our iniquity and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.

7:20  Thou wilt show faithfulness to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, as Thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

20  He shall give blessings truly to Jacob, and mercy to Abraam, as thou swarest to our fathers, according to the former days.

20  You will give the truth to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, which you swore to our fathers from the ancient days.