Micah 3:1–12

UNJUST LEADERS JUDGED

3 Then I said, “Now listen,aj leaders of Jacob,

you rulers of the house of Israel.

Aren’t you supposed to know what is just?ak

2 You hate good and love evil.

You tear off people’s skinal

and strip their flesh from their bones.

3 You eat the flesham of my people

after you strip their skin from them

and break their bones.

You chop them upan

like flesh for the cooking pot,

like meat in a cauldron.”

4 Then they will cry outao to the Lord,

but he will not answer them.

He will hide his face from them at that timeap

because of the crimes they have committed.

FALSE PROPHETS JUDGED

5 This is what the Lord says

concerning the prophets

who lead my people astray,aq

who proclaimar peace

when they have food to sink their teeth into

but declare war against the one

who puts nothing in their mouths.

6 Therefore, it will be nightas for you—

without visions;

it will grow dark for you—

without divination.a

The sun will setb on these prophets,

and the daylight will turn black over them.

7 Then the seers will be ashamedc

and the diviners disappointed.d

They will all cover their mouthsB,e

because there will be no answer from God.f

8 As for me, however, I am filled with powerg

by the Spirit of the Lord,

with justice and courage,

to proclaim to Jacob his rebellion

and to Israel his sin.h

ZION’S DESTRUCTION

9 Listen to this, leaders of the house of Jacob,i

you rulers of the house of Israel,

who abhor justicej

and pervert everything that is right,

10 who build Zion with bloodshedk

and Jerusalem with injustice.

11 Her leaders issue rulings for a bribe,l

her priests teach for payment,m

and her prophets practice divination for silver.

Yet they lean on the Lord, saying,

“Isn’t the Lordn among us?

No disaster will overtake us.”

12 Therefore, because of you,

Zion will be plowed like a field,

Jerusalem will become ruins,o

and the temple’s mountainp

will be a high thicket.q