Corrupt Rulers and Prophets
Micah 3
Micah rebukes the heads and judges of Israel who oppress the people like butchers taking flesh from the pot, and condemns prophets who prophesy for hire and lead the people astray. Declaring that he himself is filled with the Spirit of the Lord to declare Jacob's sin, he pronounces that Zion and Jerusalem, corrupted by bribery and blood, will be plowed like a field.
About these editions
The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.
Thomson 1808Septuagint
Brenton 1851Septuagint
Greek · BrentonSeptuagint
KJV 1769Masoretic
JPS 1917Masoretic
1
ThomsonAND He will say: hear these things ye children of the house of Jacob, and ye remnant of the house of Israel; is it not your business to know judgment?
BrentonAnd 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 judgment?
GreekΚαὶ ἐρεῖ, ἀκούσατε δὴ ταῦτα αἱ ἀρχαὶ οἴκου Ἰακὼβ, καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι οἴκου Ἰσραήλ· οὐχ ὑμῖν ἐστι τοῦ γνῶναι τὸ κρίμα;
KJVAnd I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment?
JPSAnd 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?
2
ThomsonAs for them who hate good and seek evil, who tear off the skin from these and the flesh from their bones,
Brentonwho hate good, and seek evil; who tear their skins off them, and their flesh off their bones:
Greekμισοῦντες τὰ καλὰ, καὶ ζητοῦντες τὰ πονηρὰ, ἁρπάζοντες τὰ δέρματα αὐτῶν ἀπʼ αὐτῶν, καὶ τὰς σάρκας αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ὀστέων αὐτῶν.
KJVWho hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;
JPSWho hate the good, and love the evil; who rob their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;
3
Thomsonas they have devoured the flesh of my people and have flayed off their skin from them; and have broken their bones and chopped them up, as flesh for a kettle and as pieces of meat for a pot:
Brentoneven 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,
GreekὋν τρόπον κατέφαγον τὰς σάρκας τοῦ λαοῦ μου, καὶ τὰ δέρματα αὐτῶν ἀπʼ αὐτῶν ἐξέδειραν, καὶ τὰ ὀστέα αὐτῶν συνέθλασαν, καὶ ἐμέλισαν ὡς σάρκας εἰς λέβητα, καὶ ὡς κρέα εἰς χύτραν,
KJVWho also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.
JPSWho 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.
4
Thomsonso they shall cry to the Lord but He will not hearken to them; but will turn away His face from them at that time, because by their devices they have committed evil against these.
Brentonthus 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.
Greekοὕτως κεκράξονται πρὸς τὸν Κύριον, καὶ οὐκ εἰσακούσεται αὐτῶν· καὶ ἀποστρέψει τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἀπʼ αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἀνθʼ ὧν ἐπονηρεύσαντο ἐν τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασιν αὐτῶν ἐπʼ αὐτούς.
KJVThen shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.
JPSThen shall they cry unto the LORD, 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.
5
ThomsonThus saith the Lord against the prophets who led my people astray, who gnash with their teeth and proclaim peace for them, though it was not put in their mouths; they have raised up war against them.
BrentonThus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that lead my people astray, that bite with their teeth, and proclaim peace to them; and when nothing was put into their mouth, they raised up war against them:
GreekΤάδε λέγει Κύριος ἐπὶ τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς πλανῶντας τὸν λαόν μου, τοὺς δάκνοντας ἐν τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν αὐτῶν, καὶ κηρύσσοντας εἰρήνην ἐπʼ αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἐδόθη εἰς τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν, ἤγειραν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν πόλεμον·
KJVThus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.
JPSThus saith the LORD 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:
6
ThomsonTherefore from vision you shall have night; and from prophesying you shall have darkness. And the sun shall set upon the prophets, and upon them the day shall darken;
Brentontherefore 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.
Greekδιατοῦτο νὺξ ὑμῖν ἔσται ἐξ ὁράσεως, καὶ σκοτία ἔσται ὑμῖν ἐκ μαντείας, καὶ δύσεται ὁ ἥλιος ἐπὶ τοὺς προφήτας, καὶ συσκοτάσει ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ἡ ἡμέρα·
KJVTherefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.
JPSTherefore 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.
7
Thomsonand the seers of dreams shall be put to shame; and the diviners shall be laughed to scorn, and reviled by all; for none will hearken to them.
BrentonAnd 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.
GreekΚαὶ καταισχυνθήσονται οἱ ὁρῶντες τὰ ἐνύπνια, καὶ καταγελασθήσονται οἱ μάντεις, καὶ καταλαλήσουσι κατʼ αὐτῶν πάντες αὐτοὶ, διότι οὐκ ἔσται ὁ ἐπακούων αὐτῶν.
KJVThen shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.
JPS—
8
ThomsonNone but I can, by the spirit of the Lord, supply strength both of judgment and might to declare to Jacob his impiety and to Israel his sins.
BrentonSurely I will strengthen myself with the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of power, to declare to Jacob his transgressions, and to Israel his sins.
Greekἐὰν μὴ ἐγὼ ἐμπλήσω ἰσχὺν ἐν πνεύματι Κυρίου καὶ κρίματος καὶ δυναστείας, τοῦ ἀπαγγεῖλαι τῷ Ἰακὼβ ἀσεβείας αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῷ Ἰσραὴλ ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ.
KJVBut truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
JPSBut I truly am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of justice, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
9
ThomsonHear these things I beseech you, ye leaders of the house of Jacob, and ye remnant of the house of Israel, who abhor judgment and pervert all equity;
BrentonHear now these words, ye chiefs of the house of Jacob, and the remnant of the house of Israel, who hate judgment, and pervert all righteousness;
GreekἈκούσατε δὴ ταῦτα οἱ ἡγούμενοι οἴκου Ἰακὼβ, καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι οἴκου Ἰσραὴλ, οἱ βδελυσσόμενοι κρίμα, καὶ πάντα τὰ ὀρθὰ διαστρέφοντες,
KJVHear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.
JPSHear 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;
10
Thomsonwho are building up Sion with blood and Jerusalem with injustice.
Brentonwho build up Sion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.
Greekοἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες Σιὼν ἐν αἵμασι, καὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐν ἀδικίαις,
KJVThey build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.
JPSThat build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.
11
ThomsonHer rulers have judged for rewards; and her priests have given answers for hire; and her prophets have prophesied for silver, without waiting for the Lord, saying, Is not the Lord among us? No evils shall come upon us:
BrentonThe heads thereof have judged for gifts, and the priests thereof have answered for hire, and her prophets have divined for silver: and yet they have rested on the Lord, saying, Is not the Lord among us? no evil shall come upon us.
Greekοἱ ἡγούμενοι αὐτῆς μετὰ δώρων ἔκρινον, καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς αὐτῆς μετὰ μισθοῦ ἀπεκρίνοντο, καὶ οἱ προφῆται αὐτῆς μετὰ ἀργυρίου ἐμαντεύοντο, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον ἐπανεπαύοντο, λέγοντες, οὐχὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐν ἡμῖν ἐστιν; οὐ μὴ ἐπέλθῃ ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς κακά.
KJVThe heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.
JPSThe heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money; yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say: ‘Is not the LORD in the midst of us? No evil shall come upon us’?
12
Thomsontherefore because of you, Sion shall be ploughed like a field; and Jerusalem shall be like a temporary building for summer fruits; and the mountain of the house shall be for a grove of a forest.
BrentonTherefore on your account Sion shall be ploughed as a field, and Jerusalem shall be as a storehouse of fruits, and the mountain of the house as a grove of the forest.
GreekΔιατοῦτο διʼ ὑμᾶς Σιὼν ὡς ἀγρὸς ἀροτριαθήσεται, καὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὡς ὀπωροφυλάκιον ἔσται, καὶ τὸ ὄρος τοῦ οἴκου εἰς ἄλσος δρυμοῦ.
KJVTherefore 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 the forest.
JPSTherefore 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.