The Prophet Micah

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 6 -

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

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.

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

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.(b)

(c)

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.(d)

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?(e)

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?(f)

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.

The Punishment of Israel

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.(g)

Nevertheless, there is a fire in the house of the impious, the treasury of iniquity, and a small measure, filled with wrath.(h)

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

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

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

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.

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.(i)

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.(j)

(k)

Footnotes

(a)6:1 The mountains, etc:That is, the great ones, the princes of the people.(Challoner)

(b)6:4 ‘The house of servitude’ could also be translated as ‘the house of slavery.’(Conte)

(c)6:4 In the Latin, this verse usually ends with a question mark, not because the assertions of the verse are in doubt, but because it is a continuation of the previous verse’s question. A question mark is not needed at the end of this verse.(Conte)

(d)6:5 From Setim to Galgal:He puts them in mind of the favour he did them, in not suffering them to be quite destroyed by the evil purpose of Balach, and the wicked counsel of Balaam: and then gives them a hint of the wonders he wrought, in order to bring them into the land of Promise, by stopping the course of the Jordan, in their march from Setim to Galgal.(Challoner)

(e)6:6 What shall I offer, etc:This is spoken in the person of the people, desiring to be informed what they are to do to please God.(Challoner)

(f)6:7 Or, ‘Shall I give my first born for my wickedness, the fruit of my womb for the sin of my soul?’(Conte)

(g)6:9 Or, ‘safe will be those fearing your name.’(Conte)

(h)6:10 Full of wrath, etc:That is, highly provoking in the sight of God.(Challoner)

(i)6:15 The word ‘mustum’ refers to partially fermented wine, but in this context it refers to grapes that have partially completed the process of making wine, i.e. grapes that have been crushed.(Conte)

(j)6:16 The word ‘perditionem’ here refers to Hell, with its hissing inhabitants, not merely to destruction or ruin.(Conte)

(k)6:16 The statutes of Amri, etc:The wicked ways of Amri and Achab, idolatrous kings.(Challoner)

Listen now to what the LORD says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear what you have to say.

Hear, you mountains, the LORD’s indictment, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a case against his people, and he will contend with Israel.

My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me!

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

My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD.”

How shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams? With tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my disobedience? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

The Punishment of Israel

The LORD’s voice calls to the city— and wisdom fears your name— “Listen to the rod, and he who appointed it.

Are there yet treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and a short ephah(a) that is accursed?

Shall I tolerate dishonest scales, and a bag of deceitful weights?

Her rich men are full of violence, her inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their speech.

Therefore I also have struck you with a grievous wound. I have made you desolate because of your sins.

You shall eat, but not be satisfied. Your hunger will be within you. You will store up, but not save, and that which you save I will give up to the sword.

You will sow, but won’t reap. You will tread the olives, but won’t anoint yourself with oil; and crush grapes, but won’t drink the wine.

For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of Ahab’s house. You walk in their counsels, that I may make you a ruin, and your inhabitants a hissing. You will bear the reproach of my people.”

Footnotes

(a)6:10 An ephah is a measure of volume (about 22 liters or about 2/3 of a bushel), and a short ephah is made smaller than a full ephah for the purpose of cheating customers.