Mikha 3:11

3:11 Her ¹  leaders take bribes when they decide legal cases, ² 

her priests proclaim rulings for profit,

and her prophets read omens for pay.

Yet they claim to trust ³  the Lord and say,

“The Lord is among us. ⁴ 

Disaster will not overtake ⁵  us!”

Mikha 5:4

5:4 He will assume his post ⁶  and shepherd the people ⁷  by the Lord’s strength,

by the sovereign authority of the Lord his God. ⁸ 

They will live securely, ⁹  for at that time he will be honored ¹⁰ 

even in the distant regions of ¹¹  the earth.

Mikha 5:8

5:8 Those survivors from Jacob will live among the nations,

in the midst of many peoples.

They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,

like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,

which attacks when it passes through;

it rips its prey ¹²  and there is no one to stop it. ¹³ 

Mikha 6:16

6:16 You implement the regulations of Omri,

and all the practices of Ahab’s dynasty; ¹⁴ 

you follow their policies. ¹⁵ 

Therefore I will make you an appalling sight, ¹⁶ 

the city’s ¹⁷  inhabitants will be taunted derisively, ¹⁸ 

and nations will mock all of you.” ¹⁹ 

Mikha 7:9

7:9 I must endure ²⁰  the Lord’s anger,

for I have sinned against him.

But then ²¹  he will defend my cause, ²² 

and accomplish justice on my behalf.

He will lead me out into the light;

I will experience firsthand ²³  his deliverance. ²⁴ 

[3:11]  ¹ sn The pronoun Her refers to Jerusalem (note the previous line).

[3:11]  ² tn Heb “judge for a bribe.”

[3:11]  ³ tn Heb “they lean upon” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NAB “rely on.”

[3:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “Is not the Lord in our midst?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course he is!”

[3:11]  ⁵ tn Or “come upon” (so many English versions); NCV “happen to us”; CEV “come to us.”

[5:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “stand up”; NAB “stand firm”; NASB “will arise.”

[5:4]  ⁷ tn The words “the people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “by the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.”

[5:4]  ⁹ tn The words “in peace” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Perhaps וְיָשָׁבוּ (vÿyashavu, “and they will live”) should be emended to וְשָׁבוּ (vÿshavu, “and they will return”).

[5:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “be great.”

[5:4]  ¹¹ tn Or “to the ends of.”

[5:8]  ¹² tn The words “its prey” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:8]  ¹³ tn Heb “and there is no deliverer.”

[6:16]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the edicts of Omri are kept, and all the deeds of the house of Ahab.”

[6:16]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and you walk in their plans.”

[6:16]  sn The Omride dynasty, of which Ahab was the most infamous king, had a reputation for implementing unjust and oppressive measures. See 1 Kgs 21.

[6:16]  ¹⁶ tn The Hebrew term שַׁמָּה (shammah) can refer to “destruction; ruin,” or to the reaction it produces in those who witness the destruction.

[6:16]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “her”; the referent (the city) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:16]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “[an object] of hissing,” which was a way of taunting someone.

[6:16]  ¹⁹ tc The translation assumes an emendation of the MT’s עַמִּי (’ammi, “my people”) to עַמִּים (’ammim, “nations”).

[6:16]  tn Heb “and the reproach of my people you will bear.” The second person verb is plural here, in contrast to the singular forms used in vv. 13-15.

[7:9]  ²⁰ tn Heb “lift, bear.”

[7:9]  ²¹ tn Heb “until.”

[7:9]  ²² tn Or “plead my case” (NASB and NIV both similar); NRSV “until he takes my side.”

[7:9]  ²³ tn Heb “see.”

[7:9]  ²⁴ tn Or “justice, vindication.”