Mikha 6:10-13

6:10 “I will not overlook, ¹  O sinful house, the dishonest gain you have hoarded away, ² 

or the smaller-than-standard measure I hate so much. ³ 

6:11 I do not condone the use of rigged scales,

or a bag of deceptive weights. ⁴ 

6:12 The city’s rich men think nothing of resorting to violence; ⁵ 

her inhabitants lie, ⁶ 

their tongues speak deceptive words. ⁷ 

6:13 I will strike you brutally ⁸ 

and destroy you because of your sin.

[6:10]  ¹ tn The meaning of the first Hebrew word in the line is unclear. Possibly it is a combination of the interrogative particle and אִשׁ (’ish), an alternate form of יֵשׁ (yesh, “there is/are”). One could then translate literally, “Are there treasures of sin [in] the house of the sinful?” The translation assumes an emendation to הַאֶשֶּׁה (ha’esheh, from נָשָׁא, nasha’, “to forget”), “Will I forget?” The rhetorical question expects an answer, “No, I will not forget.”

[6:10]  ² tn Heb “the treasures of sin”; NASB “treasures of wickedness”; NIV “ill-gotten treasures.”

[6:10]  ³ tn Heb “the accursed scant measure.”

[6:10]  sn Merchants would use a smaller than standard measure so they could give the customer less than he thought he was paying for.

[6:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “Do I acquit sinful scales, and a bag of deceptive weights?” The rhetorical question expects an answer, “No, I do not,” and has been translated as a declarative statement for clarity and emphasis.

[6:11]  sn Merchants also used rigged scales and deceptive weights to cheat their customers. See the note at Amos 8:5.

[6:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “because her rich are full of violence.”

[6:12]  ⁶ tn Heb “speak lies.”

[6:12]  ⁷ tn Heb “and their tongue is deceptive in their mouth.”

[6:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “and also I, I will make you sick, striking you.”