MICAH
Micah 3 ©
God’s judgments upon the governors because of their tyranny and baseness, v. 1, etc. Upon the prophets, seducing the people and promising peace to them, 5. From whom Micah separates himself, prophesying with great freedom of spirit of Jerusalem’s and the temple’s future desolation, because of the general wickedness and corruption of the people, governors, priests and prophets, 8.
AND I said, Hear, I pray you, O 1heads of Jacob, and ye 2princes of the house of Israel; 3Is it not for you to know judgment?
Who hate the good, and love the evil; 4who pluck off their 5skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;
6Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flaya their skin from off them; and they 7break their bones, and 8chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.
9Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even 10hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in 11their doings.
¶Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that 12biteb with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even 13prepare war against him.
Therefore 14night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a 15vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not 16divine; and the sunc shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be 17dark over them.d
Then shall the 18seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their 19lips; for there is no 20answer of God.
¶ 21But truly I am full of power 22by the spirit of the LORD, and of 23judgment, and of 24might, to declare unto Jacob his 25transgression, and to Israel his sin.
Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that 26abhor 27judgment, and 28perverte all 29equity.
They 30build up Zion with 31blood,f and Jerusalem with 32iniquity.
The 33heads thereof judge for 34reward, and the priests thereof teach for 35hire, and the 36prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they 37lean upon the LORD, and say, 38Is not the LORD among us? none 39evil can come upon us.
Therefore shall 40Zion for 41your sake be plowed as a 42field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the 43house as the high places of the 44forest.