EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Micah 3:11
11You are the city's rulers, but you accept bribes. Then you do not judge people in a fair way. You priests teach people only if they pay you. You prophets speak about what will happen in future times. But you only speak if you receive money. But you still say that you trust the Lord. You say, ‘The Lord is with us, so nothing bad will happen to us.’
Micah 3:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The 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.
- New International Version (NIV)Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they look for the Lord’s support and say, “Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the Lord and say, "Is not the Lord in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Her heads judge for a bribe, Her priests teach for pay, And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the Lord, and say, “Is not the Lord among us? No harm can come upon us.”
Context of Micah 3:11
9So listen to this, you leaders of Jacob's people. You are Israel's rulers. But you never do what is right and fair. You take what is good. And you make it seem bad. 10You rule Zion city, which is Jerusalem. But you are cruel, and you kill honest people. You are the city's rulers, but you accept bribes. Then you do not judge people in a fair way. You priests teach people only if they pay you. You prophets speak about what will happen in future times. But you only speak if you receive money. But you still say that you trust the Lord. You say, ‘The Lord is with us, so nothing bad will happen to us.’ 12Because of how you live, Zion will be like a field that a farmer has dug. Jerusalem will become a heap of stones. Trees will cover the hill where the temple is now.
Read all of Micah 3Micah 3:11 word by word
רָאשֶׁ֣יהָ׀ בְּשֹׁ֣חַד יִשְׁפֹּ֗טוּ וְכֹהֲנֶ֙יהָ֙ בִּמְחִ֣יר יוֹר֔וּ וּנְבִיאֶ֖יהָ בְּכֶ֣סֶף יִקְסֹ֑מוּ וְעַל־יְהוָה֙ יִשָּׁעֵ֣נוּ לֵאמֹ֔ר הֲל֤וֹא יְהוָה֙ בְּקִרְבֵּ֔נוּ לֹֽא־תָב֥וֹא עָלֵ֖ינוּ רָעָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The headsרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
- thereof judgeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
- for rewardשֹׁ֫חַדshachad · bribeH7810
- and the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- thereof teachיָרָהyârâh yârâ' · to showH3384
- for hireמְחִירmechîyr · priceH4242
- and the prophetsנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
- thereof divineקָסַםqâsam · to divineH7080
- for moneyכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
- yet will they leanשָׁעַןshâ‛an · to leanH8172
- upon the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- amongקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
- us? none evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
- can comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
Cross-references for Micah 3:11
- Micah 7:3They know very well how to work together to do bad things. Rulers demand gifts and judges ask for money. Powerful bad people always get what they want. All these people work together to do what is bad.
- Numbers 16:15Moses was angry. He said to the Lord, ‘Do not accept what these men offer to you. I did not take anything from them, not even one donkey! I did not do a wrong thing to any of them.’
- 1 Samuel 8:3But Samuel's sons did not live in a good way, as Samuel had done. They took money from people in ways that were not honest. They accepted bribes so that they did not judge in a fair way.
- 1 Samuel 12:3Look at me. I stand here where the Lord and his chosen king can see me. Speak now if I have done any wrong thing against you. Have I taken anyone's cow or anyone's donkey? Have I cheated anyone? Have I been cruel to anyone? Have I received bribes from anyone to say that they are not guilty? If I have done any of those things, tell me! Then I will pay back my debt.’
- Isaiah 1:23Your rulers have turned against God. They are friends of robbers. They all accept bribes and they love to receive gifts. But they do not help widows or children who have no family. They do not make sure that they receive justice.
- Ezekiel 22:12People among you accept bribes to kill somebody. When some of you lend money to people, you make them pay more money back to you. Some of you use your power to make people give you money. You people of Jerusalem have forgotten me. That is what the Lord says.
- Hosea 4:18After they have drunk enough wine, they are happy to sleep with prostitutes. They enjoy doing things that should make them ashamed.
- Zephaniah 3:3The rulers of the city make a very loud noise with their voices like big wild animals. Its judges are like hungry wolves. They are like wolves that have even eaten all an animal's bones before morning.
- Jeremiah 6:13‘They all cheat other people to get what they want. Important people and ordinary people do that. Prophets and priests do that. They love to deceive people.
- Jeremiah 8:10I will give their wives to other men. Their fields will belong to other men. They all cheat other people to get what they want. Important people and ordinary people do that. Prophets and priests do that. They love to deceive people.
- Malachi 1:10‘It would be better if one of you shut the temple doors! Then you would not be able to offer useless sacrifices on my altar. I am not happy with you. I will not accept any more gifts from you.’ That is what the Lord Almighty says.
- 1 Timothy 3:3He should not drink too much wine. He must not get angry quickly or quarrel with people. Instead he should be kind to people. He must not want lots of money.
- 1 Peter 5:2Watch over the group of believers that God has given to you. Be like a shepherd that takes care of his sheep. Lead them well because you want to do it. Do not do it just because you have to do it. Do it in the way that God wants for you. Do not be a leader because you want to receive money for yourself. Instead, do it because you want to help people.
- Micah 3:5The Lord says this: ‘It will be very bad for the prophets who tell false messages. They lead my people the wrong way with false promises. If people give food to them, then they are happy. So they promise that there will be no war. But, if people do not feed them, they become angry. They promise that war will come.
- Isaiah 56:11They are like dogs who are always hungry. They eat a lot but they never have enough. They are like shepherds who do not understand what to do. They do whatever they want to do, so that it will help them get what they want.
- Acts 8:18Simon saw that God gave the Holy Spirit to people when the apostles put their hands on them. So he said to Peter and John, ‘Here is some money for you.
Commentaries on Micah 3:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11The heads thereof judge for reward - This does not apply to the regular law officers, who have their proper salaries for giving up their whole time and attention to the conscientious discharge of the duties of their office; but to those who take a reward, who take Bribes, for the perversion of justice; who will decide in favor of those from whom they get the greatest reward. The prophets - divine for money - These are evidently the false prophets; for…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11The heads thereof judge for reward - Every class was corrupted. One sin, the root of all evil 1 Timothy 6:10, covetousness, entered into all they did. It, not God, was their one end, and so their God. Her heads, the secular authority who Acts 23:3 sat to judge according to the law, judged, contrary to the law, “for rewards.” They sat as the representatives of the Majesty of God, in whose Name they judged, whose righteous Judgment and correcting Providence…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-12Verses 9-12 Zion's walls owe no thanks to those that build them up with blood and iniquity. The sin of man works not the righteousness of God. Even when men do that which in itself is good, but do it for filthy lucre, it becomes abomination both to God and man. Faith rests in the Lord as the soul's foundation: presumption only leans upon the Lord as a prop, and would use him to serve a turn. If men's having the Lord among them will not keep them from…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11Is not the LORD among us?: This expression shows the Lord's approval (see Exodus 3:12, 14; 25:8; Micah 2:5; Zechariah 2:11) and his presence among his people. The false prophets wrongly claimed God's presence.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. heads thereof--the princes of Jerusalem. judge for reward--take bribes as judges (Mi 7:3). priests teach for hire--It was their duty to teach the law and to decide controversies gratuitously (Le 10:11; De 17:11; Mal 2:7; compare Jr 6:13; Jude 11). prophets ... divine--that is, false prophets. Is not the Lord among us?--namely in the temple (Is 48:2; Jr 7:4, 8-11).Read the comment
Topics related to Micah 3:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Micah 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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