Micah 3

Rulers Denounced

1And I said, “1Hear now, you 2leaders of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to 3know justice?2You who hate good and love evil, Who 4tear off their skin from them And their flesh from their bones,3Who 5eat the flesh of my people, Strip off their skin from them, Smash their bones, And 6chop them up as for the pot, And as meat in a cauldron!”4Then they will 7cry out to the Lord, But He will not answer them. Instead, He will 8hide His face from them at that time Because they have 9practiced evil deeds.

5This is what the Lord says concerning the prophets who 10lead my people astray: When they have something to bite with their teeth, They 11cry out, “Peace!” But against him who puts nothing in their mouths They declare holy war.6Therefore it will be 12night for you--without vision, And darkness for you--without divination. The 13sun will go down on the prophets, And the day will become dark over them.7The seers will be 14put to shame, And the 15diviners will be ashamed. Indeed, they will all 16cover their 17lips Because there is 18no answer from God.8On the other hand, 19I am filled with power-- With the Spirit of the Lord-- And with justice and courage To 20make known to Jacob his rebellious act, And to Israel his sin.9Now hear this, you 21heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel, Who 22despise justice And twist everything that is straight,10Who 23build Zion with bloodshed, And Jerusalem with malice.11Her leaders pronounce 24judgment for a bribe, Her 25priests teach for pay, And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the Lord, saying, “26Is the Lord not in our midst? Catastrophe will not come upon us.”12Therefore on account of you, 27Zion will be plowed like a field, 28Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, And the 29mountain of the 30temple will become high places of a forest.