Micah 3 WYC
Summary: Micah turns his sharpest words on Israel's leaders, accusing rulers who should know justice of instead tearing the flesh off their own people "like meat in a pot" (v. 2-3). He condemns prophets who cry "peace" when they are fed but declare war on whoever fails to fill their mouths, and announces that darkness and disgrace, not visions, await them. Priests, prophets, and rulers alike take bribes while claiming the LORD is with them, so "because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins" (v. 12), a warning later quoted to spare Jeremiah's life (Jeremiah 26:18).
1And Y seide, Ye princis of Jacob, and duykis of the hous of Israel, here. Whether it be not youre for to knowe doom, whiche haten good,
2and louen yuele? Whiche violentli taken awei the skynnes of hem fro aboue hem, and the fleisch of hem fro aboue the bonys of hem.
3Whiche eeten the fleisch of my puple, and hiliden the skyn of hem fro aboue; and broken togidere the boonys of hem, and kittiden togidere as in a cawdroun, and as fleisch in the myddil of a pot.
4Thanne thei schulen crie to the Lord, and he schal not here hem; and he schal hide hise face fro hem in that tyme, as thei diden wickidli in her fyndingis.
5The Lord God seith these thingis on the profetis that disseyuen my puple, and biten with her teeth, and prechen pees; and if ony man yyueth not in the mouth of hem ony thing, thei halewen batel on hym.
6Therfor niyt schal be to you for visioun, or profesie, and derknessis to you for dyuynacioun; and sunne schal go doun on the profetis, and the dai schal be maad derk on hem.
7And thei schulen be confoundid that seen visiouns, and dyuynours schulen be confoundid, and alle schulen hile her cheris, for it is not the answer of God.
8Netheles Y am fillid with strengthe of Spirit of the Lord, and in doom and vertu, that Y schewe to Jacob his greet trespas, and to Israel his synne.
9Here these thingis, ye princes of the hous of Jacob, and domesmen of the hous of Israel, whiche wlaten dom, and peruerten alle riyt thingis;
10whiche bilden Sion in bloodis, and Jerusalem in wickidnesse.
11Princes therof demyden for yiftis, and prestis therof tauyten for hire, and profetis therof dyuyneden for money; and on the Lord thei restiden, and seiden, Whether the Lord is not in the myddil of us? yuelis schulen not come on vs.
12For this thing bi cause of you, Sion as a feeld schal be erid; and Jerusalem schal be as an heep of stoonys, and the hil of the temple schal be in to hiye thingis of woodis.
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