Micah 6:11–12

⁷¶ He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.

⁷¶ ^‖‖ He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: hee loueth to oppresse.

³⁶Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.

^36*Iust ballances, iust ^†weights, a iust Ephah, and a iust Hin shall ye haue: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.

¹¹A just weight and balance are the Lord’s: all the weights of the bag are his work.

^11*†A iust weight and ballance are the LORDs: all the weights of the bagge are his worke.

¹³Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.

^13†Woe vnto them, for they haue fled from me: destruction vnto them, because they haue transgressed against me, though I haue redeemed them, yet they haue spoken lies against me.

²³Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

²³Thy princes are rebellious and companions of theeues: euery one loueth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they ^*iudge not the fatherlesse, neither doth the cause of the widowe come vnto them.

⁸Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.

^8***†‖Their tongue is as an arrowe shot out, it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his waite.

⁸For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory.

⁸For Ierusalem is ruined, & Iudah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to prouoke the eyes of his glorie.

⁷For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

^7††For the Uineyard of the LORD of hostes is the house of Israel, and the men of Iudah his pleasant plant: and he looked for iudgement, but beholde oppression; for righteousnesse, but behold a crie.

²Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.

³And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord.

⁴Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders.

⁵And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.

⁶Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the Lord.

²Oh that I had in the wildernesse a lodging place of wayfaring men, that I might leaue my people, and goe from them: for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.

³And they bend their tongue like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the trueth vpon the earth: for they proceed from euil to euill, and they know not me, saith the LORD.

^4*‖Take yee heede euery one of his neighbour, and trust yee not in any brother: for euery brother will vtterly supplant, and euery neighbour will walke with slanders.

^5‖And they will deceiue euery one his neighbour, and will not speake the trueth, they haue taught their tongue to speake lies, and weary themselues to commit iniquity.

⁶Thine habitation is in the middest of deceit, through deceit they refuse to know me, sayth the LORD.

¹WOE to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.

²And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

¹¶ Woe to them that deuise iniquitie, and worke euill vpon their beds: when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.

^2*‖And they couet fields and take them by violence: and houses, and take them away: so they oppresse a man and his house, euen a man and his heritage.

¹³Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

¹³Their throat is an open sepulchre, with their tongues they haue vsed deceit, the poyson of Aspes is vnder their lippes:

³Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

³Her princes within her are roaring ^*lyons; her Iudges are euening wolues, they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

¹¹Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.

¹²For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.

¹¹Forasmuch therfore as your treading is vpon the poore, and ye take from him burdens of wheate, ^*ye haue built houses of hewen stone, but ye shall not dwell in them: yee haue planted ^†pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drinke wine of them.

¹²For I know your manifold transgressions, and your mighty sinnes: they afflict the iust, they take a ^‖bribe, and they turne aside the poore in the gate from their right.

¹WOE to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

²Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?

³Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;

¹¶ ^*Woe to them that are ^‖at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountaine of Samaria, which are named ^‖chiefe of the ^*nations, to whom the house of Israel came.

²Passe ye vnto Calneh, and see, and from thence go ye to Hemath the great: then goe downe to Gath of the Philistines: bee they better then these kingdomes? or their border greater then your border?

³Ye that ^*put farre away the ^*euil day, and cause the ^‖seat of violence to come neere:

²⁵There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.

²⁶Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

²⁷Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.

²⁸And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken.

²⁹The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.

^25* There is a conspiracie of her prophets in the middest thereof like a roaring lyon, rauening the praye: they haue deuoured soules: they haue taken the treasure and precious things: they haue made her many widowes in the midst thereof.

^26†Her priests haue violated my law, and haue prophaned mine holy things: they haue put no difference betweene the holy and prophane, neither haue they shewed difference between the vncleane and the cleane, and haue hid their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am prophaned among them.

^27*Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolues rauening the praye, to shed blood, and to destroy soules, to get dishonest gaine.

²⁸And her prophets haue dawbed them with vntempered morter, seeing vanity, and diuining lies vnto them, saying, Thus saith the LORD God, when the LORD hath not spoken.

^29‖†The people of the land haue vsed oppression, and exercised robbery, and haue vexed the poore and needie: yea, they haue oppressed the stranger wrongfully.

⁶Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood.

⁷In thee have they set light by father and mother: in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger: in thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow.

⁸Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.

⁹In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood: and in thee they eat upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they commit lewdness.

¹⁰In thee have they discovered their fathers’ nakedness: in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution.

¹¹And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour’s wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father’s daughter.

¹²In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord God.

¹³¶ Behold, therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.

^6†Behold the princes of Israel, euerie one were in thee to their power to shead blood.

^7‖In thee haue they set light by father and mother: in the middest of thee haue they dealt by oppression with the stranger: in thee haue they vexed the fatherlesse and the widow:

⁸Thou hast despised mine holy things, & hast prophaned my sabbaths:

^9†In thee are men that carie tales to shead blood: and in thee they eate vpon the mountaines: in the middest of thee they commit lewdnesse.

^10**In thee haue they discouered their fathers nakednesse: in thee haue they humbled her that was set apart for pollution.

^{11‖**‖‖*}And one hath committed abomination with his neighbours wife, and an other hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law, and an other in thee hath humbled his sister, his fathers daughter.

¹²In thee haue they taken gifts to shead blood: thou hast taken vsury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the LORD God.

¹³¶ ^*Behold therefore, I haue smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gaine which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath bene in the midst of thee.

¹HEAR the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

²By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

¹¶ ^*Heare the worde of the LORD, yee children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controuersie with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no trueth, nor mercie, nor knowledge of God in the land.

^2†By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adulterie, they breake out, and blood toucheth blood.

¹WHEN I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.

¹¶ ^††When I would haue healed Israel, then the iniquitie of Ephraim was discouered, and the wickednesse of Samaria: for they commit falsehood: and the thiefe commeth in, and the troupe of robbers spoileth without.

³For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

⁴None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

⁵They hatch cockatrice’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.

⁶Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.

⁷Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.

⁸The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.

⁹¶ Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.

¹⁰We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.

¹¹We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.

¹²For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them;

¹³In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

¹⁴And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

¹⁵Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.

^3*For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquitie, your lippes haue spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered peruersnesse.

^4*None calleth for iustice, nor any pleadeth for trueth: they trust in vanity and speake lies; they conceiue mischiefe, and bring forth iniquitie.

^5‖‖They hatch cockatrice egges, and weaue the spiders web: he that eateth of their egges dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.

^6*Their webbes shall not become garments, neither shall they couer themselues with their workes: their workes are workes of iniquitie, and the act of violence is in their hands.

^7*†Their feete runne to euill, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, wasting & destruction are in their paths.

^8‖The way of peace they know not, and there is no iudgement in their goings: they haue made them crooked pathes; whosoeuer goeth therein, shall not know peace.

⁹¶ Therefore is iudgement farre from vs, neither doth iustice ouertake vs: we waite for light, but behold obscuritie, for brightnesse, but we walke in darknesse.

¹⁰We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eies: we stumble at noone day as in the night, we are in desolate places as dead men.

¹¹We roare all like beares, and mourne sore like doues: we looke for iudgement, but there is none; for saluation, but it is farre off from vs.

¹²For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sinnes testifie against vs: for our transgressions are with vs, and as for our iniquities, we know them:

¹³In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and reuolt, conceiuing and vttering from the heart words of falshood.

¹⁴And iudgement is turned away backward, and iustice standeth a farre off: for truth is fallen in the streete, and equitie cannot enter.

^15‖†Yea truth faileth, and he that departeth from euill maketh himselfe a pray: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him, that there was no iudgement.

²⁶For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.

²⁷As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.

²⁸They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

²⁹Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

^26‖For among my people are found wicked men: they lay waite as hee that setteth snares, they set a trap, they catch men.

^27‖As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.

^28**They are waxen fat, they shine: yea they ouerpasse the deedes of the wicked: they iudge not the cause, the cause of the fatherlesse, yet they prosper: and the right of the needy doe they not iudge.

²⁹Shall I not visit for these things, saith the LORD? shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this?

⁵I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.

⁶Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

⁵I wil get me vnto the great men, and will speake vnto them, for they haue knowen the way of the LORD, and the iudgement of their God: but these haue altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bondes.

^6‖†Wherfore a lyon out of the forrest shall slay them, and a wolfe of the euenings shall spoile them, a leopard shall watch ouer their cities: euery one that goeth out thence shalbe torne in pieces, because their transgressions are many, and their backeslidings are increased.

⁶¶ For thus hath the Lord of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.

⁷As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds.

⁶¶ ^‖For thus hath the LORD of hostes said; Hew yee downe trees and cast a mount against Ierusalem: this is the citie to be visited, she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.

^7*As a fountaine casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickednesse: violence and spoile is heard in her, before me continually is griefe and wounds.

¹AND I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment?

²Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;

³Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.

¹¶ And I said, Heare, I pray you, O heads of Iacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel: is it not for you to know iudgement?

²Who hate the good and loue the euill, who plucke off their skinne from off them, and their flesh from off their bones.

³Who also eate the flesh of my people, and flay their skinne from off them, and they breake their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the cauldron.

⁹Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.

¹⁰They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.

¹¹The 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.

⁹Heare this, I pray you, yee heads of the house of Iacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhorre iudgement and peruert all equitie.

^10*†They build vp Zion with blood, and Ierusalem with iniquitie.

^11†The heads thereof iudge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hyre, and the Prophets thereof diuine for money: yet will they leane vpon the LORD, and say; Is not the LORD among vs? none euill can come vpon vs.

²The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.

³¶ That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.

⁴The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.

⁵¶ Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.

⁶For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.

^2*‖The good man is perished out of the earth, and there is none vpright among men: they all lie in waite for blood: they hunt euery man his brother with a net.

³¶ ^†That they may doe euill with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the iudge asketh for a reward: and the great man, he vttereth his mischieuous desire: so they wrap it vp.

⁴The best of them is as a brier: the most vpright is sharper then a thorne hedge: the day of thy watchmen, and thy visitation commeth; now shall be their perplexitie.

⁵¶ Trust yee not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keepe the doores of thy mouth from her that lyeth in thy bosome.

^6*For the sonne dishonoureth the father: the daughter riseth vp against her mother: the daughter in law against her mother in law; a mans enemies are the men of his owne house.