The HNVP is a work in progress. Please check back occasionally.
HEBREW NAMES 'PLUS' VERSION of the TANAKH
A Hebrew Beginner's Primer MIKHAH
Micah
Brief notes on Hebrew pronunciation
can be found at GLOSSARY.
Footnotes for the B'rit Chadashah are HERE. [♦] See footnotes at the bottom of this page.
PEREQ א
CHAPTER 1 1:1D'var YHWH that came el-Mikhah ha-Morashti bi'y'mei Yotam, Achaz, Y'chizkiyah, malkhei Y'hudah, which he saw al-Shomron v'Y'rushalaim.
1:2
Hear, `ammim, all of you.
Listen, eretz, and all that is therein:
and let Adonai YHWH be witness against you, Adonai me-heikhal kadsho. 1:3Ki hinneh, YHWH comes out of his place,
and will come down and tread on the high places of aretz. 1:4He-harim melt under him,
and the valleys split apart,
like wax mi-p'nei ha-esh,
k'mayim that are poured down a steep place. 1:5
"All this is for the disobedience of Ya`akov, u'v'chattot beit Yisra'el.
What is the disobedience of Ya`akov?
Isn't it Shomron?
And what are the high places of Y'hudah?
Aren't they Y'rushalaim? 1:6
Therefore I will make Shomron like a rubble heap of ha-sadeh,
like places for planting kerem;
and I will pour down its stones into the valley,
and I will uncover its foundations. 1:7
All her idols will be beaten to pieces,
and all her temple gifts will be burned ba-esh,
and all her images I will destroy;
for of the hire of a prostitute has she gathered them,
and to the hire of a prostitute shall they return."
1:8
For this I will lament and wail;
I will go stripped and naked;
I will howl like the jackals,
and moan like the daughters of owls. 1:9
For her wounds are incurable;
for it has come ad-Y'hudah.
It reaches to the gate of ammi,
ad-Y'rushalaim.
1:10
Don't tell it b'Gat.
Don't weep at all. B'veit l'Ofrah[♦]
roll yourself in the dust. 1:11
Pass on, inhabitant of Shafir,
in nakedness and shame.
The inhabitant of Tza'anan
won't come out.
The wailing of Beit ha-E'tzel
will take from you his protection. 1:12
For the inhabitant of Marot waits anxiously l'tov,
because evil has come down from YHWH
to the gate of Y'rushalaim. 1:13
Harness the chariot to the swift steed,
inhabitant of Lakhish.
Rrishit chatat hi l'vat Tziyon;
For the transgressions of Yisra'el were found in you. 1:14
Therefore you will give a parting gift al-Moreshet Gat.
The houses of Akhziv will be a deceitful thing l'malkhei Yisra'el. 1:15
I will yet bring an heir to you,
inhabitant of Mareshah.
He who is k'vod Yisra'el
will come to `Adullam. 1:16
Shave your heads, and cut off your hair
for the children of your delight.
Enlarge your baldness like the vulture;
for they have gone into captivity from you!
PEREQ ב
CHAPTER 2 2:1Hoy to those who devise iniquity
and work evil on their beds! B'or ha-boqer, they practice it,
because it is in the power [el] of their hand. 2:2
They covet sadot, and seize them; u'vatim, and take them away:
and they oppress a man and his bayit,
even a man and his heritage. 2:3
Therefore koh amar YHWH:
"Hinneh, I am planning against ha-mishpacha hazot a disaster,
from which you will not remove your necks,
neither will you walk haughtily; for it is an evil time. 2:4Ba-yom ha-hu they will take up a mashal against you,
and lament with a doleful lamentation,
saying, 'We are utterly ruined!
The possession of `ammi is divided up.
Indeed he takes it from me and assigns our sadot to traitors!' " 2:5
Therefore you will have no one to determine boundaries by lot bi-q'hal YHWH. 2:6
"Don't prophesy!" -- Thus they prophesy.
"Don't prophesy about these things.
Disgrace won't overtake us." 2:7
Shall it be said, beit-Ya`akov:
"Is Ruach YHWH angry?
Are these his doings?
Don't my words do good to him who walks blamelessly?" 2:8
But yesterday `ammi rose as an enemy.
You strip the robe from before a garment
from those who pass by without a care, returning from battle. 2:9N'shei ammi you drive out
from their pleasant houses;
from their young children you take away
my blessing forever. 2:10
Arise, and depart!
For this is not your resting place,
because of uncleanness that destroys,
even with a grievous destruction. 2:11
If a man walking in a ruach of falsehood lies:
"I will prophesy to you of yayin and of strong drink;"
he would be the preacher of ha-`am hazeh.
2:12
I will surely assemble, Ya`akov, all of you;
I will surely gather the remnant of Yisra'el;
I will put them together as the sheep in a fold,
as a flock in the middle of their pasture;
they will be noisy me-adam. 2:13
The breaker[♦] goes up before them.
They break through the gate, and go out.
And their melekh passes on before them,
with YHWH at their head.
PEREQ ג
CHAPTER 3 3:1
I said,
"Please listen, roshei Ya`akov,
and rulers of beit Yisra'el:
Isn't it for you to know ha-mishpat? 3:2
You who hate the good,
and love the evil;
who tear off their skin,
and their flesh from off their bones; 3:3
who also eat the flesh of `ammi,
and peel their skin from off them,
and break their bones,
and chop them in pieces, as for the pot,
and as meat within the cauldron.
3:4
Then they will cry el-YHWH,
but he will not answer them.
Yes, he will hide his face from them at that time,
because they made their deeds evil."
3:5Koh amar YHWH al-ha-n'vi'im
who lead `ammi astray;
for those who feed their teeth,
they proclaim, "Shalom!"
and whoever doesn't provide for their mouths,
they prepare war against him: 3:6
"Therefore lailah is over you, with no vision,
and it is dark to you, that you may not divine;
and ha-shemesh will go down al-ha-n'vi'im,
and ha-yom will be black over them. 3:7
The seers shall be disappointed,
and the diviners confounded.
Yes, they shall all cover their lips;
for there is no answer from Elohim." 3:8
But as for me, I am full of power by Ruach YHWH,
u'mishpat, and of might,
to declare l'Ya`akov his disobedience, u'l'Yisra'el his chet.
3:9
Please listen to this, roshei beit Yisra'el,
and rulers of beit Yisra'el,
who abhor mishpat,
and pervert all equity. 3:10
They build up Tziyon with blood, v'Y'rushalaim with iniquity. 3:11
Her leaders judge for bribes,
and her kohanim teach for a price,
and her n'vi'im of it tell fortunes b'khesef:
yet they lean on YHWH, lemor,
"Isn't YHWH among us?
No disaster will come on us." 3:12
Therefore Tziyon for your sake will be plowed like a sadeh,
and Y'rushalaim will become heaps of rubble, v'har ha-Bayit like the high places of a forest.
PEREQ ד
CHAPTER 4 4:1V'hayah b'acharit ha-yamim,
yihyeh har beit-YHWH will be established b'rosh he-harim,
and it will be exalted above the hills;
and `ammim will stream to it. 4:2Goyim rabbim will go and say,
"Come! Let's go up el-har-YHWH,
v'el-beit Elohei Ya`akov;
and he will teach us of his d'rakhim,
and we will walk in his paths." Ki mi-Tziyon tetzeh Torah,
u'd'var YHWH m'Y'rushalaim; 4:3v'shafat bein `ammim rabbim,
and will decide concerning strong goyim afar off.
They will beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks. Goy el-goy will not lift up sword,
neither will they learn war any more. 4:4
But they will sit every man under his gefen and under his fig tree;
and no one will make them afraid: ki pi YHWH Ts'va'ot diber.
4:5Ki kol ha-`ammim may walk in the name of their elohim;
but we will walk b'shem YHWH Eloheinu -- l'olam va`ed.
4:6
"Ba-yom ha-hu," n'um YHWH,
"I will assemble that which is lame,
and I will gather that which is driven away,
and that which I have afflicted; 4:7
and I will make that which was lame a remnant,
and that which was cast far off a strong goy:
and YHWH will reign over them b'Har Tziyon me-`attah v`ad-olam."
4:8V'attah, Migdal-eder, the hill of bat Tziyon,
to you it will come,
yes, the former dominion will come, mamlekhet l'vat Y'rushalaim.
4:9
Now why do you cry out aloud?
Is there no melekh in you?
Has your yo`etz perished,
that pains have taken hold of you as of a woman in travail? 4:10
Be in pain, and labor to give birth, bat-Tziyon,
like a woman in travail;
for now you will go out of the city,
and will dwell ba-sadeh,
and will come `ad-Bavel.
There you will be rescued.
There YHWH will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.
4:11
Now goyim rabbim
have assembled against you,
saying, "Let her be defiled,
and let our eye gloat over Tziyon."
4:12
But they don't know the thoughts of YHWH,
neither do they understand his counsel;
for he has gathered them like the sheaves to the threshing floor.
4:13
Arise and thresh, bat-Tziyon;
for I will make your horn iron,
and I will make your hoofs n'chushah;
and you will beat in pieces `ammim rabbim:
and I will devote their gain to YHWH,
and their substance la-Adonai (of) kol-ha-aretz.
PEREQ ה
CHAPTER 5 5:1 [4:14 in Heb.]
Now you shall gather yourself in troops,
daughter of troops.
He has laid siege against us.
They will strike shofet Yisra'el with a rod on the cheek.
5:2 [5:1]V'attah Beit-lechem Efratah,
being small among the thousands of Y'hudah,
out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler b'Yisra'el;
whose origin is from of old, mi-y'mei olam.
5:3 [2]
Therefore he will abandon them until the time that she who is in labor gives birth.
Then the rest of his achim will shuv al-b'nei Yisra'el. 5:4 [3]
He shall stand, and shall shepherd in the strength of YHWH,
in the majesty of shem YHWH his Elohim:
and they will live, for then he will be great to the ends of the aretz.
5:5 [4]
And this shall be shalom when Ashshur invades our eretz,
and when he marches through our fortresses,
then we will raise against him seven shepherds,
and eight leaders of adam. 5:6 [5]
They will rule eretz Ashshur with the sword, v'eretz Nimrod in its gates.
He will deliver us me-Ashshur,
when he invades our eretz,
and when he marches within our border.
5:7 [6]
The remnant of Ya`akov will be among `ammim rabbim,
like dew from YHWH,
like showers on the grass,
that don't wait l'ish,
nor wait for b'nei adam. 5:8 [7]
The remnant of Ya`akov will be ba-goyim,
among `ammim rabbim,
like a lion among the b'hemot of the forest,
like a young lion among the flocks of sheep;
who, if he goes through, treads down and tears in pieces,
and there is no one to deliver. 5:9 [8]
Let your hand be lifted up above your adversaries,
and let all of your enemies be cut off.
5:10[9]
"V'hayah b'yom ha-hu," n'um YHWH,
"that I will cut off your horses out from among you,
and will destroy your chariots. 5:11 [10]
I will cut off the cities of your eretz,
and will tear down all your strongholds. 5:12 [11]
I will destroy witchcraft from your hand;
and you shall have no soothsayers. 5:13 [12]
I will cut off your engraved images and your pillars out from among you;
and you shall no more worship the work of your hands. 5:14 [13]
I will uproot your Asherim out from among you;
and I will destroy your cities. 5:15 [14]
I will execute vengeance in anger,
and wrath on ha-goyim that didn't listen."
PEREQ ו
CHAPTER 6 6:1
Listen now to what YHWH says:
"Arise, plead your case before he-harim,
and let the hills hear your voice. 6:2
Hear, harim, the controversy of YHWH,
and you enduring foundations of aretz;
for YHWH has a controversy im-`ammo,
v'im-Yisra'el he will contend.
6:3`Ammi, what have I done to you?
How have I burdened you?
Answer me! 6:4
For I brought you up me-eretz Mitzrayim,
and redeemed you mi-beit avadim.
I sent before you Mosheh, Aharon, u'Miryam. 6:5`Ammi, remember now what Balak melekh Mo'av devised,
and what Bil`am ben-B`or answered him min-ha-Shittim ad-ha-Gilgal,
that you may know da`at tzidkot YHWH."
6:6
How shall I come before YHWH,
and bow myself l'Elohei marom?
Shall I come before him with olot,
with calves a year old? 6:7
Will YHWH be pleased with thousands of rams?
With tens of thousands of rivers of shemen?
Shall I give my firstborn for my disobedience?
The fruit of my body for chatat nafshi? 6:8
He has shown you, adam, ma-tov.
What does YHWH require of you, but to do mishpat,
to love chesed, and to walk humbly im-Eloheikha?
6:9Qol YHWH calls la-ir,
and wisdom sees your name:
"Listen to the rod,
and he who appointed it. 6:10
Are there yet treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked,
and a short efah[♦] that is accursed? 6:11
Shall I be pure with dishonest scales,
and with a bag of deceitful weights? 6:12
Her rich men are full of chamas,
her inhabitants speak lies,
and their tongue is deceitful in their speech. 6:13
Therefore I also have struck you with a grievous wound.
I have made you desolate because of your chata'im. 6:14
You shall eat, but not be satisfied.
Your humiliation will be within you.
You will store up, but not save;
and that which you save I will give up to the sword. 6:15
You will sow, but won't reap.
You will tread zayit, but won't anoint yourself with shemen;
and crush grapes, but won't drink yayin. 6:16
For chukkot Omri are kept, v'khol ma`aseh beit Ach'av.
You walk in their counsels,
that I may make you a ruin,
and her inhabitants a hissing;
And you will bear the reproach of `ammi."
PEREQ ז
CHAPTER 7 7:1
Misery is mine!
Indeed, I am like one who gathers the summer fruits, as gleanings of the vineyard:
There is no cluster of grapes to eat.
My nefesh desires to eat the early fig. 7:2Chasid has perished min ha-aretz,
and there is no one upright ba-adam.
They all lie in wait for blood;
every man hunts his brother with a net. 7:3
Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently.
The ruler v'ha-shofet ask for a bribe;
and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his nefesh.
Thus they conspire together. 7:4
The best of them is like a brier.
The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge.
The day of your watchmen,
even your visitation, has come;
now is the time of their confusion. 7:5
Don't trust in a neighbor.
Don't put confidence in a friend.
With her who lies in your embrace,
guard the words of your mouth! 7:6
For the son dishonors the father,
the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
a man's enemies are the men of his own house. 7:7
But as for me, I will look to YHWH.
I will wait l'Elohei my salvation. Elohai will hear me.
7:8
Don't rejoice against me, my enemy.
When I fall, I will arise.
When I sit in darkness, YHWH will be a light to me. 7:9
I will bear the indignation of YHWH,
because I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my case, and executes mishpat for me.
He will bring me out to the light.
I will see his tzedek. 7:10
Then my enemy will see it,
and shame will cover her who said to me,
where is YHWH your Elohim?
Then my enemy will see me and will cover her shame.
Now she will be trodden down like the mire of the streets.
7:11
A day to build your walls--
In that day, he will extend your boundary. 7:12
In that day they will come to you from Ashshur and the cities of Matzor [Mitzrayim],
and from Matzor v`ad nahar,
v'yam mi-yam,
v'har ha-har. 7:13
Yet ha-aretz will be desolate because of those who dwell therein,
for the fruit of their doings.
7:14
Shepherd your `ammim with your staff,
the flock of your heritage,
who dwell by themselves in a forest,
in the middle of fertile pasture land, let them feed;
in Bashan v'Gil`ad, ki-y'mei olam.
7:15
"As in the days of your coming me-eretz Mitzrayim,
I will show them marvelous things."
7:16Goyim will see and be ashamed of all their might.
They will lay their hand on their mouth.
Their ears will be deaf. 7:17
They will lick the dust ka-nachash.
Like crawling things of eretz they shall come trembling out of their dens.
They will come with fear to YHWH Eloheinu,
and will be afraid because of you.
7:18Mi (is an) El like you, who pardons iniquity,
and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage?
He doesn't retain his anger forever,
because he delights in chesed. 7:19
He will again have compassion on us.
He will tread our iniquities under foot;
and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 7:20
You will give emet l'Ya`akov, chesed l'Avraham,
as you have sworn la-avoteinu from the days of old.
[♦]
1:10 Beit Ofrah means literally "House of Dust."
2:13 "breaker" - see Matt. 11:12 and link in footnote.
6:10 An efah is a measure of volume (about 22 liters or about 2/3 of a bushel), and a short efah is made smaller than a full efah for the purpose of cheating customers.