مِيخَا 3

١ 1 وَقُلْتُ: «ٱسْمَعُوا يَا رُؤَسَاءَ يَعْقُوبَ، وَقُضَاةَ بَيْتِ إِسْرَائِيلَ. أَلَيْسَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تَعْرِفُوا ٱلْحَقَّ؟

Then I said, “You Israeli [MTY] leaders, listen [to what I say]! You should certainly [RHQ] know what things are right [to do] [and what things are wrong],

٢ 2 ٱلْمُبْغِضِينَ ٱلْخَيْرَ وَٱلْمُحِبِّينَ ٱلشَّرَّ، ٱلنَّازِعِينَ جُلُودَهُمْ عَنْهُمْ، وَلَحْمَهُمْ عَنْ عِظَامِهِمْ.

but you hate what is good and you love what is evil. [You act like butchers]: [it is as though] you strip the skin off my people and [tear] the flesh from their bones.

٣ 3 وَٱلَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمَ شَعْبِي، وَيَكْشُطُونَ جِلْدَهُمْ عَنْهُمْ، وَيُهَشِّمُونَ عِظَامَهُمْ، وَيُشَقِّقُونَ كَمَا فِي ٱلْقِدْرِ، وَكَٱللَّحْمِ فِي وَسَطِ ٱلْمِقْلَى».

[It is as though] you chop them into pieces like [SIM] meat [to be cooked] in a pot.

٤ 4 حِينَئِذٍ يَصْرُخُونَ إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ فَلَا يُجِيبُهُمْ، بَلْ يَسْتُرُ وَجْهَهُ عَنْهُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ ٱلْوَقْتِ كَمَا أَسَاءُوا أَعْمَالَهُمْ.

Then, [when you have troubles], you plead to Yahweh [to help you], but he will not answer you. At that time, he will turn away from you because of the evil things that you have done.”

٥ 5 هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ عَلَى ٱلْأَنْبِيَاءِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُضِلُّونَ شَعْبِي، ٱلَّذِينَ يَنْهَشُونَ بِأَسْنَانِهِمْ، وَيُنَادُونَ: «سَلَامٌ»! وَٱلَّذِي لَا يَجْعَلُ فِي أَفْوَاهِهِمْ شَيْئًا، يَفْتَحُونَ عَلَيْهِ حَرْبًا:

This is what Yahweh says about your [false] prophets who are deceiving the people: “If someone gives them food, those prophets say that things will go well for him. But they declare war against anyone who does not give them food.

٦ 6 «لِذَلِكَ تَكُونُ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةٌ بِلَا رُؤْيَا. ظَلَامٌ لَكُمْ بِدُونِ عِرَافَةٍ. وَتَغِيبُ ٱلشَّمْسُ عَنِ ٱلْأَنْبِيَاءِ، وَيُظْلِمُ عَلَيْهِمِ ٱلنَّهَارُ.

So [now it is as though] [MET] night will descend on you prophets; you will not receive any [more] visions. [It is as though] [MET] the sun will set for you; the time [when you are greatly honored] will end.

٧ 7 فَيَخْزَى ٱلرَّاؤُونَ، وَيَخْجَلُ ٱلْعَرَّافُونَ، وَيُغَطُّونَ كُلُّهُمْ شَوَارِبَهُمْ، لِأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ جَوَابٌ مِنَ ٱللهِ».

[Then] you (seers/people who predict what will happen in the future) [DOU] will be disgraced; you will cover your faces [because you will be ashamed], because when you ask me [what will happen], there will be no answer from me.”

٨ 8 لَكِنَّنِي أَنَا مَلْآنٌ قُوَّةَ رُوحِ ٱلرَّبِّ وَحَقًّا وَبَأْسًا، لِأُخَبِّرَ يَعْقُوبَ بِذَنْبِهِ وَإِسْرَائِيلَ بِخَطِيَّتِهِ.

But as for me, I am full of [God’s] power, [power] from the Spirit of Yahweh. I am courageous and strong to declare to the Israeli people [MTY, DOU] that they have sinned and rebelled [against Yahweh].

٩ 9 اِسْمَعُوا هَذَا يَا رُؤَسَاءَ بَيْتِ يَعْقُوبَ وَقُضَاةَ بَيْتِ إِسْرَائِيلَ، ٱلَّذِينَ يَكْرَهُونَ ٱلْحَقَّ وَيُعَوِّجُونَ كُلَّ مُسْتَقِيمٍ.

You leaders of the people [MTY] of Israel, listen to this! You hate [it when people do] what is just; and [when people say] what is true, you distort it, [saying it is false].

١٠ 10 ٱلَّذِينَ يَبْنُونَ صِهْيَوْنَ بِٱلدِّمَاءِ، وَأُورُشَلِيمَ بِٱلظُّلْمِ.

[It is as though] you are building [houses in] Jerusalem on foundations that consist of murdering people and doing what is corrupt.

١١ 11 رُؤَسَاؤُهَا يَقْضُونَ بِٱلرَّشْوَةِ، وَكَهَنَتُهَا يُعَلِّمُونَ بِٱلْأُجْرَةِ، وَأَنْبِيَاؤُهَا يَعْرِفُونَ بِٱلْفِضَّةِ، وَهُمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ عَلَى ٱلرَّبِّ قَائِلِينَ: «أَلَيْسَ ٱلرَّبُّ فِي وَسَطِنَا؟ لَا يَأْتِي عَلَيْنَا شَرٌّ!».

Your leaders make [favorable] decisions [only if they receive] bribes. Your priests teach people only if [those people] pay them [well]. Your [false] prophets require people to pay them to tell people what will happen [to them] in the future. Those prophets say, “Yahweh is telling us [what we should say], and [we say that] we will not experience any disasters.”

١٢ 12 لِذَلِكَ بِسَبَبِكُمْ تُفْلَحُ صِهْيَوْنُ كَحَقْلٍ، وَتَصِيرُ أُورُشَلِيمُ خِرَبًا، وَجَبَلُ ٱلْبَيْتِ شَوَامِخَ وَعْرٍ.

Because of what you [leaders do], Zion [Hill] will be plowed like a field; it will become a heap of ruins/rubble; the top of the hill, where the temple is [now], will be covered with bushes.