Micah 2:3
New International Version
Therefore, the LORD says: “I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of calamity.

New Living Translation
But this is what the LORD says: “I will reward your evil with evil; you won’t be able to pull your neck out of the noose. You will no longer walk around proudly, for it will be a terrible time.”

English Standard Version
Therefore thus says the LORD: behold, against this family I am devising disaster, from which you cannot remove your necks, and you shall not walk haughtily, for it will be a time of disaster.

Berean Standard Bible
Therefore this is what the LORD says: “I am planning against this nation a disaster from which you cannot free your necks. Then you will not walk so proudly, for it will be a time of calamity.

King James Bible
Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil.

New King James Version
Therefore thus says the LORD: “Behold, against this family I am devising disaster, From which you cannot remove your necks; Nor shall you walk haughtily, For this is an evil time.

New American Standard Bible
Therefore this is what the LORD says: “Behold, I am planning against this family a catastrophe From which you cannot remove your necks; And you will not walk haughtily, For it will be an evil time.

NASB 1995
Therefore thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am planning against this family a calamity From which you cannot remove your necks; And you will not walk haughtily, For it will be an evil time.

NASB 1977
Therefore, thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am planning against this family a calamity From which you cannot remove your necks; And you will not walk haughtily, For it will be an evil time.

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore thus says Yahweh, “Behold, I am devising against this family an evil demise From which you cannot remove your necks; And you will not walk haughtily, For it will be an evil time.

Amplified Bible
Therefore, thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am planning against this family a disaster (exile) [Like a noose] from which you cannot remove your necks; Nor will you be able to walk haughtily and erect, For it will be an evil time [of subjugation to the invaders].

Christian Standard Bible
Therefore, the LORD says: I am now planning a disaster against this nation; you cannot free your necks from it. Then you will not walk so proudly because it will be an evil time.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Therefore, the LORD says: I am now planning a disaster against this nation; you cannot free your necks from it. Then you will not walk so proudly because it will be an evil time.

American Standard Version
Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks, neither shall ye walk haughtily; for it is an evil time.

Contemporary English Version
But here is what the LORD says: "I am planning trouble for you. Your necks will be caught in a noose, and you will be disgraced in this time of disaster."

English Revised Version
Therefore thus saith the LORD: Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks, neither shall ye walk haughtily; for it is an evil time.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So this is what the LORD says: I'm planning a disaster to punish your family. You won't be able to rescue yourselves. You will no longer be able to walk proudly. This will be a time of disaster.

Good News Translation
And so the LORD says, "I am planning to bring disaster on you, and you will not be able to escape it. You are going to find yourselves in trouble, and then you will not walk so proudly any more.

International Standard Version
"Therefore this is what the LORD says, 'I'm crafting evil against this family, from which you can't escape. You won't strut around arrogantly, because the times are evil.'

Majority Standard Bible
Therefore this is what the LORD says: “I am planning against this nation a disaster from which you cannot free your necks. Then you will not walk so proudly, for it will be a time of calamity.

NET Bible
Therefore the LORD says this: "Look, I am devising disaster for this nation! It will be like a yoke from which you cannot free your neck. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of catastrophe.

New Heart English Bible
Therefore thus says the LORD: "Look, I am planning against these people a disaster, from which you will not remove your necks, neither will you walk haughtily; for it is an evil time.

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil.

World English Bible
Therefore Yahweh says: “Behold, I am planning against these people a disaster, from which you will not remove your necks, neither will you walk haughtily, for it is an evil time.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Therefore, thus said YHWH: “Behold, I am devising against this family calamity, "" From which you do not remove your necks, "" Nor walk loftily, for it [is] a time of evil.

Young's Literal Translation
Therefore, thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am devising against this family evil, From which ye do not remove your necks, Nor walk loftily, for a time of evil it is.

Smith's Literal Translation
For this, thus said Jehovah: Behold me purposing evil against this family, which ye shall not remove your necks from thence; and ye shall not go loftily: for it is an evil time.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore thus saith the Lord : Behold, I devise an evil against this family: from which you shall not withdraw your necks, and you shall not walk haughtily, for this is a very evil time.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For this reason, thus says the Lord: Behold, I devise an evil against this family, from which you will not steal away your necks. And you will not walk in arrogance, because this is a most wicked time.

New American Bible
Therefore thus says the LORD: Look, I am planning against this family an evil from which you cannot free your necks; Nor shall you walk with head held high, for it will be an evil time.

New Revised Standard Version
Therefore thus says the LORD: Now, I am devising against this family an evil from which you cannot remove your necks; and you shall not walk haughtily, for it will be an evil time.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Therefore thus says the LORD God: Behold, against this people do I devise a disaster from which you shall not lift up your necks, neither shall you walk haughtily; for this is an evil time.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because of these things, thus says LORD JEHOVAH God: ”Behold, I devise evil against this generation, that you will not lift up your necks from it, and you shall not walk in erect stature because the time is evil
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Therefore thus saith the LORD: Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, From which ye shall not remove your necks, Neither shall ye walk upright; for it shall be an evil time.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I devise evils against this family, out of which ye shall not lift up your necks, neither shall ye walk upright speedily: for the time is evil.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Woe to the Oppressors
2They covet fields and seize them; they take away houses. They deprive a man of his home, a fellow man of his inheritance. 3Therefore this is what the LORD says: “I am planning against this nation a disaster from which you cannot free your necks. Then you will not walk so proudly, for it will be a time of calamity. 4In that day they will take up a proverb against you and taunt you with this bitter lamentation: ‘We are utterly ruined! He has changed the portion of my people. How He has removed it from me! He has allotted our fields to traitors.’ ”…

Cross References
Isaiah 10:1-3
Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and issue oppressive decrees, / to deprive the poor of fair treatment and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and orphans their plunder. / What will you do on the day of reckoning when devastation comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?

Isaiah 5:8
Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field until no place is left and you live alone in the land.

Amos 3:10-11
“For they know not how to do right,” declares the LORD. “They store up violence and destruction in their citadels.” / Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: “An enemy will surround the land; he will pull down your strongholds and plunder your citadels.”

Habakkuk 2:6-8
Will not all of these take up a taunt against him, speaking with mockery and derision: ‘Woe to him who amasses what is not his and makes himself rich with many loans! How long will this go on?’ / Will not your creditors suddenly arise and those who disturb you awaken? Then you will become their prey. / Because you have plundered many nations, the remnant of the people will plunder you—because of your bloodshed against man and your violence against the land, the city, and all their dwellers.

James 5:1-6
Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. / Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. / Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days. ...

Isaiah 30:12-13
Therefore this is what the Holy One of Israel says: “Because you have rejected this message, trusting in oppression and relying on deceit, / this iniquity of yours is like a breach about to fail, a bulge in a high wall, whose collapse will come suddenly—in an instant!

Jeremiah 6:19
Hear, O earth! I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their own schemes, because they have paid no attention to My word and have rejected My instruction.

Isaiah 29:15-16
Woe to those who dig deep to hide their plans from the LORD. In darkness they do their works and say, “Who sees us, and who will know?” / You have turned things upside down, as if the potter were regarded as clay. Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pottery say of the potter, “He has no understanding”?

Ezekiel 7:5-9
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Disaster! An unprecedented disaster—behold, it is coming! / The end has come! The end has come! It has roused itself against you. Behold, it has come! / Doom has come to you, O inhabitants of the land. The time has come; the day is near; there is panic on the mountains instead of shouts of joy. ...

Proverbs 1:26-27
in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you, / when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.

Isaiah 47:10-11
You were secure in your wickedness; you said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray; you told yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’ / But disaster will come upon you; you will not know how to charm it away. A calamity will befall you that you will be unable to ward off. Devastation will happen to you suddenly and unexpectedly.

Zephaniah 1:17-18
I will bring such distress on mankind that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung. / Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He will make a sudden end of all who dwell on the earth.

Luke 6:24-25
But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. / Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

Jeremiah 18:11
Now therefore, tell the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I am planning a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways, and correct your ways and deeds.’

Romans 2:5-6
But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. / God “will repay each one according to his deeds.”


Treasury of Scripture

Therefore thus said the LORD; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which you shall not remove your necks; neither shall you go haughtily: for this time is evil.

this family.

Jeremiah 8:3
And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.

Amos 3:1,2
Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, …

do.

Micah 2:1
Woe 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.

Jeremiah 18:11
Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.

Jeremiah 34:17
Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

from.

Amos 2:14-16
Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself: …

Amos 9:1-4
I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered…

Zephaniah 1:17,18
And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung…

necks.

Jeremiah 27:12
I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

Lamentations 1:14
The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up.

Lamentations 5:5
Our necks are under persecution: we labour, and have no rest.

go.

Isaiah 2:11,12
The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day…

Isaiah 3:16
Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:

Isaiah 5:19
That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!

for.

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Micah 2
1. Against oppression.
4. A lamentation.
7. A reproof of injustice and idolatry.
12. A promise to restore Jacob.














Therefore this is what the LORD says
This phrase introduces a divine pronouncement, emphasizing the authority and sovereignty of God. The Hebrew word for "LORD" here is "YHWH," the sacred and personal name of God, which underscores His covenant relationship with Israel. This introduction sets the stage for a serious and irrevocable declaration, reminding the audience that the message is not from a human prophet but from God Himself.

I am planning against this family a disaster
The word "planning" comes from the Hebrew root "ḥāšab," which means to think, plan, or devise. It is ironic because the people of Israel were known for devising evil plans against others (Micah 2:1), and now God is devising a plan against them. The "family" refers to the house of Israel, indicating that the judgment is corporate, affecting the entire nation. The "disaster" (Hebrew "ra'ah") signifies a calamity or evil, often used in the context of divine judgment. This reflects the principle of divine retribution, where the consequences of sin are meted out by God.

from which you cannot free your necks
The imagery of "necks" suggests a yoke, symbolizing bondage or subjugation. In ancient times, a yoke was placed on the necks of animals to control them, and here it signifies the inescapable nature of the coming judgment. The phrase implies that the people will be unable to escape or resist the consequences of their actions, highlighting the totality and inevitability of God's judgment.

Then you will no longer walk proudly
"Proudly" translates from the Hebrew "gā'āh," which means to be exalted or haughty. The Israelites' pride stemmed from their perceived security and prosperity, often leading them to forget their dependence on God. This phrase indicates a humbling process, where their arrogance will be brought low. It serves as a reminder of the biblical principle that pride precedes a fall (Proverbs 16:18).

for it will be a time of calamity
The "time of calamity" (Hebrew "ēt rā'ah") refers to a specific period of distress and trouble. This phrase underscores the certainty and severity of the impending judgment. Historically, this could be linked to the Assyrian invasion, which brought devastation to Israel. Theologically, it serves as a warning of the consequences of turning away from God's commandments and the inevitable judgment that follows persistent disobedience.

(3) I devise an evil.--As they devise evil against their brethren, so am I devising an evil against them: they shall bow their necks under a hostile yoke.

Verse 3. - The sin shall be followed by its appropriate punishment. As they devised evil, God will devise a penalty. This family. The whole people (Amos 3:1). An evil. A chastisement, a judgment (Amos 3:6). Ye. The prophet suddenly addresses them, the "family." Your necks. He speaks of the calamity as a heavy, galling yoke, from which they should be unable to free themselves (comp. Hosea 10:11). This yoke is their conquest and exile at the hands of foreigners (comp. Jeremiah 27:12). Haughtily. With head erect. Septuagint, ὀρθοί. Their pride shall be brought low. This time is evil; full of calamity, which is announced in the following verses. The words occur in Amos 5:13, but the evil there spoken of is moral (comp. Ephesians 5:16).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Therefore,
לָכֵ֗ן (lā·ḵên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus

this is what
כֹּ֚ה (kōh)
Adverb
Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now

the LORD
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

says:
אָמַ֣ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“I am planning
חֹשֵׁ֛ב (ḥō·šêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2803: To think, account

against
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

this
הַזֹּ֖את (haz·zōṯ)
Article | Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

nation
הַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֥ה (ham·miš·pā·ḥāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4940: A family, circle of relatives, a class, a species, sort, a tribe, people

a disaster
רָעָ֑ה (rā·‘āh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

from
מִשָּׁ֜ם (miš·šām)
Preposition-m | Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

which
אֲ֠שֶׁר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

you cannot
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

free
תָמִ֨ישׁוּ (ṯā·mî·šū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 4185: To depart, remove

your necks.
צַוְּארֹֽתֵיכֶ֗ם (ṣaw·wə·rō·ṯê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 6677: The back of the neck

Then you will not
וְלֹ֤א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

walk
תֵֽלְכוּ֙ (ṯê·lə·ḵū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

so proudly,
רוֹמָ֔ה (rō·w·māh)
Adverb
Strong's 7317: Elation, proudly

for
כִּ֛י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

it
הִֽיא׃ (hî)
Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

will be a time
עֵ֥ת (‘êṯ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

of calamity.
רָעָ֖ה (rā·‘āh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil


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OT Prophets: Micah 2:3 Therefore thus says Yahweh: Behold (Mc Mic. Mi)
Micah 2:2
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