Micah 6:14
New International Version
You will eat but not be satisfied; your stomach will still be empty. You will store up but save nothing, because what you save I will give to the sword.

New Living Translation
You will eat but never have enough. Your hunger pangs and emptiness will remain. And though you try to save your money, it will come to nothing in the end. You will save a little, but I will give it to those who conquer you.

English Standard Version
You shall eat, but not be satisfied, and there shall be hunger within you; you shall put away, but not preserve, and what you preserve I will give to the sword.

Berean Standard Bible
You will eat but not be satisfied, and your hunger will remain with you. What you acquire, you will not preserve; and what you save, I will give to the sword.

King James Bible
Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword.

New King James Version
You shall eat, but not be satisfied; Hunger shall be in your midst. You may carry some away, but shall not save them; And what you do rescue I will give over to the sword.

New American Standard Bible
“You will eat, but you will not be satisfied, And your filth will be in your midst. You will try to remove valuables for safekeeping, But you will not save it all, And what you do save I will turn over to the sword.

NASB 1995
“You will eat, but you will not be satisfied, And your vileness will be in your midst. You will try to remove for safekeeping, But you will not preserve anything, And what you do preserve I will give to the sword.

NASB 1977
“You will eat, but you will not be satisfied, And your vileness will be in your midst. You will try to remove for safekeeping, But you will not preserve anything, And what you do preserve I will give to the sword.

Legacy Standard Bible
You will eat, but you will not be satisfied, And your vileness will be in your midst. And you will try to remove something for safekeeping, But you will not cause anything to escape, And that which you do have escape, I will give to the sword.

Amplified Bible
“You shall eat, but you will not be satisfied, And your emptiness shall be among you; You will [try to] remove [your goods and those you love] for safekeeping But you will fail to save anything, And what you do save I shall give to the sword.

Christian Standard Bible
You will eat but not be satisfied, for there will be hunger within you. What you acquire, you cannot save, and what you do save, I will give to the sword.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You will eat but not be satisfied, for there will be hunger within you. What you acquire, you cannot save, and what you do save, I will give to the sword.

American Standard Version
Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy humiliation shall be in the midst of thee: and thou shalt put away, but shalt not save; and that which thou savest will I give up to the sword.

Contemporary English Version
You will eat, but still be hungry; you will store up goods, but lose everything--I, the LORD, will let it all be captured in war.

English Revised Version
Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy humiliation shall be in the midst of thee: and thou shalt remove, but shalt not carry away safe; and that which thou carriest away will I give up to the sword.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You will eat, but you won't be full. So you will always be hungry. You will put things away, but you won't save them. Anything you save I will destroy.

Good News Translation
You will eat, but not be satisfied--in fact you will still be hungry. You will carry things off, but you will not be able to save them; anything you do save I will destroy in war.

International Standard Version
You'll eat, but you won't have enough; and hunger will be common among you. You'll horde things, but you won't save them, and what you preserve I'll give over to the sword.

Majority Standard Bible
You will eat but not be satisfied, and your hunger will remain with you. What you acquire, you will not preserve; and what you save, I will give to the sword.

NET Bible
You will eat, but not be satisfied. Even if you have the strength to overtake some prey, you will not be able to carry it away; if you do happen to carry away something, I will deliver it over to the sword.

New Heart English Bible
You shall eat, but not be satisfied. Your humiliation will be in your midst. You will store up, but not save; and that which you save I will give up to the sword.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword.

World English Bible
You shall eat, but not be satisfied. Your hunger will be within you. You will store up, but not save, and that which you save I will give up to the sword.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
You eat, and you are not satisfied, "" And your pit [is] in your midst, "" And you remove, and do not deliver, "" And that which you deliver, I give to a sword.

Young's Literal Translation
Thou -- thou eatest, and thou art not satisfied, And thy pit is in thy midst, And thou removest, and dost not deliver, And that which thou deliverest, to a sword I give.

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou shalt eat and not be satisfied; and thine emptiness in the midst of thee; and thou shalt remove and shalt not deliver; and what thou shalt save I will give to the sword.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt eat, but shalt not be filled: and thy humiliation shall be in the midst of thee: and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not save: and those whom thou shalt save, I will give up to the sword.

Catholic Public Domain Version
You will consume and not be satisfied, and your humiliation will be in your midst. And you will take hold, and not save, and those whom you will save, I will deliver to the sword.

New American Bible
You shall eat, without being satisfied, food that will leave you empty; What you acquire, you cannot save; what you do save, I will deliver up to the sword.

New Revised Standard Version
You shall eat, but not be satisfied, and there shall be a gnawing hunger within you; you shall put away, but not save, and what you save, I will hand over to the sword.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
You shall eat, but not be satisfied; and dysentery shall be in the midst of you; and you shall thresh wheat, but shall not keep it, and that which you retain, I will give up to the sword.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And you shall eat and you shall not be satisfied, and dysentery will be among you, and you shall thresh and you will not save, and anything that you save I shall hand over to the sword
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; And thy sickness shall be in thine inward parts; And thou shalt conceive, but shalt not bring forth; And whomsoever thou bringest forth will I give up to the sword.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thou shalt eat, and shalt not be satisfied; and there shall be darkness upon thee; and he shall depart from thee, and thou shalt not escape; and all that shall escape shall be delivered over to the sword.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Punishment of Israel
13Therefore I am striking you severely, to ruin you because of your sins. 14You will eat but not be satisfied, and your hunger will remain with you. What you acquire, you will not preserve; and what you save, I will give to the sword. 15You will sow but not reap; you will press olives but not anoint yourselves with oil; you will tread grapes but not drink the wine.…

Cross References
Leviticus 26:26
When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will bake your bread in a single oven and dole out your bread by weight, so that you will eat but not be satisfied.

Deuteronomy 28:39
You will plant and cultivate vineyards, but will neither drink the wine nor gather the grapes, because worms will eat them.

Haggai 1:6
You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. You put on clothes but never get warm. You earn wages to put into a bag pierced through.”

Isaiah 65:13-14
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: “My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame. / My servants will shout for joy with a glad heart, but you will cry out with a heavy heart and wail with a broken spirit.

Hosea 4:10
They will eat but not be satisfied; they will be promiscuous but not multiply. For they have abandoned the LORD to give themselves

Amos 4:6
“I afflicted all your cities with cleanness of teeth and all your towns with lack of bread, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 5:17
They will devour your harvest and food; they will consume your sons and daughters; they will eat up your flocks and herds; they will feed on your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust.”

Ezekiel 4:16-17
Then He told me, “Son of man, I am going to cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem. They will anxiously eat bread rationed by weight, and in despair they will drink water by measure. / So they will lack food and water; they will be appalled at the sight of one another wasting away in their iniquity.

Joel 1:10-12
The field is ruined; the land mourns. For the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, and the oil fails. / Be dismayed, O farmers, wail, O vinedressers, over the wheat and barley, because the harvest of the field has perished. / The grapevine is dried up, and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, palm, and apple—all the trees of the orchard—are withered. Surely the joy of mankind has dried up.

Zechariah 8:10
For before those days neither man nor beast received wages, nor was there safety from the enemy for anyone who came or went, for I had turned every man against his neighbor.

Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. / For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 12:16-21
Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. / So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’ / Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods. ...

John 6:26-27
Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. / Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”

Romans 8:20-22
For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope / that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. / We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15
If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, / his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. / If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. ...


Treasury of Scripture

You shall eat, but not be satisfied; and your casting down shall be in the middle of you; and you shall take hold, but shall not deliver; and that which you deliver will I give up to the sword.

eat.

Leviticus 26:26
And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.

Isaiah 65:13
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:

Ezekiel 4:16,17
Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment: …

and thou.

Deuteronomy 32:22-25
For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains…

Isaiah 3:6-8
When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand: …

Isaiah 24:17-20
Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth…

Jump to Previous
Casting Conceive Deliver Deliverest Eat Enough Food Forth Goods Hold Humiliation Hunger Inward Midst Moved Parts Preserve Remove Safekeeping Safely Satisfied Save Savest Shame Sickness Stomach Store Sword Try Vileness Whomsoever
Jump to Next
Casting Conceive Deliver Deliverest Eat Enough Food Forth Goods Hold Humiliation Hunger Inward Midst Moved Parts Preserve Remove Safekeeping Safely Satisfied Save Savest Shame Sickness Stomach Store Sword Try Vileness Whomsoever
Micah 6
1. God's punishment for ingratitude;
6. for ignorance,
10. for injustice;
16. and for idolatry.














You will eat but not be satisfied
This phrase speaks to the futility and emptiness that comes from disobedience to God. The Hebrew word for "satisfied" is "שָׂבַע" (saba), which means to be full or to have enough. In the context of ancient Israel, eating and being satisfied was a sign of God's blessing and provision. The lack of satisfaction here indicates a spiritual and physical barrenness, a direct consequence of turning away from God's commandments. Historically, this reflects the times when Israel faced famine and hardship due to their idolatry and injustice.

and your hunger will remain within you
The word "hunger" in Hebrew is "רָעָב" (ra'av), which not only refers to physical hunger but also a deeper, spiritual longing. This phrase suggests an insatiable desire that cannot be quenched, symbolizing the spiritual void that occurs when one is separated from God. Theologically, it underscores the idea that only God can truly satisfy the deepest needs of the human heart. This is a powerful reminder of the consequences of sin and the importance of seeking fulfillment in God alone.

What you acquire, you will not preserve
The Hebrew root for "acquire" is "יָשַׂג" (yasag), meaning to reach or obtain. This phrase indicates the futility of human efforts without divine blessing. In the historical context of Israel, this could refer to the loss of crops, wealth, or even national security. The inability to preserve what is acquired serves as a metaphor for the transient nature of earthly possessions and achievements when they are not grounded in obedience to God.

and what you save, I will give to the sword
The word "save" comes from the Hebrew "פָּלַט" (palat), meaning to escape or deliver. This phrase is a stark warning of impending judgment. The "sword" symbolizes war, destruction, and divine retribution. In the context of Micah's prophecy, it foretells the coming invasions and the loss of what the people of Israel thought they had secured. This serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of straying from God's path and the ultimate sovereignty of God over all nations and their destinies.

(14) Thy casting down.--The Hebrew word is found only in this passage. It comes from an unused root, meaning to be void, empty. Hence it may be translated hunger.

Thou shalt take hold.--Thou shalt collect thy property for flight, to save it from the enemy; but in vain: it shall be captured.

Verse 14. - Thou shalt eat, etc. The punishment answers to the sin (which proves that it comes from God), and recalls the threats of the Law (Leviticus 26:25, etc.; Deuteronomy 28:29, etc.; comp. Hosea 4:10; Haggai 1:6). Thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; i.e. thy humiliation, thy decay and downfall, shall occur in the very centre of thy wealth and strength, where thou hast laid up thy treasure and practised thy wickedness. But the meaning of the Hebrew is very uncertain, and the text may be corrupt. The LXX. had a different reading, συσκοτάσει εν σοι, "darkness shall be in thee." The Syriac and Chaldee interpret the word rendered "casting down" (ישח, which is found nowhere else) of some disease like dysentery. It is most suitable to understand this clause as connected with the preceding threat of hunger, and to take the unusual word in the sense of "emptiness." Thus, "Thy emptiness (of stomach) shall remain in thee." Jeremiah (Jeremiah 52:6)speaks of the famine in the city at the time of its siege. Thou shalt take hold; rather, thou shalt remove (thy goods). This is the second chastisement. They should try to take their goods and families out of the reach of the enemy, but should not be able to save them. The LXX. interprets the verb of escaping by flight. That which thou deliverest. If by chance anything is carried away, it shall fall into the hands of the enemy (comp. 2 Kings 25:4, 5; Jeremiah 52:7, 8).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You
אַתָּ֤ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

will eat
תֹאכַל֙ (ṯō·ḵal)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

but not
וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

be satisfied,
תִשְׂבָּ֔ע (ṯiś·bā‘)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7646: To be sated, satisfied or surfeited

and your hunger
וְיֶשְׁחֲךָ֖ (wə·yeš·ḥă·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3445: Perhaps emptiness

will remain with you.
בְּקִרְבֶּ֑ךָ (bə·qir·be·ḵā)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7130: The nearest part, the center

What you acquire,
וְתַסֵּג֙ (wə·ṯas·sêḡ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5253: Departing away, remove, take hold, turn away

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

preserve;
תַפְלִ֔יט (ṯap̄·lîṭ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6403: To slip out, escape, to deliver

and what
וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר (wa·’ă·šer)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

you save,
תְּפַלֵּ֖ט (tə·p̄al·lêṭ)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6403: To slip out, escape, to deliver

I will give over
אֶתֵּֽן׃ (’et·tên)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

to the sword.
לַחֶ֥רֶב (la·ḥe·reḇ)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword


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OT Prophets: Micah 6:14 You shall eat but not be satisfied (Mc Mic. Mi)
Micah 6:13
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