Micah 6:16
New International Version
You have observed the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab’s house; you have followed their traditions. Therefore I will give you over to ruin and your people to derision; you will bear the scorn of the nations.”

New Living Translation
You keep only the laws of evil King Omri; you follow only the example of wicked King Ahab! Therefore, I will make an example of you, bringing you to complete ruin. You will be treated with contempt, mocked by all who see you.”

English Standard Version
For you have kept the statutes of Omri, and all the works of the house of Ahab; and you have walked in their counsels, that I may make you a desolation, and your inhabitants a hissing; so you shall bear the scorn of my people.”

Berean Standard Bible
You have kept the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab’s house; you have followed their counsel. Therefore I will make you a desolation, and your inhabitants an object of contempt; you will bear the scorn of the nations.”

King James Bible
For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.

New King James Version
For the statutes of Omri are kept; All the works of Ahab’s house are done; And you walk in their counsels, That I may make you a desolation, And your inhabitants a hissing. Therefore you shall bear the reproach of My people.”

New American Standard Bible
“The statutes of Omri And every work of the house of Ahab are maintained, And you walk by their plans. Therefore I will give you up for destruction, And your inhabitants for derision, And you will suffer the taunting of My people.”

NASB 1995
“The statutes of Omri And all the works of the house of Ahab are observed; And in their devices you walk. Therefore I will give you up for destruction And your inhabitants for derision, And you will bear the reproach of My people.”

NASB 1977
“The statutes of Omri And all the works of the house of Ahab are observed; And in their devices you walk. Therefore, I will give you up for destruction And your inhabitants for derision, And you will bear the reproach of My people.”

Legacy Standard Bible
The statutes of Omri And all the works of the house of Ahab are kept; And in their counsels you walk. Therefore I will give you up as an object of horror And your inhabitants as an object of hissing, And you will bear the reproach of My people.”

Amplified Bible
“For [you have kept] the statutes of Omri [the idolatrous king], And all the works of the [wicked] house (dynasty) of Ahab; And you walk in their counsels and policies. Therefore, I shall hand you over for destruction and horror And your [city’s] inhabitants for ridicule, And you shall bear the rebuke and scorn of My people.”

Christian Standard Bible
The statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab’s house have been observed; you have followed their policies. Therefore, I will make you a desolate place and the city’s residents an object of contempt; you will bear the scorn of my people.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab’s house have been observed; you have followed their policies. Therefore, I will make you a desolate place and the city’s residents an object of contempt; you will bear the scorn of My people.”

American Standard Version
For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I may make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof a hissing: and ye shall bear the reproach of my people.

Contemporary English Version
Jerusalem, this will happen because you followed the sinful example of kings Omri and Ahab. Now I will destroy you and your property. Then the people of every nation will make fun and insult you.

English Revised Version
For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels: that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing; and ye shall bear the reproach of my people.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You have kept Omri's laws and all the practices of the descendants of Ahab, and you have followed their advice. That is why I will ruin you. Your people will be ridiculed. You will bear the disgrace of my people."

Good News Translation
This will happen because you have followed the evil practices of King Omri and of his son, King Ahab. You have continued their policies, and so I will bring you to ruin, and everyone will despise you. People everywhere will treat you with contempt."

International Standard Version
You keep Omri's statutes and observe the customs of the house of Ahab. Because you live according to their advice, I'll make you desolate and turn your inhabitants into an object of scorn. Therefore you will bear the shame of my people."

Majority Standard Bible
You have kept the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab’s house; you have followed their counsel. Therefore I will make you a desolation, and your inhabitants an object of contempt; you will bear the scorn of the nations.”

NET Bible
You implement the regulations of Omri, and all the practices of Ahab's dynasty; you follow their policies. Therefore I will make you an appalling sight, the city's inhabitants will be taunted derisively, and nations will mock all of you."

New Heart English Bible
For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab; and you walk in their counsels. Therefore I will make you a desolation, and her inhabitants an object of contempt; and you will bear the scorn of the nations."

Webster's Bible Translation
For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.

World English Bible
For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of Ahab’s house. You walk in their counsels, that I may make you a ruin, and your inhabitants a hissing. You will bear the reproach of my people.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the statutes of Omri are kept habitually, "" And all the work of the house of Ahab, "" And you walk in their counsels, "" For My giving you for a desolation, "" And its inhabitants for a hissing, "" And you bear the reproach of My people!”

Young's Literal Translation
And kept habitually are the statutes of Omri, And all the work of the house of Ahab, And ye do walk in their counsels, For My giving thee for a desolation, And its inhabitants for a hissing, And the reproach of My people ye do bear!

Smith's Literal Translation
The laws of Omri will be observed, and all the work of the house of Ahab, and ye will go in their counsels; so that I shall give thee for a desolation, and her inhabitants for hissing, and ye shall bear the reproach of my People.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For thou hast kept the statutes of Amri, and all the works of the house of Achab: and thou hast walked according to their wills, that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof a hissing, and you shall bear the reproach of my people.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For you have kept the precepts of Omri, and all the works of the house of Ahab. And you have walked according their wills, so that I should give you over to perdition and its hissing inhabitants, and you would carry the disgrace of my people.

New American Bible
You have kept the decrees of Omri, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and you have walked in their counsels; Therefore I will deliver you up to ruin, and your citizens to derision; and you shall bear the reproach of the nations.

New Revised Standard Version
For you have kept the statutes of Omri and all the works of the house of Ahab, and you have followed their counsels. Therefore I will make you a desolation, and your inhabitants an object of hissing; so you shall bear the scorn of my people.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For you have kept the statutes of Omri and all the works of the house of Ahab, and you have walked in their counsels; therefore I have made the land a desolation, and its inhabitants a hissing; thus you shall bear the reproach of my people.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
For you have kept the commandments of Omri and all the works of the house of Akhab, and you have walked in their counsels; because of this, I have put it into a stupor and the inhabitants into hissing, and the shame of my people you shall bear
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For the statutes of Omri are kept, And all the works of the house of Ahab, And ye walk in their counsels; That I may make thee an astonishment, And the inhabitants thereof a hissing; And ye shall bear the reproach of My people.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For thou hast kept the statues of Zambri, and done all the works of the house of Achaab; and ye have walked in their ways, that I might deliver thee to utter destruction, and those that inhabit the city to hissing: and ye shall bear the reproach of nations.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Punishment of Israel
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. 16You have kept the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab’s house; you have followed their counsel. Therefore I will make you a desolation, and your inhabitants an object of contempt; you will bear the scorn of the nations.”

Cross References
2 Kings 17:19-20
and even Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but lived according to the customs Israel had introduced. / So the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He afflicted them and delivered them into the hands of plunderers, until He had banished them from His presence.

Hosea 5:11
Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, for he is determined to follow worthless idols.

1 Kings 16:25-26
But Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD and acted more wickedly than all who were before him. / For he walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sins, which he caused Israel to commit, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their worthless idols.

2 Kings 21:11-13
“Since Manasseh king of Judah has committed all these abominations, acting more wickedly than the Amorites who preceded him, and with his idols has caused Judah to sin, / this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah that the news will reverberate in the ears of all who hear it. / I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab, and I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes out a bowl—wiping it and turning it upside down.

Amos 2:4
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Judah, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they reject the Law of the LORD and fail to keep His statutes; they are led astray by the lies in which their fathers walked.

2 Kings 17:8
and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel.

2 Kings 16:3
Instead, he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

2 Kings 21:9
But the people did not listen and Manasseh led them astray, so that they did greater evil than the nations that the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites.

2 Kings 23:26-27
Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn away from the fury of His burning anger, which was kindled against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke Him to anger. / For the LORD had said, “I will remove Judah from My sight, just as I removed Israel. I will reject this city Jerusalem, which I chose, and the temple of which I said, ‘My Name shall be there.’”

Jeremiah 7:24-26
Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. / From the day your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets again and again. / Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers.

Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

Luke 11:47-51
Woe to you! For you build tombs for the prophets, but it was your fathers who killed them. / So you are witnesses consenting to the deeds of your fathers: They killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. / Because of this, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and others they will persecute.’ ...

Matthew 12:41-42
The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here. / The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now One greater than Solomon is here.

Mark 7:6-9
Jesus answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. / They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’ / You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men.” ...

Luke 13:34-35
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! / Look, your house is left to you desolate. And I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”


Treasury of Scripture

For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and you walk in their counsels; that I should make you a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore you shall bear the reproach of my people.

the statutes of Omri are kept.

1 Kings 16:25-30
But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that were before him…

Hosea 5:11
Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.

the works.

1 Kings 16:30-33
And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him…

1 Kings 18:4
For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)

1 Kings 21:25,26
But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up…

ye walk.

Psalm 1:1
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Jeremiah 7:24
But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.

that.

1 Kings 9:8
And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house?

2 Chronicles 29:8,9
Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes…

2 Chronicles 34:25
Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.

desolation.

Psalm 44:13
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.

Isaiah 25:8
He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

Jeremiah 51:51
We are confounded, because we have heard reproach: shame hath covered our faces: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the LORD'S house.

Jump to Previous
Ahab Ahab's Astonishment Bear Counsels Derision Desolation Destruction Devices Followed Hissing House Inhabitants Kept Observed Omri Peoples Practices Reproach Ruin Scorn Statutes Thereof Traditions Walk Walked Works
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Ahab Ahab's Astonishment Bear Counsels Derision Desolation Destruction Devices Followed Hissing House Inhabitants Kept Observed Omri Peoples Practices Reproach Ruin Scorn Statutes Thereof Traditions Walk Walked Works
Micah 6
1. God's punishment for ingratitude;
6. for ignorance,
10. for injustice;
16. and for idolatry.














You have observed the statutes of Omri
The phrase "observed the statutes of Omri" refers to the adoption of corrupt practices and idolatrous laws established by King Omri of Israel. Omri was known for his political prowess and establishing Samaria as the capital, but he also led Israel into sin. The Hebrew root for "statutes" (חֻקּוֹת, "chuqqot") implies decrees or ordinances, often with a connotation of permanence. Omri's statutes were contrary to God's laws, leading the people away from righteousness. This highlights the danger of following human decrees over divine commandments, a warning against allowing cultural or political influences to supersede God's Word.

and all the practices of Ahab’s house
Ahab, Omri's son, is infamous for his marriage to Jezebel and the subsequent introduction of Baal worship in Israel. The "practices" (מַעֲשֵׂי, "ma'asei") of Ahab's house were characterized by idolatry, injustice, and moral decay. This phrase underscores the continuation and intensification of Omri's sinful legacy. Historically, Ahab's reign is marked by significant archaeological findings, such as the Moabite Stone, which corroborates biblical accounts of his interactions with surrounding nations. The practices of Ahab's house serve as a cautionary tale of how leadership can profoundly influence a nation's spiritual direction.

you have followed their counsel
The phrase "followed their counsel" (וַתֵּלְכוּ בְּמוֹעֲצוֹתָם, "vatelekhu bemo'atzotam") indicates a deliberate choice to adhere to the advice and strategies of these wicked rulers. The Hebrew word for "counsel" (מוֹעֵצָה, "mo'etzah") suggests guidance or plans, often with a negative connotation when associated with ungodly leaders. This reflects a willful alignment with ungodly wisdom, leading to spiritual and moral compromise. It serves as a reminder of the importance of seeking godly counsel and the consequences of aligning with those who oppose God's ways.

Therefore, I will make you a desolation
The consequence of following ungodly statutes and practices is desolation (שַׁמָּה, "shammah"), a term that conveys utter devastation and ruin. This prophetic declaration serves as a divine judgment against the nation for its collective sin. The historical context of this warning is significant, as it foreshadows the eventual fall of Samaria and the Northern Kingdom to the Assyrians. It is a sobering reminder of the seriousness of sin and the inevitable judgment that follows persistent disobedience to God.

and your inhabitants an object of scorn
The phrase "an object of scorn" (שְׁרֵקָה, "shereqah") implies derision and mockery from surrounding nations. This reflects the shame and humiliation that come from being abandoned by God due to persistent rebellion. Historically, Israel's downfall was indeed met with scorn by its neighbors, fulfilling this prophetic word. It serves as a warning that turning away from God not only leads to personal and national ruin but also to a loss of respect and dignity in the eyes of others.

you will bear the reproach of My people
The term "reproach" (חֶרְפַּת, "cherpat") signifies disgrace or shame. This phrase indicates that the people of Israel, once chosen and set apart by God, would experience the shame of their unfaithfulness. The use of "My people" underscores the broken relationship between God and Israel, highlighting the pain of divine disappointment. It serves as a call to repentance and a reminder of the covenant relationship that requires faithfulness and obedience to God. This reproach is not just a consequence but also an opportunity for reflection and return to God.

(16) The statutes of Omri.--The people of Judah, instead of keeping the commandments of the Lord diligently, adopted the statutes of the house of Omri, the founder of the idolatrous dynasty of Ahab. They reproduced the sins of the northern kingdom, and their conduct was aggravated by the advantages vouchsafed to them. The greatness of their reproach should therefore be in proportion to the greatness of the glory which properly belonged to them as the people of God.

Verse 16. - The threatening is closed by repeating its cause: the punishment is the just reward of ungodly conduct. The first part of the verse corresponds to vers. 10-12, the second part to vers. 13-15. The statutes of Omri. The statutes are the rules of worship prescribed by him of whom it is said (1 Kings 16:25) that he "wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all that were before him." No special "statutes" of his are anywhere mentioned; but he is named here as the founder of that evil dynasty which gave Ahab to Israel, and the murderess Athaliah (who is called in 2 Kings 8:26, "the daughter of Omri") to Judah. The people keep his statutes instead of the Lord's (Leviticus 20:22). The works of the house of Ahab are their crimes and sins, especially the idolatrous practices observed by that family, such as the worship of Baal, which became the national religion (1 Kings 16:31, etc.). Such apostasy had a disastrous effect upon the neighbouring kingdom of Judah (2 Kings 8:18). Walk in their counsels. Take your tone and policy from them. That I should make thee. "The punishment was as certainly connected with the sin, in the purpose of God, as if its infliction had been the end at which they aimed" (Henderson). The prophet here threatens a threefold penalty, as he had mentioned a threefold guiltiness. A desolation; ἀφανισμόν (Septuagint); perditionem (Vulgate). According to Keil, "an object of horror," as Deuteronomy 28:37; Jeremiah 25:9. Micah addresses Jerusalem itself in the first clause, its inhabitants in the second, and the whole nation in the last. An hissing; i.e. an object of derision, as Jeremiah 19:8; Jeremiah 25:18, etc. Therefore (and) ye shall bear the reproach of my people. Ye shall have to hear yourselves reproached at the mouth of the heathen, in that, though ye were the Lord's peculiar people, ye were cast out and given into the hands of your enemies. The Septuagint, from a different reading, renders, Καὶ ὀνείδη λαῶν λήψεσθε, "Ye shall receive the reproaches of nations," which is like Ezekiel 34:29; Ezekiel 36:6, 15.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You have observed
וְיִשְׁתַּמֵּ֞ר (wə·yiš·tam·mêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

the statutes
חֻקּ֣וֹת (ḥuq·qō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 2708: Something prescribed, an enactment, statute

of Omri
עָמְרִ֗י (‘ā·mə·rî)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6018: Omri -- a king of Israel, also several other Israelites

and all
וְכֹל֙ (wə·ḵōl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the practices
מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה (ma·‘ă·śêh)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4639: An action, a transaction, activity, a product, property

of Ahab’s
אַחְאָ֔ב (’aḥ·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 256: Ahab -- 'father's brother', a king of Israel, also a false prophet

house;
בֵית־ (ḇêṯ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

you have followed
וַתֵּלְכ֖וּ (wat·tê·lə·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

their traditions.
בְּמֹֽעֲצוֹתָ֑ם (bə·mō·‘ă·ṣō·w·ṯām)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4156: Counsel, plan, principle, device

Therefore
לְמַעַן֩ (lə·ma·‘an)
Conjunction
Strong's 4616: Purpose -- intent

I will make
תִּתִּ֨י (tit·tî)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

you
אֹתְךָ֜ (’ō·ṯə·ḵā)
Direct object marker | second person masculine singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

a desolation,
לְשַׁמָּ֗ה (lə·šam·māh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8047: Ruin, consternation

and your inhabitants
וְיֹשְׁבֶ֙יהָ֙ (wə·yō·šə·ḇe·hā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

an object of contempt;
לִשְׁרֵקָ֔ה (liš·rê·qāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8322: (object of derisive) hissing

you will bear
תִּשָּֽׂאוּ׃ (tiś·śā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

the scorn
וְחֶרְפַּ֥ת (wə·ḥer·paṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 2781: Contumely, disgrace, the pudenda

of the nations.”
עַמִּ֖י (‘am·mî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock


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OT Prophets: Micah 6:16 For the statutes of Omri are kept (Mc Mic. Mi)
Micah 6:15
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