Micah 3

And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment?

I pleaded, "Listen, leaders of Jacob, rulers of Israel, shouldn't you be the ones who understand justice?"

Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;

You who despise what's right and embrace what's wrong, who tear the skin off my people and strip the flesh from their bones.

Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.

They cruelly consume my people, stripping their skin and breaking their bones. They chop them up, as if preparing a meal, boiling their flesh in a pot.

Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.

When they call out to God in their distress, He won't listen; He'll turn away because of their wrong actions.

Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.

The Lord says about the false prophets who mislead His people, who promise peace when they're satisfied, but incite war when they're not fed.

Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.

The darkness will envelop you, stealing your visions. You'll be unable to foresee, as the sun sets on the prophets, casting a shadow over them.

Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.

Then, those claiming to see the future will feel shame, and those predicting events will be baffled. Indeed, they will all fall silent, for they have no real message from God.

But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.

Indeed, I am filled with the Lord's strength and wisdom, enabling me to reveal Jacob's wrongdoings and Israel's sins.

Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.

Listen closely, leaders of Jacob's family and rulers of Israel. You who despise fairness and twist justice, I beg you to hear me.

They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.

They construct Zion with violence, and Jerusalem with injustice.

The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.

Those in power make decisions for personal gain, religious leaders teach for profit, and prophets predict for money. Yet, they still rely on God, asking, "Isn't God with us? We're safe from harm, right?"

Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.

Because of you, Zion will be torn apart like a tilled field, Jerusalem will crumble into ruins, and the sacred mountain will become as desolate as a forest.