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OET (OET-RV) Should I consider people to be innocent if they use fraudulent scales
⇔ or a bag of deceptive weights?
This section has three parts. In 6:9–12, the LORD charged the people of Jerusalem and the tribe of Judah with theft, dishonesty, deception, and violence. In 6:13–15, he stated how he will punish them. In 6:16, the LORD restated in a short summary the people’s sin and their punishment. In this section, the LORD was the speaker except for 6:9, in which Micah told the people of the city to listen.
Here are some other examples of section headings:
Cheating and Violence to Be Punished (NRSV)
Israel’s Guilt and Punishment (NIV)
Accusations and Covenant CursesSuggestion by A&F (pages 541–544)
In this paragraph, the LORD accused the people of committing several kinds of sin. Most were sins committed by wealthy people. Some were sins by the general population.
(combined/reordered)
How can I approve of deceptive scales and weights?
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
11a Can I excuse dishonest scales
11bor bags of false weights?
There is an ellipsis (a deliberately omitted phrase) in 6:11b. In some languages, it may be necessary to supply the missing words from 6:11a. For example:
11bor can I excuse bags of false weights?
This verse is another rhetorical question. Its function is to express the next accusation of the LORD against the people.
Here are some ways to translate this rhetorical question:
As one or more rhetorical questions. You may use slightly different questions, if that is more natural in your language. For example:
Can I justify wicked scales and a bag of deceptive weights? (NASB)
How can I ignore the use of fraudulent scales? How can I close my eyes to inaccurate weights used to deceive?
As a statement. For example:
I do not condone the use of rigged scales, or a bag of deceptive weights. (NET)
Can I excuse: All versions understand that the Piel word form meaning “acquit/justify” is used here. BART mentions the Qal word form meaning “pure.” In that case, the rhetorical question would be “Will I be clear/pure?” No version follows this rendering, so the Notes have not discussed the issue. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
Can I justify (NASB)
Shall I acquit (ESV)
dishonest scales…bags of false weights: Each phrase describes a way that a merchant cheated a customer. The phrase dishonest scales refers to measuring balances that were made to be inaccurate in a way that benefitted the merchant. The phrase bags of false weights refers to bags or pouches of inaccurate weights. They may have been lighter or heavier than the true weight.A footnote in the NET says the weights were smaller than standard weights. CBC (page 339) says that the weights were heavier than the standard weight. NAC (page 117) suggests that the bag contained both lighter and heavier than standard weights. A person would use whichever weights benefited them, depending on whether he or she was buying or selling. Together these measuring devices were used to deceive others.KD (page 337) suggests that scales and a bag with stones belong together.
Here are some other ways to translate these phrases:
misleading scales or a bag of fraudulent weights (REB)
I do not condone the use of rigged scales, or a bag of deceptive weights. (NET)
In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder these parallel lines. For example:
How can I tolerate your merchants who use dishonest scales and weights? (NLT)
Can I excuse dishonest scales
Can I say it is right for a person to use misleading scales
I cannot ignore the use of fraudulent measuring scales
or bags of false weights?
and carry a bag of inaccurate weights?
and weights used to deceive.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
(Occurrence 0) Should I consider a person to be innocent … weights?
(Some words not found in UHB: will,I_be_clean? with,balances_of wicked and,with,a_bag_of weights_of deceptive )
If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this question as a statement. Alternate translation: “I certainly will not consider a person innocent … weights.”
(Occurrence 0) deceptive weights
(Some words not found in UHB: will,I_be_clean? with,balances_of wicked and,with,a_bag_of weights_of deceptive )
weights with which sellers deceive buyers
6:1-16 The Lord presented, argued, and decided the case against his rebellious people, Israel. This section is formally presented as a legal court case (cp. Isa 1:2-4; Jer 2:4-9; Hos 4). Using the scenario of the courtroom, the Lord challenged his people to state their case against him, for he had a case against them (Mic 6:1-5)—they had not fulfilled his requirements (6:6-8), so they were guilty (6:9-12). The guilty verdict is followed by Israel’s sentencing (6:13-16).
OET (OET-RV) Should I consider people to be innocent if they use fraudulent scales
⇔ or a bag of deceptive weights?
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The Hebrew text, lemmas, and morphology are all thanks to the OSHB and some of the glosses are from Macula Hebrew.