MIC 1:7 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) All her carved statues will be smashed into pieces,
⇔ and all her wages will be burnt.
⇔ Yes, I’ll totally destroy all her idols.
⇔ Since she used prostitutes’ wages to pay for them,
⇔ ≈ the crushed pieces of idols will become prostitutes’ wages again.”

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Καὶ πάντα τὰ γλυπτὰ αὐτῆς κατακόψουσι, καὶ πάντα τὰ μισθώματα αὐτῆς ἐμπρήσουσιν ἐν πυρὶ, καὶ πάντα τὰ εἴδωλα αὐτῆς θήσομαι εἰς ἀφανισμόν· διότι ἐκ μισθωμάτων πορνείας συνήγαγε, καὶ ἐκ μισθωμάτων πορνείας συνέστρεψεν.
(Kai panta ta glupta autaʸs katakopsousi, kai panta ta misthōmata autaʸs empraʸsousin en puri, kai panta ta eidōla autaʸs thaʸsomai eis afanismon; dioti ek misthōmatōn porneias sunaʸgage, kai ek misthōmatōn porneias sunestrepsen. )

BrTr And they shall cut in pieces all the graven images, and all that she has hired they shall burn with fire, and I will utterly destroy all her idols: because she has gathered of the hires of fornication, and of the hires of fornication has she amassed wealth.

ULT All her carved figures will be broken to pieces,
⇔ and all her payments will be burned with fire,
⇔ and all her idols, I will make a complete destruction.
⇔ Since from the payments of prostitutes she gathered them,
⇔ to the payments of prostitutes, they will return.”

UST I will make others smash the idols in Samaria to pieces.
⇔ The gifts given to prostitutes at the temples of their idols will be burned in fire.
⇔ Because people paid prostitutes there,
⇔ their enemies will take away those idols and sell them to pay prostitutes in other countries.

OEB ⇔ ‘All her images will be shattered,
⇔ and all her statues will be burned with fire,
⇔ and all her idols I will lay in ruins.
⇔ For they were acquired by prostitution,
⇔ and to prostitution they will return.’

WEBBE All her idols will be beaten to pieces,
⇔ all her temple gifts will be burnt with fire,
⇔ and I will destroy all her images;
⇔ for of the hire of a prostitute has she gathered them,
⇔ and to the hire of a prostitute shall they return.”

WMBB (Same as above)

NET All her carved idols will be smashed to pieces;
⇔ all her metal cult statues will be destroyed by fire.
⇔ I will make a waste heap of all her images.
⇔ Since she gathered the metal as a prostitute collects her wages,
⇔ the idols will become a prostitute’s wages again.”

LSV And all her carved images are beaten down,
And all her wages are burned with fire,
And all her idols I make a desolation,
For from the wage of a harlot she gathered, and to the wage of a harlot they return.”

FBV All their carved idols will be smashed to pieces. All that was earned by their temple prostitutes will be burned. All of their idols will be destroyed, for what she collected through the earnings of temple prostitutes will be taken away and used to pay other temple prostitutes.

T4T All the idols in Samaria will be smashed,
⇔ and the gifts given to prostitutes at the temples of their idols will be destroyed in a fire.
⇔ And because people paid prostitutes there,
⇔ their enemies will take away those idols and sell them to get money to pay to prostitutes in other countries.

LEB   • Then all her idols will be broken in pieces, and all her prostitution wages will be burned in the fire,
  • and all her idols I will make a desolation,
• For from the wage of a prostitute she gathered them,
  • and to the wage of a prostitute they will return.

BBE And all her pictured images will be hammered into bits, and all the payments for her loose ways will be burned with fire, and all the images of her gods I will make waste: for with the price of a loose woman she got them together, and as the price of a loose woman will they be given back.

Moff shattering all her metal gods,
⇔ burning all her idols,
⇔ and ruining her shrines--
⇔ once the prize of faithless living,
⇔ now the prey of faithless foes.”
¶ 

JPS And all her graven images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her hires shall be burned with fire, and all her idols will I lay desolate; for of the hire of a harlot hath she gathered them, and unto the hire of a harlot shall they return.

ASV And all her graven images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her hires shall be burned with fire, and all her idols will I lay desolate; for of the hire of a harlot hath she gathered them, and unto the hire of a harlot shall they return.

DRA And all her graven things shall be cut in pieces, and all her wages shall be burnt with fire, and I will bring to destruction all her idols: for they were gathered together of the hire of a harlot, and unto the hire of a harlot they shall return.

YLT And all her graven images are beaten down, And all her gifts are burnt with fire, And all her idols I make a desolation, For, from the hire of a harlot she gathered, and unto the hire of a harlot they return.

Drby And all her graven images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her harlot-gifts shall be burned with fire, and all her idols will I make a desolation; for of the hire of a harlot hath she gathered [them], and to a harlot's hire shall they return.

RV And all her graven images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her hires shall be burned with fire, and all her idols will I lay desolate: for of the hire of an harlot hath she gathered them, and unto the hire of an harlot shall they return.
(And all her graven/carved images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her hires shall be burnt with fire, and all her idols will I lay desolate: for of the hire of an harlot hath/has she gathered them, and unto the hire of an harlot shall they return. )

SLT And all her carved images shall be beaten down, and all her gifts shall be burnt in fire, and all her images I will set a desolation: for she gathered from the gift of a harlot, and they shall turn back even to the gift of a harlot.

Wbstr And all her graven images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her hires shall be burned with the fire, and all her idols will I lay desolate: for she gathered it from the hire of a harlot, and they shall return to the hire of a harlot.

KJB-1769 And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot.
(And all the graven/carved images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burnt with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot. )

KJB-1611 And all the grauen images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burnt with the fire, and all the idoles therof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall returne to the hire of an harlot.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps All her images shalbe broken downe, and all her garmentes shalbe brent in the fire, yea: al her idols wyl I destroy: for they are gathered out of the hyre of an harlot, and into an harlots hyre shall they be turned againe.
(All her images shall be broken down, and all her garments shall be burnt in the fire, yea: all her idols will I destroy: for they are gathered out of the hire of an harlot, and into an harlots hire shall they be turned again.)

Gnva And all the grauen images thereof shalbe broken, and all the giftes thereof shalbe burnt with the fire, and all the idoles thereof will I destroy: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall returne to the wages of an harlot.
(And all the graven/carved images thereof shall be broken, and all the gifts thereof shall be burnt with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I destroy: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the wages of an harlot. )

Cvdl All hir ymages shalbe broke downe & all hir wynnynges shal be brent in the fyre: yee all hir Idols will I destroye: for why, they are gathered out of the hyre of an whore, & in to an whores hyre shal they be turned agayne.
(All her images shall be broke down and all her winnings shall be burnt in the fire: ye/you_all all her Idols will I destroye: for why, they are gathered out of the hire of an whore, and in to an whores hire shall they be turned again.)

Wycl And alle `grauun ymagis therof schulen be betun togidere, and alle hiris therof schulen be brent in fier; and Y schal putte alle idols therof in to perdicioun; for of hiris of an hoore tho ben gaderid, and `til to hire of an hoore tho schulen turne ayen.
(And all graven/carved images thereof should be beaten together, and all hires/wages thereof should be burnt in fire; and I shall put all idols thereof in to perdition/destruction/punishment; for of hires/wages of an hoar/grey those been gathered, and till to hire of an hoar/grey those should turn again.)

Luth Alle ihre Götzen sollen zerbrochen und all ihr Hurenlohn soll mit Feuer verbrannt werden, und will alle ihre Bilder verwüsten; denn sie sind von Hurenlohn versammelt und sollen auch wieder Hurenlohn werden.
(All their/her idols should broken and all you(pl)/their/her whore's_wages should with fire(n) burnt become, and will all their/her images/pictures devastate; because/than they/she/them are from whore's_wages gathered/assembled and should also again whore's_wages become.)

ClVg Et omnia sculptilia ejus concidentur, et omnes mercedes ejus comburentur igne, et omnia idola ejus ponam in perditionem, quia de mercedibus meretricis congregata sunt, et usque ad mercedem meretricis revertentur.
(And everything sculptilia his concidentur, and everyone rewards his comburentur with_fire, and everything idols his I_will_put in/into/on destruction, because from/about mercedibus prostitute gathered are, and until to a_reward prostitute revertentur. )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 1:2–7: The LORD will punish the people in Samaria

In the first paragraph of this section (1:2–5), Micah is the speaker. He began by telling the entire earth, with all its inhabitants, (1:2) to listen because the LORD would soon come down from heaven to accuse them. In 1:3–4, he continued to use vivid, figurative language to describe the LORD’s coming. In 1:5, he warned the whole nation of Israel, naming both Samaria and Jerusalem, that the LORD would judge them because of their idolatry and other sins. In the second paragraph (1:6–7), the speaker is the LORD. The LORD warned Samaria that he would completely destroy the city.

The Notes have separate section headings for 1:2–7 and 1:8–16. Here are some other examples of section headings for 1:2–7:

Judgment on Samaria (CEV)

Judgment pronounced against Samaria (NRSV)

Several other English versions use a section heading for 1:2–16. You may follow either pattern. Here are some other examples of section headings for 1:2–16:

The Coming Destruction (ESV)

Grief over Samaria and Jerusalem (NLT)

The capital cities of Israel and Judah destroyed (GW)

Paragraph 1:6–7

The main point of this paragraph is that the LORD will destroy the city of Samaria as a result of the sins of the people of Israel (1:5).

In the previous paragraph (1:2–5), Micah was the speaker. But in this paragraph (1:6–7), the LORD is the one who speaks. You may want to make this explicit in your translation. For example:

So the Lord says, “I will make Samaria a pile of ruins… (GNT)

So I, the Lord, will make the city of Samaria a heap of ruins… (NLT)

Many modern English versions begin a new paragraph here at 1:6. Most English versions put quotation marks around 1:6–7 to show that someone is speaking.The CEV translates 1:6 as an indirect quote: “So the Lord will leave Samaria in ruins…He will scatter its stones….”

1:7

Here is some background information that may be useful in translating this verse. The Jews were the LORD’s special people. In many Old Testament passages, when the Jews worshiped idols or other gods, the LORD compared them to prostitutes. A prostitute sleeps with other men, so she is unfaithful to her husband. In the same way, if the LORD’s people worshiped other gods, they were unfaithful to God.

During the time of Micah, the people who lived in some of the nations near Israel worshiped idols. In some of these nations, there were prostitutes who worked at the idol temples. People who came to worship the idols had sex with the prostitutes as part of their worship. The worshipers gave money and gifts to these prostitutes.

In the city of Samaria, the Jews also had built temples to worship idols. Temple prostitutes were probably part of their idol worship.Commentaries that support this view include UBS, ABC, NAC, and Waltke 2007.

1:7a–c

(combined/reordered)

Samaria's idols will be smashed, and her wealth gained by prostitution will be destroyed by fire,
I will cause to be smashed/destroyed all the idols/images in Samaria, and I will cause to be completely burned all valuable things that the city and its people gained from their idolatry.

^7aAll her carved images will be smashed to pieces;

^7ball her wages will be burned in the fire,

^7cand I will destroy all her idols.

The three parallel lines in 1:7a–c have similar meanings. Each statement begins with the word “all” to give extra emphasis. The LORD would destroy all the idols that the people in Samaria worshiped.

All her carved images…all her wages…all her idols: The pronoun her used in these three phrases refers to the city of Samaria. Actually, these idols and images belonged to the people who lived in Samaria, not to the city itself. Refer to the city here in a natural way in your language. For example:

all its idols,

all the idols in the city

all of the idols that the people in Samaria worship

carved images…idols: In Hebrew, the words carved images in 1:7a and idols 1:7c both refer to objects that people made to worship. These idols could be carved out of rock or wood, or they could be made of metal. Some of them were overlaid with gold or silver.A&F (page 179) mention “wood carving, gilded or otherwise adorned with precious metal.” CBC (page 306) describes “statues of gods (or goddesses) carved from wood or stone (and sometimes overlaid with silver or gold).” English versions translate these two words in various ways. For example:

idols…images (NIV)

precious idols…images (GNT)

carved figures…idols (REB)

idols…statues (GW)

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder and/or combine the sentences about carved images (1:7a) and idols (1:7c) into one or two sentences. See the General Comment on 1:7a–c at the end of 1:7c.

will be smashed to pieces…will be burned…I will destroy: In Hebrew, the passive verbs in the first two lines do not specify the one who beats and burns. Historically, it was the invading Assyrian army that did this. The third line specifies I as the one who lays waste. The LORD is the one who causes all three things to be done. In some languages, it may be more natural to translate all three verbs with the LORD (I) as the subject. For example:

I will smash into pieces…I will burn…I will destroy…

I will cause to be smashed into pieces…I will cause to be burned…I will cause to be destroyed…

1:7a

All her carved images will be smashed to pieces;

All her/its images will be smashed.
I will cause all the idols to be broken into pieces.

smashed to pieces: The Hebrew word for smashed to pieces means “to smash something,” “to hit it so that it breaks into pieces.” This word probably implies using a tool like a club.

1:7b

all her wages will be burned in the fire,

All of Samaria’s earnings from prostitution will be completely burned up,
I will cause all the valuable things at their idol-worship places to be put in a fire and burned.

wages: In this context, the word wages may have both literal and figurative meanings. It may refer literally to the wages and expensive gifts that were paid to prostitutes. These earnings enriched the city of Samaria and its inhabitants. At the same time, it may refer figuratively to the city’s idols and the wealth that came from idolatry.Commentaries that support a literal referent of temple prostitutes include ABC, UBS, CBC, NAC, and Waltke 2007. Hillers (page 20) suggests that the images used in worship in Samaria and the wealth assembled in the sanctuaries were contemptuously referred to as “whore’s fees.” “This is in part figurative (Yahweh as the husband of the faithless wife Israel). At the same time there is a literal component, in that sacred prostitution was practiced at the shrines.” IVPB (electronic edition, Micah 1:7) also mentions both figurative and literal options, though not necessarily occurring simultaneously.

If possible, translate 1:7b, d, and e in a way that allows the word wages to be understood either literally or figuratively.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

Samaria earned her money by being unfaithful to me

all the gifts to her idols (NCV)

burned in the fire: In Hebrew, this phrase means “completely burned up.” In some languages, it may be redundant to specify in the fire. In other languages, it may not be necessary to specify “completely.” Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

will be burned (NLT)

destroyed by fire (NET)

burned until it is gone

Use an expression that is natural in your language.

1:7c

and I will destroy all her idols.

and all the idols/statues that the people worship will be completely destroyed,
I will also cause all the statues/carvings that the people worship to be destroyed.

I will destroy all her idols: In Hebrew, the phrase I will destroy means that the LORD will totally destroy all the idols in Samaria. Here are some other ways to translate this line:

I will destroy all her images. (NIV)

All its statues will be turned into a pile of rubble. (GW)

General Comment on 1:7a–c

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder these three poetic lines. For example, in the CEV, lines a and c have been combined, and line b is given last:

Samaria’s idols will be smashed, and the wages of temple prostitutes will be destroyed by fire. (CEV)

1:7d–e

The two parallel lines in 1:7d–e have similar meanings:

^7dSince she collected the wages of a prostitute,

^7ethey will be used again on a prostitute.

The first line refers to the source of Samaria’s earnings. These earnings may be compared to the literal wages paid to prostitutes who worked in idol temples. At the same time, these earnings were figuratively gained by unfaithfulness to the LORD.

The second line refers to the future use of these earnings in idol worship elsewhere. The invading army will take the loot to their own country and use it for the similar purpose of idol worship involving prostitutes.UBS (page 135–137), JFB (page 688), NICOT (page 274), EBC (page 505), NAC (pages 52–53), Waltke 2007 (page 54).

1:7d

Since she collected the wages of a prostitute,

because they collected all those things by being unfaithful to me.
I will do that because the inhabitants of Samaria got those valuable things from being unfaithful to me, just like a prostitute gets money from sleeping with men who are not her husband.

Verse 1:7d begins with a Hebrew conjunction that is often translated as “for.” It indicates that 1:7d–e gives the reason for 1:7a–c. The Lord will destroy the idols and valuable things in Samaria because the people had gathered them as a result of their worship of idols involving temple prostitutes. Some versions make a conjunction such as “for” explicit. For example:

for she collected them from a harlot’s earnings… (NASB)

Other versions, such as the BSB, do not translate the conjunction. They leave the connection implicit. For example:

They were amassed out of prostitutes’ earnings (NJB)

Samaria acquired these things for its fertility rites (GNT)

Translate this in a natural way in your language to make the connection clear.

Since: In the Hebrew, the conjunction that the BSB translates as Since is at the beginning of 7e. This conjunction gives the result of 1:7d. The people gathered valuable things in their worship of idols, and so the LORD will cause those things to be taken away. Other people will use them to worship idols.

The BSB and some other English versions show the relationship between 1:7d and 1:7e by using a conjunction at the beginning of 1:7d. For example:

^7d Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes, ^7eas the wages of prostitutes they will again be used. (NIV)

The emphasized word in the above translation is the conjunction that makes 1:7d the reason and 1:7e the result.

In some languages, it may be better to use a conjunction at the beginning of 1:7e. For example:

^7dSamaria acquired these things for its fertility rites, ^7eand now her enemies will carry them off for temple prostitutes elsewhere. (GNT)

she collected: The pronoun she refers to the city of Samaria. And Samaria represents the people who live in it. People brought money and other gifts to the idol temples in Samaria. The people in Samaria collected all these valuable things.

the wages of a prostitute: See the earlier note on 1:7d–e (first line) regarding the literal and figurative meanings of wages.

1:7e

they will be used again on a prostitute.

Similarly, in the future other people will use those things to worship their own idols.”
And so their enemies will take away those things and also use them to worship idols.”
So that is why I will cause those things to be carried away by their enemies, who will use them to worship other idols.”

they will be used again on a prostitute: By these words, Micah implied that an enemy army would carry away the expensive things in the city that were used for idol worship and use them again for the same purpose.

Verses 1:7a–c have just described the smashing and burning of all idols and other expensive things, so it may be hard to understand how these things can be used again. One explanation is that the enemy soldiers stripped off the gold and silver coating before they smashed or burned the stone or wooden items.NICOT (page 274), JFB (page 688), Waltke 2007 (page 54). Another explanation is that 1:7a–c and 1:7d–e are both poetic ways to refer to “the ending of the false worship, together with the destruction of the city where it was carried out. There is no real contradiction” (UBS, pages 135–137). In some languages, it may be helpful to supply a footnote that gives this explanation.

Parallel MIC 1:7