MIC 3:3 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=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) those who eat the flesh of my people,
⇔ ≈ and their skin that they’ve stripped off them,
⇔ they break their bones,
⇔ ≈ and chop them in pieces,
⇔ just like soup in a pot—
⇔ ≈ like meat in a cauldron.

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 Ὃν τρόπον κατέφαγον τὰς σάρκας τοῦ λαοῦ μου, καὶ τὰ δέρματα αὐτῶν ἀπʼ αὐτῶν ἐξέδειραν, καὶ τὰ ὀστέα αὐτῶν συνέθλασαν, καὶ ἐμέλισαν ὡς σάρκας εἰς λέβητα, καὶ ὡς κρέα εἰς χύτραν,
(Hon tropon katefagon tas sarkas tou laou mou, kai ta dermata autōn apʼ autōn exedeiran, kai ta ostea autōn sunethlasan, kai emelisan hōs sarkas eis lebaʸta, kai hōs krea eis ⱪutran, )

BrTr even as they devoured the flesh of my people, and stripped their skins off them, and broke their bones, and divided them as flesh for the caldron, and as meat for the pot,

ULT those who eat the flesh of my people,
⇔ and their skin from off them, they tear off
⇔ and their bones, they break
⇔ and chop them in pieces,
⇔ just like a pot,
⇔ and as meat in the midst of a cauldron.

OEB ⇔ ‘They devour the flesh of my people,
⇔ and their hide they strip from off them,
⇔ and break in pieces and serve up their bones,
⇔ like meat in a pot or the cooking pan!

WEBBE who also eat the flesh of my people,
⇔ and peel their skin from off them,
⇔ and break their bones,
⇔ and chop them in pieces, as for the pot,
⇔ and as meat within the cauldron.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET You devour my people’s flesh,
⇔ strip off their skin,
⇔ and crush their bones.
⇔ You chop them up like flesh in a pot –
⇔ like meat in a kettle.
¶ 

LSV And who have eaten the flesh of My people,
And their skin from off them have stripped,
And their bones they have broken,
And they have spread [them] out as in a pot,
And as flesh in the midst of a cauldron.”

FBV You eat the flesh of my people, you strip off their skin, you break their bones. You chop them up like meat for the saucepan, like flesh for the cooking pot.”

T4T It is as though you chop them into pieces like [SIM] meat to be cooked in a pot.

LEB   • and who eat the flesh of my people, and strip their skin from them,
• and break their bones,
  • and chop them like meat in the pot,
  • and like flesh in the midst of a cooking pot.”

BBE Like meat they take the flesh of my people for their food, skinning them and crushing their bones, yes, cutting them up as if for the pot, like flesh inside the cooking-pot.

Moff But they devour my people’s flesh
⇔ and strip them of their skin,
⇔ laying bare their very bones,
⇔ chopping them up like flesh for the pot,
⇔ like meat in a cauldron.

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

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

DRA Who have eaten the flesh of my people, and have flayed their skin from off them: and have broken, and chopped their bones as for the kettle, and as flesh in the midst of the pot.

YLT And who have eaten the flesh of My people, And their skin from off them have stript, And their bones they have broken, And they have spread [them] out as in a pot, And as flesh in the midst of a caldron.

Drby and who eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them, and break their bones, and chop them in pieces as for the pot, and as flesh within the cauldron.

RV who also eat the flesh of my people; and they flay their skin from off them, and break their bones: yea, they chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.
(who also eat the flesh of my people; and they flay their skin from off them, and break their bones: yea, they chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the cauldron. )

SLT And who ate the flesh of my people, and they stripped off their skin from off them; and they brake their bones in pieces, and separated as for the pot, and as flesh in the midst of the kettle.

Wbstr 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.

KJB-1769 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.
(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 cauldron. )

KJB-1611 Who also eate the flesh of my people, and flay their skinne from off them, and they breake their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the cauldron.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps And they eate also the fleshe of my people, & flay of their skinne from them: and they breake their bones, and chop them in peeces as for the pot, and as fleshe within the cauldron.
(And they eat also the flesh of my people, and flay of their skin from them: and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces as for the pot, and as flesh within the cauldron.)

Gnva And they eate also the flesh of my people, and flay off their skinne from them, and they breake their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.
(And they eat also the flesh of my people, and flay off their skin from them, and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the cauldron. )

Cvdl Ye eate the flesh of my people, ad flay of their skynne: ye breake their bones, ye choppe them in peces as it were in to a cauldron, ad as flesh into a pot.
(Ye/You_all eat the flesh of my people, and flay of their skin: ye/you_all break their bones, ye/you_all choppe them in pieces as it were in to a cauldron, and as flesh into a pot.)

Wycl Whiche eeten the fleisch of my puple, and hiliden the skyn of hem fro aboue; and broken togidere the boonys of hem, and kittiden togidere as in a cawdroun, and as fleisch in the myddil of a pot.
(Which eaten the flesh of my people, and holding the skin of hem from above; and broken together the bones of hem, and kittiden together as in a cawdroun, and as flesh in the middle of a pot.)

Luth und fresset das Fleisch meines Volks; und wenn ihr ihnen die Haut abgezogen habt, zerbrecht ihr ihnen auch die Beine und zerleget es wie in einen Topf und wie Fleisch in einen Kessel.
(and eats the flesh my peoples; and when you(pl)/their/her to_them the skin abgezogen have, zerbrecht you(pl)/their/her to_them also the legs and zerleget it as/like in a pot and as/like flesh in a Kessel.)

ClVg qui comederunt carnem populi mei, et pellem eorum desuper excoriaverunt, et ossa eorum confregerunt, et conciderunt sicut in lebete, et quasi carnem in medio ollæ?
(who/which they_ate the_flesh of_the_people my/mine, and the_hide/skin their from_above excoriaverunt, and bones their they_broke, and conciderunt like in/into/on lebete, and as_if the_flesh in/into/on in_the_middle ollæ? )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–12: Micah rebuked the leaders of Israel

In this section, Micah is the speaker. He spoke to the leaders of the Jews and to the prophets. He rebuked (scolded) them for their wicked deeds. He also told them that God would punish the nation because of them.

The Notes will divide this section into three paragraphs:

In 3:1–4, Micah rebuked the judicial leaders.
In 3:5–8, Micah rebuked the wicked prophets.
In 3:9–12, Micah rebuked all the leaders: judges, prophets, and priests.

In each paragraph, Micah used the word “justice” (3:1, 8, 9). In each paragraph, he first rebuked the leaders for their evil deeds. Then he described what would happen as a result of their wickedness. Some versions begin a new paragraph at verse 4 or verse 8. It is recommended that you follow the paragraphs used in the Notes.

Here are some other examples of section headings:

Micah Denounces Israel’s Leaders (GNT)

Leaders and Prophets Rebuked (NIV)

Israel’s Sinful Leaders—Rulers, Prophets, and Priests (GW)

Wicked Rulers and Prophets (NRSV)

Paragraph 3:1–4

In this paragraph, Micah first spoke to the judicial leaders of Israel. He accused them of doing evil and cruel things (verses 1–3). Then he spoke about them. He said that the LORD would punish them (verse 4).

3:3a

You eat the flesh of my people

You^(plur) eat my countrymen.
You oppress my fellow Jews so harshly/cruelly, it is as if you eat them up.

You eat the flesh of my people: This line is the main point of the metaphor. The point is that the wicked leaders treated the common people with extreme cruelty. They wrongfully deprived them of their land and property and everything that they needed to stay alive.Here are some of the cruel things these leaders did: They took land and houses away from poor people (Micah 2:2; Micah 2:8–9), they took bribes (Micah 3:11a), and they did not help widows and orphans (see Psalm 82:1–4; Isaiah 1:17, 23; Jeremiah 22:3). Here are some other verses in which cruel people are compared to those who eat human flesh: Psalms 14:4; Proverbs 30:14; Zephaniah 3:3.

Micah compared their cruelty to people who would enjoy eating the flesh of their fellow countrymen. He was probably not referring to ritual cannibalism or to mothers who ate dead children to avoid starvation during the siege of Samaria (2 Kings 6:29). (See the two footnotes in the earlier note on 3:2b–3e).

3:3b

after stripping off their skin

Listen again to what I just said: You^(plur) pull off their skin.
Yes indeed! It is like you peel/tear the skin off their bodies,

after stripping off their skin: See the notes on the parallel clause in 3:2b.

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine these parallel clauses into one line. For example:

You skin my people alive. (CEV)

See also the CEV reordering of 3:2b–3e in the General Comment at the end of the note on 3:3d–e.

3:2b–3e

(combined/reordered)

You^(plur) oppress my people/countrymen with extreme cruelty. Because of this, your unbelievable wickedness is like a person who rips the skin and flesh from the bones of his countrymen, chops up all the pieces, throws them into a large pot, and then cooks them and eats them.

3:3c

and breaking their bones.

Then/And you^(plur) chop/cut their bones into pieces,
and then you chop up their bones and flesh.

and breaking their bones: Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

and break their bones (NLT)

breaking up their bones (NJB)

breaking their bones to bits (NJPS)

3:3d–e

You chop them up like flesh for the cooking pot, like meat in a cauldron.”

and you^(plur) put all the pieces of meat and bone in a big cooking pot.
You can be compared to a person who treats his fellow Jews like they are just pieces of meat to be cooked in a pot/caldron.

You chop them up like flesh for the cooking pot, like meat in a cauldron: To chop them up refers here to cutting the flesh/meat into pieces with a big knife. Notice the parallel phrases:

^3dlike flesh for the cooking pot,

^3elike meat in a caldron.

In these parallel similes, the words meat and flesh mean the same thing, and the words cooking pot and cauldron both refer to a large cooking pot.

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine these two verse parts. For example:

You chop them up like meat for the cooking pot. (NLT)

…and chop them up like meat for the pot (GNT)

General Comment on 3:2b–3e

Here are some other ways to translate the metaphor:

Keep the metaphor. Keep the original (chiastic) order of the lines, but indicate in some way that the lines preceding and following the main point emphasize that point. For example:
You skin my people alive and tear the flesh from their bones. Yes, you eat my people’s flesh, strip off their skin, and break their bones. You chop them up like meat for the cooking pot. (NLT)
Keep the metaphor. Reorder and/or combine the lines so that they occur in chronological order with the main point at the end. For example:
You skin my people alive. You strip off their flesh, break their bones, cook it all in a pot, and gulp it down. (CEV)
Change the metaphor to a simile. Keep the original (chiastic) order with the main point in the middle. For example:
You treat my people cruelly. You are like someone who strips off their skin and rips their flesh from their bones. Then he eats the meat. I will repeat: Your comparison/likeness is a person who eats my people, first chopping them up and cooking them in a big pot.
Change the metaphor to a simile. Reorder and/or combine the lines so that they occur in chronological order with the main point at the end. For example:
It is as if you tear the skin from my people, rip the flesh from their bones, break their bones in pieces, chop them up, cook them in a large pot, and eat them. That is what you are like, because you oppress my people so harshly.

Parallel MIC 3:3