MIC 3:6 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) Therefore, it’ll be night for you prophets, without any visions.
⇔ ≈ It will be dark for you all, without any prophesying.
⇔ The sun will go down on the ‘prophets’,
⇔ ≈ and the day will be black for them.

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 διατοῦτο νὺξ ὑμῖν ἔσται ἐξ ὁράσεως, καὶ σκοτία ἔσται ὑμῖν ἐκ μαντείας, καὶ δύσεται ὁ ἥλιος ἐπὶ τοὺς προφήτας, καὶ συσκοτάσει ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ἡ ἡμέρα·
(diatouto nux humin estai ex horaseōs, kai skotia estai humin ek manteias, kai dusetai ho haʸlios epi tous profaʸtas, kai suskotasei epʼ autous haʸ haʸmera; )

BrTr therefore there shall be night to you instead of a vision, and there shall be to you darkness instead of prophecy; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be dark upon them.

ULT Therefore, it will be night for you without a vision;
⇔ it will be dark for you, without divination.
⇔ The sun will go down on the prophets,
⇔ and the day will be dark on them.

UST So now it is as though night will descend on you prophets;
⇔ you will not receive any more visions.
⇔ It is as though the sun will set for you;
⇔ the time when you are greatly honored will end.

OEB ⇔ ‘Night will overtake you so that you have no vision,
⇔ and darkness so that there will be no divination,
⇔ and the sun will go down on the prophets,
⇔ and the day will be dark over them.

WEBBE “Therefore night is over you, with no vision,
⇔ and it is dark to you, that you may not divine;
⇔ and the sun will go down on the prophets,
⇔ and the day will be black over them.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Therefore night will fall, and you will receive no visions;
⇔ it will grow dark, and you will no longer be able to read the omens.
⇔ The sun will set on these prophets,
⇔ and the daylight will turn to darkness over their heads.

LSV “Therefore you have a night without vision,
And you have darkness without divination,
And the sun has gone in on the prophets,
And the day has been black over them.

FBV Therefore it will be like night for you, with no visions; dark, with no predictions. The sun will set on these prophets; their day will end in darkness.

T4T So now it is as though [MET] night will descend on you prophets;
⇔ you will not receive any more visions.
⇔ It is as though [MET] the sun will set for you;
⇔ the time when you are greatly honored will end.

LEB • Therefore it will be as night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination.
• And the sun will set on the prophets,
• and the day will grow dark over them.

BBE For this cause it will be night for you, without a vision; and it will be dark for you, without knowledge of the future; the sun will go down over the prophets, and the day will be black over them.

Moff it shall be night for you, devoid of vision,
⇔ so dark that you cannot divine;
⇔ the sun shall set upon the prophets,
⇔ daylight shall darken over them,

JPS Therefore it shall be night unto you, that ye shall have no vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be black over them.

ASV Therefore it shall be night unto you, that ye shall have no vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be black over them.

DRA Therefore night shall be to you instead of vision, and darkness to you instead of divination; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be darkened over them.

YLT Therefore a night ye have without vision, And darkness ye have without divination, And gone in hath the sun on the prophets, And black over them hath been the day.

Drby therefore ye shall have night without a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, without divination; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be black over them.

RV Therefore it shall be night unto you, that ye shall have no vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be black over them.
(Therefore it shall be night unto you, that ye/you_all shall have no vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye/you_all shall not divine; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be black over them. )

SLT For this, night to you from a vision, and darkness to you from divining; and the sun went down upon the prophets, and the day was dark upon them.

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

KJB-1769 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.[fn][fn]
(Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye/you_all shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye/you_all shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. )

3.6 that…: vision: Heb. from a vision

3.6 that…: divine: Heb. from divining

KJB-1611 [fn][fn]Therefore night shall be vnto you, that yee shall not haue a vision, and it shall be darke vnto you, that yee shall not diuine, and the Sunne shall goe downe ouer the Prophets, and the day shall be darke ouer them.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation and footnotes)

3:6 Hebr. from a vision.

3:6 Heb. from diuining.

Bshps Therfore night shalbe vnto you for a vision, and darkenesse shalbe vnto you for a diuination: and the sunne shall go downe ouer the prophetes, and the day shalbe darke ouer them.
(Therefore night shall be unto you for a vision, and darkness shall be unto you for a divination: and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.)

Gnva Therefore night shalbe vnto you for a vision, and darkenesse shalbe vnto you for a diuination, and the sunne shall goe downe ouer the prophets, and the day shalbe darke ouer them.
(Therefore night shall be unto you for a vision, and darkness shall be unto you for a divination, and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. )

Cvdl Therfore youre vision shalbe turned to night, & youre prophecyenge to darcknesse. The Sonne shall go downe ouer those prophetes, & the daye shalbe darcke vnto them.
(Therefore your(pl) vision shall be turned to night, and your(pl) prophecyenge to darkness. The Son shall go down over those prophets, and the day shall be dark unto them.)

Wycl Therfor niyt schal be to you for visioun, or profesie, and derknessis to you for dyuynacioun; and sunne schal go doun on the profetis, and the dai schal be maad derk on hem.
(Therefore night shall be to you for vision, or prophecy, and darkness to you for divinacioun; and sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be made dark on hem.)

Luth Darum soll euer Gesicht zur Nacht und euer Wahrsagen zur Finsternis werden. Die Sonne soll über den Propheten untergehen und der Tag über ihnen finster werden.
(Therefore should your(pl) vision/face to/for night and your(pl) Wahrsagen to/for darkness become. The sun should above the prophet(s) go_under/sink and the/of_the day above to_them dark become.)

ClVg Propterea nox vobis pro visione erit, et tenebræ vobis pro divinatione; et occumbet sol super prophetas, et obtenebrabitur super eos dies.
(That's_why night/darkness to_you(pl) for vision will_be, and darkness to_you(pl) for divinatione; and occumbet the_sun over a_prophets, and obtenebrabitur over them days. )

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 3:5–8

In this paragraph, Micah rebuked the wicked prophets. He first described the way in which they misled the people (3:5). He then described their future punishment by God (3:6–7). He concluded by contrasting his own status as a true prophet (3:8).

Micah began this paragraph with the phrase “Thus says the LORD.” This phrase indicates that his message came from the LORD. But it is not clear which verses are a direct quote of the LORD’s words. In the examples below, the verse parts may differ, depending on the version. Here are the main interpretations:

All of verses 5–8 are Micah’s words. These verses are the message that he received from the LORD. The lack of quotation marks indicates that he did not quote the LORD’s words directly.Interpretation (1) is supported by WBC 1984 (pages 32–33). For example:
^5aThus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray;…^6aTherefore it will be night for you…^7aThe seers will be ashamed…^8aOn the other hand I am filled with power… (NASB) (ESV, GW, KJV, NAB, NASB, NJB, NRSV, REB)The NJPS does not use any quote marks in 3:5–8. It has not been listed under interpretation (1), because it spells the phrase “My people” with a capital letter, referring to the LORD.
Verses 5b–7 are a direct quote of the LORD’s words. The quote is marked with quotation marks. Verse 8 is Micah’s words.Interpretation (2) is supported by Hillers (page 44). For example:
^5aThis is what the Lord says: ^5b“As for the prophets who lead my people astray…. ^7bThey will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God.” ^8aBut as for me… (NIV) (BSB, NCV, NET, NIV, NLT)The NET includes 3:8 in the same paragraph as 3:5–7. In the NCV, NIV, and NLT, 3:8 starts a new paragraph.
Verse 3:6 is a direct quote of the LORD’s words. Verses 5, 7, and 8 are Micah’s words.Interpretation (3) is supported by TOTC, Waltke 1993, and Waltke 2007. For example:
⁵My people are deceived by prophets…To these prophets the Lord says, ⁶“Prophets, your day is almost over;…you will not be able to predict anything.” ⁷Those who predict…⁸But as for me,… (GNT) (GNT)
Verses 6–7 are a direct quote of the LORD’s words. Verses 5 and 8 are Micah’s words. For example:
⁵You lying prophets…Here is what the Lord says to you prophets: ⁶“You will live in the dark…⁷You prophets…no message from me.” ⁸But the Lord has filled me… (CEV) (CEV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It is the simplest. Micah is the speaker in each of the three paragraphs in this section (3:1–12).

The meaning of these verses is almost the same with all four interpretations. Regardless of the quote marks, Micah’s message came to him from the LORD. His audience understood that he claimed to be the LORD’s spokesman.

If you decide not to follow interpretation (1), here are two things that you should consider:

If you follow interpretation (1), (3), or (4), the phrase “my people” in 3:5a means “Micah’s people.” But if you follow interpretation (2), it means “the LORD’s people.”
If you follow interpretation (2) or (4), the phrase “there is no answer from God” (3:7d) may need to be translated “there is no answer from me.”

3:6

In 3:5, Micah spoke about the wicked prophets and the way they deceived the people. Here in 3:6, he used the metaphor of night and darkness to describe their future punishment by God. In 3:6a–b, he spoke to these prophets. In 3:6c–d and 3:7 he spoke about them again.

For other ways to translate the change from “about” to “to” and then back to “about” again, see the General Comment on 3:5–7 at the end of the note on 3:7d.

The Notes will first discuss the details of the metaphor and the parallelism before suggesting ways to translate the verse as a whole.

The “you” pronouns in these parallel lines refer to the wicked prophets. Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^6aTherefore night will come over you without visions,

^6band darkness without divination.

night will come over you…and darkness: The metaphor of night and darkness figuratively describes the punishment of the wicked prophets. Their future inability to see visions is compared to people who are unable to see things at night in the darkness.

without visions…without divination: These parallel phrases explain the meaning of the metaphor. The metaphor means that God will not give visions or messages to those prophets in the future. He will punish them by taking away their ability to be prophets and to receive revelation.

3:6a

Therefore night will come over you without visions,

Therefore, it will become night for you^(plur) prophets. You will receive no visions from God.
Therefore, soon it will become like night for you prophets. God will not show you things that are like dreams.
And so, you prophets, the time will soon come when God will stop giving you visions.

Therefore: This word connects verse 6 to verse 5. It introduces the result of the behavior of the wicked prophets. Here are some other ways to express this connection:

And so (NJB)

That is why (GW)

visions: A “vision” is like a dream, but the person having a vision is not asleep. Visions are one way that God spoke to prophets. In some languages, the word visions may need to be translated as a phrase. For example:

You will not see anything that is like a dream.

3:6a–d

(combined/reordered)

Therefore, the time of success for you^(plur) prophets is almost finished. You will soon be in darkness. You will have no visions from God, and you will not be able to predict what will happen in the future.

3:6b

and darkness without divination.

It will become dark for you^(plur). Things that will happen in the future will not be revealed/shown to you.
It will be like dark night for you. You will no longer be able to predict the future.
Yes, you will be in the dark. God will no longer tell you what will happen in the future.

divination: divination is predicting what will happen in the future. Micah told these prophets that they will not be able to practice divination, because God will not tell them anything.Non-Jewish people who worshiped idols practiced divination. Here are some ways they did this: They threw arrows and looked at how they landed on the ground. They asked idols to help them. They looked at the liver of an animal they had killed. (See Ezekiel 21:21–22.) They asked a spirit or ghost to help them. (See Leviticus 19:31; 1 Samuel 28:7–8.) Micah’s words in Micah 3:6b imply that some of the wicked prophets also did some things that were like divination. God commanded his people not to use divination (Deuteronomy 18:10) except for the use of the Urim and Thummim by the High Priest. (See Exodus 28:30.) The term “divination” is “never used in the Bible for the activities of true prophets.” (UBS, page 176) Here are some other ways to translate this word:

without any way to tell the future (NCV)

you will not be able to predict anything (GNT)

Here are some ways to translate this metaphor:

Keep the metaphor. For example:
Therefore you shall have night, not vision, darkness, not divination (NAB)
Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
Therefore, it will be like night and darkness for you prophets. You will have no visions from God. You will not be able to predict the future.
Therefore God will not give you visions. He will no longer tell you what will happen in the future. Instead it will be as though dark night surrounds you.
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
And so, in the future, those prophets will no longer see any visions. They will no longer be able to use their power to predict what will happen.

3:6c

The sun will set on these prophets,

The day/time of those prophets will be finished,
It will be like the sun no longer shines on those prophets.
The career/work of those prophets will stop.

3:6d

and the daylight will turn black over them.

and night will come/arrive.
It will be like they are surrounded by blackness/night.
They will no longer be able to prophesy.

3:6c–d

In 3:6a–b, Micah used the pronoun “you.” He spoke to these wicked prophets. Here in 3:6c–d, Micah spoke about them. Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^6cThe sun will set on these prophets,

^6dand the daylight will turn black over them.

The sun will set…the daylight will turn black: Here again, Micah used darkness as a metaphor. He said that The sun will set. In other words, it will become night. He said that the daylight will turn black. This is a poetic way to say that it will become dark or night.

The meaning of the metaphor is that the time of these prophets will soon be finished. Their ability to prophesy will soon be gone. It will be a “dark” (sad, humiliating) time for them.

Here are some ways to translate this metaphor:

General Comment on 3:6a–d

Keep the metaphor. For example:
The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them. (NIV)
Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
It will be like the sun has set and it has become dark. Their time of being prophets will be finished.
It will be like the sun is no longer shining and it has become dark. They will no longer be able to prophesy.
Yes, the time is coming when it will be as though the day has ended for those prophets, and it will be as though they are in darkness, without the ability to prophesy.
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
They will no longer be able to prophesy. They will be humiliated, because their career as prophets will be ended.
It will be a time of sadness for them, because they will no longer have the ability to be prophets.

Verse 6a and 6b are parallel. Verse 6c and 6d are also parallel. Most English versions translate each of these four lines separately.

In some languages, this repetition may be confusing or unnatural. Here are some ways to combine and/or reorder these four lines to reduce the amount of repetition.

Prophets, your day is almost over; the sun is going down on you. Because you mislead my people, you will have no more prophetic visions, and you will not be able to predict anything. (GNT)

And so, you prophets, your time of success is almost over. You will soon be in darkness. You will have no visions from God and you will not be able to predict the future.

Notice that these translations use the pronoun “you” for all of verse 6. In Hebrew, 6a–b use the pronoun “you” but 6c–d use “they/them.”

Parallel MIC 3:6