MIC 6:11 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) Should I consider people to be innocent if they use fraudulent scales
⇔ or a bag of deceptive weights?

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 Εἰ δικαιωθήσεται ἐν ζυγῷ ἄνομος, καὶ ἐν μαρσίππῳ στάθμια δόλου,
(Ei dikaiōthaʸsetai en zugōi anomos, kai en marsippōi stathmia dolou, )

BrTr Shall the wicked be justified by the balance, or deceitful weights in the bag,

ULT Should I consider a person to be innocent if he uses fraudulent scales,
⇔ with a bag of deceptive weights?

UST You do not think that I should say nothing about people who use scales that do not weigh correctly,
⇔ and who use weights that are not accurate, do you?

OEB Can I leave her unpunished because of evil scales,
⇔ and the bag of false weights?

WEBBE Shall I tolerate dishonest scales,
⇔ and a bag of deceitful weights?

WMBB (Same as above)

NET I do not condone the use of rigged scales,
⇔ or a bag of deceptive weights.

LSV Do I reckon [it] pure with balances of wickedness? And with a bag of deceitful stones?

FBV How can I accept those who use unfair scales and dishonest weights?

T4T Do you think that [RHQ] I should say nothing about people who use scales that do not weigh correctly,
⇔ and who use weights that are not accurate?

LEB • Shall I regard as pure the one with scales of wickedness, and with a bag of deceitful weights?

BBE Is it possible for me to let wrong scales and the bag of false weights go without punishment?

Moff Can I condone wrong balances
⇔ and short weights in the trader’s bag?

JPS 'Shall I be pure with wicked balances, and with a bag of deceitful weights?'

ASV Shall I be pure with wicked balances, and with a bag of deceitful weights?

DRA Shall I justify wicked balances, and the deceitful weights of the bag?

YLT Do I reckon [it] pure with balances of wickedness? And with a bag of deceitful stones?

Drby Shall I be pure with the unjust balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?

RV Shall I be pure with wicked balances, and with a bag of deceitful weights?

SLT Shall I make clean with the balances of injustice, and with the bag of stones of deceit?

Wbstr Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?

KJB-1769 Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights?[fn]

6.11 count…: or, be pure with, etc

KJB-1611 [fn]Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitfull weights?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above apart from footnotes)

6:11 Or, shall I be pure with, &c.

Bshps Should I iustifie the false balaunces, and the bagge of deceitfull weightes?
(Should I justify the false balances, and the bag of deceitful weights?)

Gnva Shall I iustifie the wicked balances, and the bag of deceitfull weightes?
(Shall I justify the wicked balances, and the bag of deceitful weights? )

Cvdl Or shulde I iustfie the false balaunces and the bagge of disceatfull weightes,
(Or should I justfie the false balances and the bag of deceitful weights,)

Wycl Whether Y schal iustifie the wickid balaunce, and the gileful weiytis of litil sak,
(Whether I shall justify the wicked balance, and the guileful weights of little sak,)

Luth Oder sollt ich die unrechte Waage und falsch Gewicht im Säckel billigen,
(Or should I the wrong scale and false/incorrect Gewicht in_the sackclothl cheapen,)

ClVg Numquid justificabo stateram impiam, et saccelli pondera dolosa?
(Is_it justificabo balance(n)/scales impious/ungodlym, and saccelli pondera deceitful? )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 6:9–16: The LORD will punish his people for their dishonesty

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)

Paragraph 6:9–16

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.

6:11a–b

(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)

General Comment on 6:11a–b

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)

6:11a

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

6:11b

or bags of false weights?