MIC 6:8 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=vital (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, blue:Elohim, green:YHWH.
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 ἀνηγγέλη σοι ἄνθρωπε τί καλόν; ἢ τί Κύριος ἐκζητεῖ παρὰ σοῦ, ἀλλʼ ἢ τοῦ ποιεῖν κρίμα, καὶ ἀγαπᾷν ἔλεον, καὶ ἕτοιμον εἶναι τοῦ πορεύεσθαι μετὰ Κυρίου Θεοῦ σου;
(Ei anaʸngelaʸ soi anthrōpe ti kalon; aʸ ti Kurios ekzaʸtei para sou, allʼ aʸ tou poiein krima, kai agapan eleon, kai hetoimon einai tou poreuesthai meta Kuriou Theou sou; )

BrTr Has it not been told thee, O man, what is good? or what does the Lord require of thee, but to do justice, and love mercy, and be ready to walk with the Lord thy God?

ULT He has told you, man,
⇔ what is good,
⇔ and what Yahweh requires from you:
⇔ Act justly,
⇔ love kindness,
⇔ and walk humbly with your God.

UST No, because he has shown each of us what is good to do;
⇔ he has shown us what he requires each of us to do:
⇔ he wants us to do what is just and to love to act mercifully toward others,
⇔ and he wants us to live humbly while we fellowship with him, our God.

OEB ⇔ The Lord has told you what is good,
⇔ what he demands of you:
⇔ Only to do justice and love mercy,
⇔ and to walk humbly with your God.

CSB Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the LORD requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.

NLT No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

NIV He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

CEV The LORD God has told us what is right and what he demands: "See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God."

ESV He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

NASB He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?

LSB He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does Yahweh require of you But to do justice, to love lovingkindness, And to walk humbly with your God?

WEBBE He has shown you, O man, what is good.
⇔ What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly,
⇔ to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

WMBB (Same as above)

MSG But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,
  what God is looking for in men and women.
It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
  be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don’t take yourself too seriously—
  take God seriously.

NET He has told you, O man, what is good,
⇔ and what the Lord really wants from you:
⇔ He wants you to promote justice, to be faithful,
⇔ and to live obediently before your God.

LSV He has declared to you, O man, what [is] good; Indeed, what is YHWH requiring of you,
Except—to do judgment, and love kindness,
And to walk lowly with your God?

FBV The Lord has told you what is good, and what the Lord asks from you: to do what is right, to love kindness, and to walk in humility[fn] with your God.

6:8 Or “respectfully.”

T4T No, because he has shown each of us what is good to do;
⇔ he has shown [RHQ] us what he requires each of us to do:
⇔ He wants us to do what is just/fair and to love and to be merciful to others,
⇔ and he wants us to live humbly while we fellowship with him, our God.

LEB • He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does Yahweh ask from you
• but to do justice, and to love kindness,
• and to walk humbly with your God?

NRSV He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

NKJV He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

NAB You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the d LORD d* requires of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.

BBE He has made clear to you, O man, what is good; and what is desired from you by the Lord; only doing what is right, and loving mercy, and walking without pride before your God.

Moff O man, he has told you what is good;
⇔ what does the Eternal ask from you
⇔ but to he just and kind
⇔ and live in quiet fellowship with your God?
¶ 

JPS It hath been told thee, O man, what is good, and what the LORD doth require of thee: only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.

ASV He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God?

DRA I will shew thee, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee: Verily, to do judgment, and to love mercy, and to walk solicitous with thy God.

YLT He hath declared to thee, O man, what [is] good; Yea, what is Jehovah requiring of thee, Except — to do judgment, and love kindness, And lowly to walk with thy God?

Drby He hath shewn thee, O man, what is good: and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with thy [fn]God?

6.8 Elohim

RV He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
(He hath/has showed thee/you, Oh man, what is good; and what doth/does the LORD require of thee/you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy/your God? )

SLT He announced to thee, O man, what was good; and what did Jehovah require of thee but to do judgment and to love mercy, and being humbled, to go with thy God?

Wbstr He hath shown thee, O man, what is good; and what the LORD doth require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

KJB-1769 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?[fn]
(He hath/has showed thee/you, Oh man, what is good; and what doth/does the LORD require of thee/you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy/your God? )

6.8 walk…: Heb. humble thyself to walk

KJB-1611 [fn]Hee hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doeth the LORD require of thee, but to do iustly, and to loue mercy, and to walke humbly with thy God?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above apart from footnotes)

6:8 Heb. humble thyselfe to walke.

Bshps He hath shewed thee O man what is good, and what the Lorde requireth of thee: namely to do iustly, to loue mercie, and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God.
(He hath/has showed thee/you Oh man what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee/you: namely to do justly, to love mercy, and to humble thyself/yourself to walk with thy/your God.)

Gnva He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee: surely to doe iustly, and to loue mercie, and to humble thy selfe, to walke with thy God.
(He hath/has showed thee/you, Oh man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee/you: surely to do justly, and to love mercy, and to humble thyself/yourself, to walk with thy/your God. )

Cvdl I wil shewe the (O ma) what is good, and what the LORDE requyreth off the: Namely, to do right, to haue pleasure in louynge kyndnesse, to be lowly, and to walke with thy God:
(I will show the (Oh ma) what is good, and what the LORD requireth off them: Namely, to do right, to have pleasure in loving-kindness, to be lowly, and to walk with thy/your God:)

Wycl Y schal schewe to thee, thou man, what is good, and what the Lord axith of thee; forsothe for to do doom, and for to loue merci, and be bisi for to walke with thi God.
(I shall show to thee/you, thou/you man, what is good, and what the Lord axith of thee/you; for_certain/truly for to do judgement, and for to love mercy, and be bisi for to walk with thy/your God.)

Luth Es ist dir gesagt, Mensch, was gut ist, und was der HErr von dir fordert, nämlich Gottes Wort halten und Liebe üben und demütig sein vor deinem GOtt.
(It is you/to_you(sg) said, person, what/which good is, and what/which the/of_the LORD from you/to_you(sg) demands, namely God’s word hold/keep and love(n) practice/exercise(v) and humble be before/in_front_of your God.)

ClVg Indicabo tibi, o homo, quid sit bonum, et quid Dominus requirat a te: utique facere judicium, et diligere misericordiam, et sollicitum ambulare cum Deo tuo.
(Indicabo to_you, o human, what be good, and what Master requires from you(sg): certainly to_do judgement, and to_love mercy, and sollicitum to_walk when/with to_God your. )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 6:1–8: The LORD brought a lawsuit against his people

In this section, the LORD (speaking through Micah) conducted a lawsuit or a court trial against the people of Israel. The LORD accused the people of Israel of failing to keep his requirements. Some scholars refer to this accusation as a “covenant lawsuit” because his requirements were based on his covenant with Israel.For example, ZIBBC (pages 140–141), Hays (page 315), and CBC (page 334). Scholars point out, however, that this lawsuit was not conventional in some ways. For example, there was no judge, the witnesses were silent, and there was no pronouncement of punishment.ZIBBC (pages 140–141) and A&F (page 513).

Here are some other examples of section headings:

The Lord’s case against Israel (NIV)

God Challenges Israel (NRSV)

Paragraph 6:6–8

In 6:4–5, the LORD presented evidence that he had not wronged the people. Rather, he had blessed them.

In 6:6–8, the people (or a representative of the people) gave their response to this evidence. Their response in 6:6a–b was to ask a general question about what to bring to the LORD to please him. In 6:6c–d through 6:7, they asked about specific offerings. The offerings in 6:7 had higher value than those in 6:6.

In 6:8, Micah answered the people’s questions by reminding them of the LORD’s requirements.

The number and kind of offerings talked about in 6:7 appear to be exaggerated and unrealistic. This exaggeration may indicate that the people were insincere,For example, NICOT (pages 369–370) regards the questions as satirical. or that they were truly unaware of what the LORD desired of them.Many commentators suggest that the questions were sincere. For example, A&F (page 523), KD (page 335), Pusey (page 82), and UBS (page 231). If possible, translate the questions in 6:6–7 in a way that allows either option to be understood.A fairly literal, non-explicit translation will be the closest match to the Masoretic Text, in which the sincerity or insincerity of the people is suggested only by the context.

If your readers will find it useful to have a paragraph heading here, here are some examples:

What the Lord Requires (GNT)

What God requires (NRSV)

True obedience (CEV)

6:8

In this verse, Micah answered the questions that the people asked in 6:6–7. His answer was to remind the people what the LORD required of them.

Some versions begin this verse with the word “No,” to make the connection of this verse to the previous questions more explicit. For example:

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good (NLT)

There are three main ways to translate the structure of the clauses in this verse:

Translate 6:8a as a statement. Translate 6:8b–c as a rhetorical question.The implied answer to the question is “nothing else is required.” For example:
^8aHe has told you, O man, what is good;
^8b–cand what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (ESV)
Translate 6:8a as a statement. Translate 6:8b as a question and 6:8c as the answer to the question. For example:
^8aHe has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
^8bAnd what does the Lord require of you?
^8cTo act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (NIV)
Translate 6:8a–c as parallel statements. For example:
^8a The Lord has told you, human, what is good;
^8b he has told you what he wants from you:
^8c to do what is right to other people, love being kind to others, and live humbly, obeying your God. (NCV)

6:8a

He has shown you, O man, what is good.

Yahweh has told you^(sing), O human, what things are good.
No! You have already been told what is right to do,

He has shown you, O man, what is good: In this clause Micah reminded the people that the LORD had already made known the good that he wanted from them. He had told it to them through his law, the prophets, and priests.DRD (page 128), Pusey (page 82), and TOTC (page 213).

O man: Here Micah addressed the questioner(s) directly. Some versions have added the word O to make it clear that O man is a term of address (vocative). Use a vocative that is natural in your language when a person speaks to a group of people or a representative of a group.

In Hebrew, the phrase O man is literally the word “adam.” Here “adam” is the word for “human.”DCH (pages 126–127). It is not a name. This vocative may imply a contrast between finite human beings and the infinite God.NICOT (page 371).

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

He has told you, O mortal, what is good (NRSV)

The Lord has told you, human, what is good (NCV)

what is good: This phrase means “that which is good.”BDB #4078 says that in some cases the question word “what” approximates in meaning to the simple relative. In Hebrew, the word good has a wide range of meaning. Here it probably means “moral good.”UBS (page 233) and Waltke 2007 (page 363). It is the kind of good that is described in the rest of this verse.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

what is right (NJB)

what is good for us to doSuggestion by UBS (page 233).

6:8b

And what does the LORD require of you

What does he require of you?^(sing)
and you have been told what things he requires from you.

And what does the LORD require of you: This clause introduces the answer to the people’s questions about what will please the LORD.

In Hebrew, this clause is more literally “and what Yahweh asking from you.” It is ambiguous whether it is a question or a statement. For examples of each form of the clause, see the Note on 6:8 “three main ways to translate the structure of the clauses.”

The connecting word And begins this clause. It may indicate that the phrase in 6:8a “He has told you” applies to this clause as well. Not only has the LORD told the people what is good, he has also told them what he requires of them. For example:

^8band he has told you what he requires of you:

Some versions leave this connection implied. For example:

What he requires of us is this: (GNT)

Indicate the connection of this clause to the previous one in a natural way in your language.

require: This word can mean “ask for,” “require,” or “demand.”BDB #1875 (page 205). For example:

wants (NJB)

require (ESV)

demands (CEV)

6:8c

but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

He requires you^(sing) to be just, to love being kind, and to live humbly with your^(sing/plur) God.
He has not asked you for excessive offerings, instead he has asked for you to be fair, to be committed to loving others, and to submit always to your God.

but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?: In this clause, Micah reminded the people of the LORD’s requirements by giving examples.

The people thought that the LORD required only sacrifices. However he also required good, moral attitudes and behavior. In this clause the word but contrasts these two thoughts.Waltke 2007 (page 364) says the full thought is this: “You thought I AM requires sacrifice, but rather he requires ethical behavior.” Most versions leave this contrast implicit.

If you wish to make this contrast more explicit in your translation, here are some examples:

So what does the Lord require of you? He requires not only sacrifices but/rather for you to be just, to love mercy, and to live humbly with your God.

He has told you what he wants from you. He does not want more offerings, but for you to do what is right, to love being kind to others, and to live in humble obedience to your God.

act justly: In Hebrew, the word translated as act justly has a broad range of meanings related to actions that are right and just. It can refer to judicial process as well as an attribute of man in general.TWOT (#2443c). In this phrase, it may refer especially to fair and honest treatment of those who are weak or powerless.TOTC (page 213) and NICOT (page 373).

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

do what is right (NLT)

do what is just (GNT)

promote justice (NET)

love mercy: This phrase means to show kindness even when it is not required or deserved. It refers to both activities and attitudes.CBC (pages 336–338).

The word that the BSB translates as love means to “like” or “love” a thing. It can refer to love for either physical/concrete or abstract things.TWOT (#29). Here the meaning is to love to do kind deeds.

In Hebrew, the word that the BSB translates as mercy has several aspects of meaning:

steadfastness, loyalty
kindness, mercy

Translate this phrase in a way that fits naturally in the context. Here it may refer particularly to showing a concern for the needs of others. The LORD’s covenant with Israel required them to have this concern in response to the love that the LORD had shown to them.TWOT (#698a) says God was obviously in a covenant relationship with Israel, and he expressed this relationship in eternal ḥesed, but ḥesed does not necessarily involve a covenant nor does it mean loyalty to a covenant. Rather, it is a kind of love, including mercy, close to the KJV rendering “lovingkindness.” Vine (page 142) insists that three basic meanings of the word always interact: kindness, steadfastness, and love. He says that ḥesed is not only a matter of obligation within a relationship; it is also generosity. It is not only a matter of loyalty, but also of mercy.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

let mercy be your first concern (CEV)

show constant love (GNT)

love being kind to others (NCV)

walk humbly with your God: In this phrase the word walk is a figure of speech that means “follow a pattern of conduct or a lifestyle.”Mounce (page 924).

In Hebrew, the word humbly has a range of meanings related to being careful, wise, and prudent.HALOT (electronic edition, page 1039). These qualities depend upon a person having an attitude of submission/humility to God and a desire to conform to his will.EBC (page 540) and TOTC (page 214).

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

humbly obey your God (CEV)

live in humble fellowship with our God (GNT)

Parallel MIC 6:8

Section 6:1–8: The LORD brought a lawsuit against his people

Paragraph 6:6–8

6:8

6:8a

6:8b

6:8c