The Bible

 

Mikas 6

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1 Dinggin ninyo ngayon kung ano ang sinasabi ng Panginoon: Bumangon ka, makipagkaalit ka sa harap ng mga bundok, at dinggin ng mga burol ang iyong tinig.

2 Dinggin ninyo, Oh ninyong mga bundok, ang usap ng Panginoon, at ninyo na mga matibay na patibayan ng lupa; sapagka't ang Panginoon ay may usap sa kaniyang bayan, at kaniyang ipakikipagtalo sa Israel.

3 Oh bayan ko, anong ginawa ko sa iyo? at sa ano kita pinagod? sumaksi ka laban sa akin.

4 Sapagka't ikaw ay aking iniahon mula sa lupain ng Egipto, at tinubos kita sa bahay ng pagkaalipin; at aking sinugo sa unahan mo si Moises, si Aaron, at si Miriam.

5 Oh bayan ko, alalahanin mo ngayon kung ano ang isinangguni ni Balac na hari sa Moab, at kung ano ang isinagot sa kaniya ni Balaam na anak ni Beor; alalahanin mo mula sa Sittem hanggang sa Gilgal, upang iyong maalaman ang mga matuwid na gawa ng Panginoon.

6 Ano ang aking ilalapit sa harap ng Panginoon, at iyuyukod sa harap ng mataas na Dios? paroroon baga ako sa harap niya na may mga handog na susunugin, na may guyang isang taon ang gulang?

7 Kalulugdan baga ng Panginoon ang mga libolibong tupa, o ang mga sangpu-sangpung libong ilog na langis? ibibigay ko baga ang aking panganay dahil sa aking pagsalangsang, ang bunga ng aking katawan dahil sa kasalanan ng aking kaluluwa?

8 Kaniyang ipinakilala sa iyo, Oh tao, kung ano ang mabuti; at ano ang hinihingi ng Panginoon sa iyo, kundi gumawa na may kaganapan, at ibigin ang kaawaan, at lumakad na may kababaan na kasama ng iyong Dios.

9 Ang tinig ng Panginoon ay humihiyaw sa bayan, at ang taong may karunungan ay makakakita ng iyong pangalan: dinggin ninyo ang tungkod, at ang naghalal niyaon.

10 Mayroon pa baga kaya ng mga kayamanan ng kasamaan sa bahay ng masama, at ng kulang na panukat na kasuklamsuklam?

11 Magiging malinis baga ako na may masamang timbangan, at sa marayang supot na panimbang?

12 Sapagka't ang mga mayaman niyaon ay puno ng pangdadahas, at ang mga mananahan doo'y nangagsalita ng mga kabulaanan, at ang kanilang dila ay magdaraya sa kanilang bibig.

13 Kaya't sinugatan din naman kita ng mabigat na sugat; ginawa kitang kasiraan dahil sa iyong mga kasalanan.

14 Ikaw ay kakain, nguni't hindi ka mabubusog; at ang iyong pagpapakumbaba ay sasa gitna mo: at ikaw ay magtatabi, nguni't wala kang dadalhing maitatabi; at ang iyong ilalabas ay aking iiwan sa tabak.

15 Ikaw ay maghahasik, nguni't hindi ka magaani: ikaw ay magpipisa ng mga olibo, nguni't hindi ka magpapahid ng langis; at ng ubas, nguni't hindi ka iinom ng alak.

16 Sapagka't naiingatan ang mga palatuntunan ni Omri, at ang lahat na gawa ng sangbahayan ni Achab, at kayo'y nagsisilakad ng ayon sa kanilang mga payo; upang gawin kitang kasiraan, at ang mga mananahan niya'y kasutsutan: at inyong dadalhin ang kakutyaan ng aking bayan.

   

Commentary

 

Exploring the Meaning of Micah 6

By New Christian Bible Study Staff

In Micah 6:1-4, the Lord speaks of all that He has done for Israel, getting them out of Egypt where they were slaves. In Micah 6:5, he relates how He protected them from Balak, king of Moab (in Numbers 22-24).

Then, in Micah 6:6-8, the Lord asks, rhetorically, how the people should worship Him: “With calves of a year old?” and then goes on with a reference to the idol Moloch, “shall I give my firstborn for my transgression?” Obviously these external acts do no good at all without internal repentance and a stopping of any transgressions.

Then He answers the question. Micah says, “He has told thee oh man, what is good,” and continues the stirring, familiar words; "do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God". 1

Micah 6:9 is about humility. It's a really important idea that started to be a problem for humankind all the way back in the story of the Garden of Eden. To eat of the tree of “the knowledge of good and evil” is to take to oneself the right/ability to decide which is which, and not listen to what God says about it. To walk “humbly” is to listen to God. That’s the meaning of “hear ye the rod and who has appointed it.”

Micah 6:10-11 points out that there is still some falsification with these people. The lean ephah is a cheating on the amount of liquid in a pitcher, and liquids refer to truth. Stones are used as weights to balance a scale that weighs out a purchase of food, and deceitful stones will cheat the buyer. Food means a form of good.

In Micah 6:12, 13, the rich mean people who, because they know a lot about natural things, believe they are also wise about spiritual things. 2 Here they are wicked and love the life of evil and falsity, nor can they be changed.

Then, in Micah 6:14-16, the chapter ends with a list of the problems such people will face. To eat, in the good sense, is to take in good. However, the gifts given by people who are immersed in evils and falsities turn out to be false gifts. People try to get things that will make them happy, but it doesn’t happen. Olives and their oil mean good, and grapes and their juice mean truth. 3

What are the laws of Omri? Omri was one of the wickeder kings of Israel, and Ahab was the wickedest king of all. To follow them means desolation and reproach.

In some ways, this chapter is a lot like many others in the books of the prophets. And yet, for centuries it has stood out, because it contains one of the Word's most powerful, concise, statements of how we should live: "Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God."

Footnotes:

1. See Arcana Coelestia 2895

2. See Heaven and Hell 365.

3. Regarding olives and olive oil, seeArcana Coelestia 986. For the signification of grapes their juice, Apocalypse Explained 918.

The Bible

 

Micah 7:16

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16 The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.