“Do not preach,” they preach. “Do not preach these things; disgrace will not overtake us.”
Parallel translations
- WEB “Don’t prophesy!” They prophesy. “Don’t prophesy about these things. Disgrace won’t overtake us.”
- KJV Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.
- NKJV “Do not prattle,” you say to those who prophesy. So they shall not prophesy to you; They shall not return insult for insult.
- NASB ¶‘Do not prophesy,’ so they prophesy. But if they do not prophesy about these things, Insults will not be turned back.
- NLT “Don’t say such things,” the people respond. “Don’t prophesy like that. Such disasters will never come our way!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The people tell Micah not to prophesy such things, insisting disgrace will not come upon them. It exposes their refusal to hear God's warning.
Overview
The false prophets and complacent people silence true preaching, claiming judgment will never overtake them. Their demand to hear only comfortable words reveals a heart unwilling to repent. Rejecting the prophet's warning, they cling to a false security that the coming events will shatter.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- Amos 2:12“But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.
- Isa 30:10They say to the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions.
- Ezek 3:26I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, and you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, though they are a rebellious house.
- Acts 5:40At this, they yielded to Gamaliel. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.
- Acts 5:28“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this man’s blood.”
- Jer 6:14–15They dress the wound of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all.
- Amos 8:11–13Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.
- 1 Th 2:15–16who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men,
- Ezek 20:46“Son of man, set your face toward the south, preach against it, and prophesy against the forest of the Negev.
- Jer 26:20–23Now there was another man prophesying in the name of the LORD, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land the same things that Jeremiah did.
- Jer 26:8–9and as soon as he had finished telling all the people everything the LORD had commanded him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people seized him, shouting, “You must surely die!
- Acts 4:17But to keep this message from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.”
- Mic 6:16You have kept the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahab’s house; you have followed their counsel. Therefore I will make you a desolation, and your inhabitants an object of contempt; you will bear the scorn of the nations.”
- Amos 7:13But never prophesy at Bethel again, because it is the sanctuary of the king and the temple of the kingdom.”
- Ezek 21:2“Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel
- Ps 74:9There are no signs for us to see. There is no longer any prophet. And none of us knows how long this will last.
- Acts 7:51You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
- Jer 8:11–12They dress the wound of the daughter of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all.
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Christ at the center
Micah names the town — 'But you, Bethlehem... from you shall come forth one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origins are from of old' — the birthplace of the eternal King.
How Micah 2:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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