Micah 2:13

2:13 The one who can break through barriers will lead them out ¹ 

they will break out, pass through the gate, and leave. ² 

Their king will advance ³  before them,

The Lord himself will lead them. ⁴ 

Micah 6:6

6:6 With what should I ⁵  enter the Lord’s presence?

With what ⁶  should I bow before the sovereign God? ⁷ 

Should I enter his presence with burnt offerings,

with year-old calves?

Micah 6:8

6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good,

and what the Lord really wants from you: ⁸ 

He wants you to ⁹  promote ¹⁰  justice, to be faithful, ¹¹ 

and to live obediently before ¹²  your God.

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¹ tn Heb “the one who breaks through goes up before them.” The verb form is understood as a perfect of certitude, emphasizing the certainty of this coming event.

² tn The three verb forms (a perfect and two preterites with vav [ו] consecutive) indicate certitude.

sn The “fold” from which the sheep/people break out is probably a reference to their place of exile.

³ tn The verb form (a preterite with vav [ו] consecutive) indicates certitude.

⁴ tn Heb “the Lord [will be] at their head.”

⁵ sn With what should I enter the Lord’s presence? The prophet speaks again, playing the role of an inquisitive worshiper who wants to know what God really desires from his followers.

⁶ tn The words “with what” do double duty in the parallelism and are supplied in the second line of the translation for clarification.

⁷ tn Or “the exalted God.”

⁸ sn What the Lord really wants from you. Now the prophet switches roles and answers the hypothetical worshiper’s question. He makes it clear that the Lord desires proper attitudes more than ritual and sacrifice.

⁹ tn Heb “except.” This statement is actually linked with what precedes, “What does he want from you except….”

¹⁰ tn Heb “to do,” in the sense of “promote.”

¹¹ tn Heb “to love faithfulness.”

¹² tn Heb “to walk humbly [or perhaps, “carefully”] with.”