7:2 Faithful men have disappeared 1 from the land;
there are no godly men left. 2
They all wait in ambush so they can shed blood; 3
they hunt their own brother with a net. 4
7:3 They are determined to be experts at doing evil; 5
government officials and judges take bribes, 6
prominent men make demands,
and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them. 7
1 tn Or “have perished”; “have been destroyed.”
2 tn Heb “and an upright one among men there is not.”
3 tn Heb “for bloodshed” (so NASB); TEV “for a chance to commit murder.”
4 sn Micah compares these ungodly people to hunters trying to capture their prey with a net.
5 tn Heb “upon evil [are their] hands to do [it] well.”
6 tn Heb “the official asks – and the judge – for a bribe.”
7 tn More literally, “the great one announces what his appetite desires and they weave it together.” Apparently this means that subordinates plot and maneuver to make sure the prominent man’s desires materialize.