Micah 7:4 
Context| NET © | The best of them is like a thorn; the most godly among them are more dangerous than a row of thorn bushes. 1 The day you try to avoid by posting watchmen – your appointed time of punishment – is on the way, 2 and then you will experience confusion. 3 |
| NIV © | The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen has come, the day God visits you. Now is the time of their confusion. |
| NASB © | The best of them is like a briar, The most upright like a thorn hedge. The day when you post your watchmen, Your punishment will come. Then their confusion will occur. |
| NLT © | Even the best of them is like a brier; the straightest is more crooked than a hedge of thorns. But your judgment day is coming swiftly now. Your time of punishment is here. |
| MSG © | The best and brightest are thistles. The top of the line is crabgrass. But no longer: It's exam time. Look at them slinking away in disgrace! |
| BBE © | The best of them is like a waste plant, and their upright ones are like a wall of thorns. Sorrow! the day of their fate has come; now will trouble come on them. |
| NRSV © | The best of them is like a brier, the most upright of them a thorn hedge. The day of their sentinels, of their punishment, has come; now their confusion is at hand. |
| NKJV © | The best of them is like a brier; The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge; The day of your watchman and your punishment comes; Now shall be their perplexity. |
| KJV | |
| NASB © | |
| HEBREW | |
| LXXM | |
| NET © [draft] ITL | The best <02896> of them is like a thorn <02312> ; the most godly <03477> among them are more dangerous than a row of thorn bushes <04534> . The day <03117> you try to avoid by posting watchmen <06822> – your appointed time of punishment <06486> – is on the way <0935> , and then you will experience <01961> confusion .<03998> |
| NET © | The best of them is like a thorn; the most godly among them are more dangerous than a row of thorn bushes. 1 The day you try to avoid by posting watchmen – your appointed time of punishment – is on the way, 2 and then you will experience confusion. 3 |
| NET © Notes |
1 tn Heb “[the] godly from a row of thorn bushes.” The preposition מִן (min) is comparative and the comparative element (perhaps “sharper” is the idea) is omitted. See BDB 582 s.v. 6 and GKC 431 §133.e. 2 tn Heb “the day of your watchmen, your appointed [time], is coming.” The present translation takes “watchmen” to refer to actual sentries. However, the “watchmen” could refer figuratively to the prophets who had warned Judah of approaching judgment. In this case one could translate, “The day your prophets warned about – your appointed time of punishment – is on the way.” 3 tn Heb “and now will be their confusion.” |
