Micah 3:2

¹ Then I said: “Hear now, O leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Should you not know justice?

You hate good and love evil. You tear the skin from my people and strip the flesh from their bones.

³ You eat the flesh of my people after stripping off their skin and breaking their bones. You chop them up like flesh for the cooking pot, like meat in a cauldron.”

⁴ Then they will cry out to the LORD, but He will not answer them. At that time He will hide His face from them because of the evil they have done.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: You hate good and love evil. You tear the skin from my people and strip the flesh from their bones.
KJV: Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;
WEB: You who hate the good, and love the evil; who tear off their skin, and their flesh from off their bones;
ASV: ye who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;
DARBY: Ye who hate the good, and love evil; who pluck off their skin from them, and their flesh from off their bones;
BLB: those hating good and loving evil, those tearing away their skin from upon them, and their flesh from their bones,

ÅB: Dere som hater det gode og elsker det onde,
som flår huden av dem
og kjøttet av beinene deres,
OTB: Dere som hater godhet og elsker ondskap,
Som river bort deres hud
Og deres kjøtt fra deres ben,
B1930: I som hater det gode og elsker det onde, I som flår huden av dem og kjøttet av deres ben,

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Ezekiel 22:27
Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood, and destroying lives for dishonest gain.
Read in context
Psalms 53:4
Will the workers of iniquity never learn? They devour my people like bread; they refuse to call upon God.
Read in context
Proverbs 28:4
Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them.
Read in context
1 Kings 21:20
When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.” He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.
Read in context
2 Chronicles 19:2
Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to confront him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you.
Read in context
1 Kings 22:6–8
So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
Read in context
Romans 12:9
Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.
Read in context
2 Timothy 3:3
unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good,
Read in context