Micah 6:15

¹³ Therefore I am striking you severely, to ruin you because of your sins.

¹⁴ You will eat but not be satisfied, and your hunger will remain with you. What you acquire, you will not preserve; and what you save, I will give to the sword.

You will sow but not reap; you will press olives but not anoint yourselves with oil; you will tread grapes but not drink the wine.

¹⁶ You 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.”

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 will sow but not reap; you will press olives but not anoint yourselves with oil; you will tread grapes but not drink the wine.
KJV: Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.
WEB: You will sow, but won’t reap. You will tread the olives, but won’t anoint yourself with oil; and crush grapes, but won’t drink the wine.
ASV: Thou shalt sow, but shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but shalt not anoint thee with oil; and the vintage, but shalt not drink the wine.
DARBY: Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and new wine, but shalt not drink wine.
BLB: You will sow, and you will not reap; you will tread the olives, and you will not anoint yourselves with oil, and new wine, and you will not drink the wine.

ÅB: Du skal så, men ikke høste.
Du skal trå oliven, men ikke salve deg med olje,
få most, men ikke drikke vin.
OTB: Du skal så, men du skal ikke høste.
Du skal tråkke olivenpressen, men ikke salve deg med olje;
Og tråkke druer, men du skal ikke drikke vin.
B1930: Du skal så, men ikke høste; du skal presse oljebær, men ikke salve dig med olje; du skal presse druer, men ikke drikke vin.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Zephaniah 1:13
Their wealth will be plundered and their houses laid waste. They will build houses but not inhabit them, and plant vineyards but never drink their wine.
Read in context
Amos 5:11
Therefore, because you trample on the poor and exact from him a tax of grain, you will never live in the stone houses you have built; you will never drink the wine from the lush vineyards you have planted.
Read in context
Jeremiah 12:13
They have sown wheat but harvested thorns. They have exhausted themselves to no avail. Bear the shame of your harvest because of the fierce anger of the LORD.”
Read in context
Isaiah 62:8–9
The LORD has sworn by His right hand and by His mighty arm: “Never again will I give your grain to your enemies for food, nor will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 28:38–40
You will sow much seed in the field but harvest little, because the locusts will consume it.
Read in context
Haggai 1:6
You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. You put on clothes but never get warm. You earn wages to put into a bag pierced through.”
Read in context
Leviticus 26:20
and your strength will be spent in vain. For your land will not yield its produce, and the trees of the land will not bear their fruit.
Read in context
Joel 1:10–12
The field is ruined; the land mourns. For the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, and the oil fails.
Read in context