In verse 12 we meet the first direct mention of false religion. The Lord promises to destroy the magic charms you use, and leave you without any fortunetellers. The practice of magic and fortunetelling was condemned clearly in the Law (Lev 19.26; Deut 18.9-14) but was nevertheless carried on in Israel, as is indicated in 1 Sam 28; 2 Kgs 21.6. The aim of magic is to get power over other people or things, and the aim of fortunetelling is to obtain information about the future. The terms used here are general ones, and as such activities are still widespread, many translators will easily find suitable terms in their own languages. Magic charms refers to various kinds of things that a person might wear or might use in some other way. They were things believed to have some sort of magic power. If there is no word for fortunetellers, these are “people who tell others what is going to happen to them in the future.”

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. et al. A Handbook on Micah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1978, 1982, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .