The final verse, verse 15, is somewhat separate in thought from the rest of this paragraph, In it the Lord looks beyond his own people to the Gentile nations. In the case of his own people he intends to purify their religion and to renew their relationship with himself. But in the case of the Gentiles he intends simply to punish.

“Anger and wrath” (Revised Standard Version) is another example of using two words to express a single meaning. It is accordingly translated great anger in Good News Translation. In his great anger the Lord will take revenge on all nations. The reason given is that they have not obeyed me. The thought seems to be that if God’s own people need to be punished for their sins, how much more will the heathen nations deserve it. (Compare 1 Peter 4.17-18 for a similar train of thought.)

Some translators may feel that the word for revenge in their languages would not be correct to use about God here, as it may be considered immoral. The word here can be translated as “punish,” since the Hebrew word applies to the acts that a king must do to those who refuse to obey his authority.

It will be necessary in some languages to restructure this verse and say something like “I am also very angry with all the nations that have refused to obey me, and so I will take revenge on them (or, punish them).”

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 .