Micah 6:13 (DRB)

Passage

And I therefore began to strike thee with desolation for thy sins.

Nearby Context

Micah 6:11 Shall I justify wicked balances, and the deceitful weights of the bag?

Micah 6:12 By which her rich men were filled with iniquity, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue was deceitful in their mouth.

Micah 6:13 And I therefore began to strike thee with desolation for thy sins.

Micah 6:14 Thou shalt eat, but shalt not be filled: and thy humiliation shall be in the midst of thee: and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not save: and those whom thou shalt save, I will give up to the sword.

Micah 6:15 Thou shalt sow, but shalt not reap: thou shalt tread the olives, but shalt not be anointed with oil: and the new wine, but shalt not drink the wine.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "began", "strike", "thee", "desolation", and "sins". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "began", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "By which her rich men were filled..." into verse 14's "Thou shalt eat but shalt not be...", so "therefore" and "began" belong inside that flow. In Micah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "therefore" and "began" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.