unfoldingWord_en_tn/mic/07/03.md

# General Information:

Micah continues speaking about the people of Israel.

# Their hands are very good

The hand is a synecdoche for the person. AT: "The people are very good" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche]])

# The best of them is like a brier, the most upright is worse than a thorn hedge

Briers and thorns are good for nothing and harm those who touch them. The Israelite rulers and judges did nothing good and harmed people. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-simile]])

# the most upright

"those of them who try hardest to do what is good"

# It is the day foretold by your watchmen, the day of your punishment

Micah speaks to the people of Israel, so both instances of "your" are plural. The word "watchmen" is a metaphor for prophets. AT: "Their prophets have told them that Yahweh would punish them" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-you]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# Now is the time of their confusion

The abstract noun "confusion" can be translated as a verb. AT: "Now is when they do not understand what is happening" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]])

# translationWords

* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/hand]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/ruler]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/judgeposition]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/bribe]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/punish]]