Micah 6:8 KJV
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?King James Version
The same verse in modern English
He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?Micah 6:8, World English Bible (WEB)
KJV and WEB compared
The KJV says “He hath shewed thee”; shewed is an older spelling of showed, and the WEB has “He has shown you.” The KJV’s “to do justly” and the WEB’s “to act justly” mean the same. Both keep “to love mercy” and “to walk humbly,” and in both, mercy stands for the Hebrew word that the WEB translates as loving kindness in Lamentations 3:22. The three requirements are the same in either version.
Sitting with this verse
God has put his people on trial, and the worshiper answers with a rising bid: calves, thousands of rams, rivers of oil, even a firstborn child. This verse cuts through it all. “O man” addresses any human being. These are not new demands; God “hath shewed” them already. To love mercy is to delight in loyal kindness, and to walk humbly is to walk attentively alongside. Carry one small, kind act into the next hour.
Older words in this verse
- thee, thou
- you (one person)
- thy, thine
- your, yours
- hath
- has
- doth
- does
- shew
- show
From Micah 6
In this courtroom God asks, tenderly, how he has burdened his people. Then comes the simple answer: justice, kindness, a humble walk. Which of these needs your attention?
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