Add parallel Print Page Options

Calamity in Israel and Judah

The (A)word of [a]Yahweh which came to (B)Micah of Moresheth in the days of (C)Jotham, (D)Ahaz, and (E)Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he beheld concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

Hear, O peoples, all of [b]you;
(F)Give heed, O earth, as well as its fullness,
And let Lord Yahweh be a (G)witness against you,
The Lord from His holy temple.
For behold, Yahweh is (H)going forth from His place.
He will come down and (I)tread on the high places of the [c]earth.
(J)The mountains will melt under Him,
And the valleys will be split,
Like wax before the fire,
Like water poured down a steep place.
All this is for the transgression of Jacob
And for the sins of the house of Israel.
What is the (K)transgression of Jacob?
Is it not (L)Samaria?
What is the (M)high [d]place of Judah?
Is it not Jerusalem?
So I will make Samaria a (N)heap of ruins in the field,
(O)Planting places for a vineyard.
And I will (P)pour her stones down into the valley
And will (Q)lay bare her foundations.
And all of her (R)graven images will be smashed,
And all of her earnings will be burned with fire
And all of her idols I will make desolate,
For she collected them from a (S)harlot’s earnings,
And to the earnings of a harlot they will return.

Because of this I must lament and wail;
I must go (T)barefoot and naked;
I must make a lament like the (U)jackals
And a mourning like the ostriches.
For her [e](V)wound is incurable,
For (W)it has come to Judah;
It has reached the (X)gate of my people,
Even to Jerusalem.
10 (Y)Tell it not in Gath,
Weep not at all.
At [f]Beth-le-aphrah roll yourself in the dust.
11 [g]Pass on by, inhabitant of [h]Shaphir, in (Z)shameful nakedness.
The inhabitant of [i](AA)Zaanan does not go out.
The lamentation of [j]Beth-ezel: “He will take from you its [k]support.”
12 For the inhabitant of [l]Maroth
Writhes (AB)in waiting for good
Because a [m]calamity has come down from Yahweh
To the (AC)gate of Jerusalem.
13 Harness the chariot to the team of horses,
O inhabitant of (AD)Lachish—
She was the beginning of sin
To the daughter of Zion—
Because in you were found
The (AE)transgressions of Israel.
14 Therefore you will give parting (AF)gifts
On behalf of [n]Moresheth-gath;
The houses of [o](AG)Achzib will become a (AH)deception
To the kings of Israel.
15 Moreover, I will bring on you
The one who takes possession,
O inhabitant of [p](AI)Mareshah.
The glory of Israel will enter (AJ)Adullam.
16 Make yourself (AK)bald and cut off your hair,
Because of the children of your delight;
Extend your baldness like the eagle,
For they will (AL)go from you into exile.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 1:1 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
  2. Micah 1:2 Lit them
  3. Micah 1:3 Or land
  4. Micah 1:5 Lit places
  5. Micah 1:9 Lit wounds are
  6. Micah 1:10 Lit house of dust
  7. Micah 1:11 Go into captivity
  8. Micah 1:11 Lit pleasantness
  9. Micah 1:11 Lit going out
  10. Micah 1:11 Lit house of removal
  11. Micah 1:11 Lit standing place
  12. Micah 1:12 Lit bitterness
  13. Micah 1:12 Lit evil
  14. Micah 1:14 Lit possession of Gath
  15. Micah 1:14 Lit deception
  16. Micah 1:15 Lit to take possession

The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth(A) during the reigns of Jotham,(B) Ahaz(C) and Hezekiah,(D) kings of Judah(E)—the vision(F) he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

Hear,(G) you peoples, all of you,(H)
    listen, earth(I) and all who live in it,
that the Sovereign Lord may bear witness(J) against you,
    the Lord from his holy temple.(K)

Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem

Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling(L) place;
    he comes down(M) and treads on the heights of the earth.(N)
The mountains melt(O) beneath him(P)
    and the valleys split apart,(Q)
like wax before the fire,
    like water rushing down a slope.
All this is because of Jacob’s transgression,
    because of the sins of the people of Israel.
What is Jacob’s transgression?
    Is it not Samaria?(R)
What is Judah’s high place?
    Is it not Jerusalem?

“Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble,
    a place for planting vineyards.(S)
I will pour her stones(T) into the valley
    and lay bare her foundations.(U)
All her idols(V) will be broken to pieces;(W)
    all her temple gifts will be burned with fire;
    I will destroy all her images.(X)
Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes,(Y)
    as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used.”

Weeping and Mourning

Because of this I will weep(Z) and wail;
    I will go about barefoot(AA) and naked.
I will howl like a jackal
    and moan like an owl.
For Samaria’s plague(AB) is incurable;(AC)
    it has spread to Judah.(AD)
It has reached the very gate(AE) of my people,
    even to Jerusalem itself.
10 Tell it not in Gath[a];
    weep not at all.
In Beth Ophrah[b]
    roll in the dust.
11 Pass by naked(AF) and in shame,
    you who live in Shaphir.[c]
Those who live in Zaanan[d]
    will not come out.
Beth Ezel is in mourning;
    it no longer protects you.
12 Those who live in Maroth[e] writhe in pain,
    waiting for relief,(AG)
because disaster(AH) has come from the Lord,
    even to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 You who live in Lachish,(AI)
    harness fast horses to the chariot.
You are where the sin of Daughter Zion(AJ) began,
    for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
14 Therefore you will give parting gifts(AK)
    to Moresheth(AL) Gath.
The town of Akzib[f](AM) will prove deceptive(AN)
    to the kings of Israel.
15 I will bring a conqueror against you
    who live in Mareshah.[g](AO)
The nobles of Israel
    will flee to Adullam.(AP)
16 Shave(AQ) your head in mourning
    for the children in whom you delight;
make yourself as bald as the vulture,
    for they will go from you into exile.(AR)

Footnotes

  1. Micah 1:10 Gath sounds like the Hebrew for tell.
  2. Micah 1:10 Beth Ophrah means house of dust.
  3. Micah 1:11 Shaphir means pleasant.
  4. Micah 1:11 Zaanan sounds like the Hebrew for come out.
  5. Micah 1:12 Maroth sounds like the Hebrew for bitter.
  6. Micah 1:14 Akzib means deception.
  7. Micah 1:15 Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew for conqueror.