Micah 1

New International Version

1 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.

²Hear,^(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

³Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling^(L) place;
    he comes down^(M) and treads on the heights of the earth.^(N)
⁴The mountains melt^(O) beneath him^(P)
    and the valleys split apart,^(Q)
like wax before the fire,
    like water rushing down a slope.
⁵All 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?

⁶“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)
⁷All 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

⁸Because 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.
⁹For 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.
¹⁰Tell it not in Gath^[a];
    weep not at all.
In Beth Ophrah^[b]
    roll in the dust.
¹¹Pass 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.
¹²Those 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.
¹³You 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.
¹⁴Therefore 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.
¹⁵I will bring a conqueror against you
    who live in Mareshah.^[g]^(AO)
The nobles of Israel
    will flee to Adullam.^(AP)
¹⁶Shave^(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

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

Micah 7

New International Version

Israel’s Misery

7 What misery is mine!
I am like one who gathers summer fruit
    at the gleaning of the vineyard;
there is no cluster of grapes to eat,
    none of the early figs^(A) that I crave.
²The faithful have been swept from the land;^(B)
    not one^(C) upright person remains.
Everyone lies in wait^(D) to shed blood;^(E)
    they hunt each other^(F) with nets.^(G)
³Both hands are skilled in doing evil;^(H)
    the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,^(I)
    the powerful dictate what they desire—
    they all conspire together.
⁴The best of them is like a brier,^(J)
    the most upright worse than a thorn^(K) hedge.
The day God visits you has come,
    the day your watchmen sound the alarm.
    Now is the time of your confusion.^(L)
⁵Do not trust a neighbor;
    put no confidence in a friend.^(M)
Even with the woman who lies in your embrace
    guard the words of your lips.
⁶For a son dishonors his father,
    a daughter rises up against her mother,^(N)
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
    a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.^(O)

⁷But as for me, I watch^(P) in hope^(Q) for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear^(R) me.

Israel Will Rise

⁸Do not gloat over me,^(S) my enemy!
    Though I have fallen, I will rise.^(T)
Though I sit in darkness,
    the Lord will be my light.^(U)
⁹Because I have sinned against him,
    I will bear the Lord’s wrath,^(V)
until he pleads my case^(W)
    and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;^(X)
    I will see his righteousness.^(Y)
¹⁰Then my enemy will see it
    and will be covered with shame,^(Z)
she who said to me,
    “Where is the Lord your God?”^(AA)
My eyes will see her downfall;^(AB)
    even now she will be trampled^(AC) underfoot
    like mire in the streets.

¹¹The day for building your walls^(AD) will come,
    the day for extending your boundaries.
¹²In that day people will come to you
    from Assyria^(AE) and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates
    and from sea to sea
    and from mountain to mountain.^(AF)
¹³The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,
    as the result of their deeds.^(AG)

Prayer and Praise

¹⁴Shepherd^(AH) your people with your staff,^(AI)
    the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
    in fertile pasturelands.^[a]^(AJ)
Let them feed in Bashan^(AK) and Gilead^(AL)
    as in days long ago.^(AM)

¹⁵“As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
I will show them my wonders.^(AN)”

¹⁶Nations will see and be ashamed,^(AO)
    deprived of all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths^(AP)
    and their ears will become deaf.
¹⁷They will lick dust^(AQ) like a snake,
    like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling^(AR) out of their dens;
    they will turn in fear^(AS) to the Lord our God
    and will be afraid of you.
¹⁸Who is a God^(AT) like you,
    who pardons sin^(AU) and forgives^(AV) the transgression
    of the remnant^(AW) of his inheritance?^(AX)
You do not stay angry^(AY) forever
    but delight to show mercy.^(AZ)
¹⁹You will again have compassion on us;
    you will tread our sins underfoot
    and hurl all our iniquities^(BA) into the depths of the sea.^(BB)
²⁰You will be faithful to Jacob,
    and show love to Abraham,^(BC)
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors^(BD)
    in days long ago.^(BE)