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Micah 1
Expanded Bible
Micah 1
Expanded Bible
Samaria and Israel to Be Punished
1 During the time that Jotham [C ruled 758–743 bc], Ahaz [C ruled 743–727 bc], and Hezekiah [C ruled 727–698 bc] were kings of Judah, the word of the Lord came to Micah, who was from Moresheth [C a town in southern Judah]. He saw these visions about Samaria and Jerusalem.
2 Hear this, all you ·nations [peoples];
listen, earth and all you who live on it.
The Lord God will ·be a witness [bring charges] against you,
the Lord from his Holy Temple.
3 See, the Lord is coming out of his place;
he is coming down to ·walk on [tread upon] the ·tops of the mountains [heights of the earth].
4 The mountains will melt under him,
and the valleys will ·crack open [split apart],
like wax near a fire,
like water running down a hillside.
5 All this is because of Jacob’s ·sin [rebellion; transgression],
because of the sins of the ·nation [L house] of Israel.
What is ·the place of Jacob’s sin [L Jacob’s trangression]?
Isn’t it Samaria [C the capital of the northern empire]?
What is Judah’s ·place of idol worship [L high place; C a pagan worship site]?
Isn’t it Jerusalem [C Judah’s sin made the temple in Jerusalem no better than a pagan temple]?
The Lord Speaks
6 “So I will make Samaria a ·pile [heap] of ruins in the open country,
a place for planting vineyards.
I will pour her stones down into the valley
and ·strip her down to [lay bare; uncover] her foundations.
7 All her ·idols [carved images] will be broken into pieces;
all the ·gifts to her idols [L prostitute’s wages] will be burned with fire.
I will ·destroy [make desolate] all her idols,
and because Samaria ·earned her money [or gathered these things] by ·being unfaithful to me [prostituting herself],
·this money will be carried off by others who are not faithful to me [L to the pay of the prostitute they will return; C Samaria’s wealth earned through idolatry would now go to the pagan temples of Assyria—one prostitute’s wages going to another].”
Micah’s Great Sadness
8 I will ·moan and cry [mourn and wail] because of this evil,
going around barefoot and naked.
I will ·cry loudly [wail] like ·the wild dogs [jackals]
and ·make sad sounds [moan] like the ·owls [or ostriches] do,
9 because Samaria’s wound ·cannot be healed [is incurable].
It ·will spread [or has spread] to Judah;
it ·will reach [or has reached] the city gate of my people [C where the city’s affairs were conducted],
all the way to Jerusalem.
10 Don’t tell it in Gath [C sounds like Hebrew for “tell”; Gath and the cities in this list were in Assyria’s path of destruction in 701 bc].
Don’t cry ·in Acco [or at all; C the Hebrew for “cry” sounds like Acco].
Roll in the dust
at Beth Ophrah [C “house of dust”].
11 Pass on your way, naked and ashamed,
you who live in Shaphir [C “beautiful” or “pleasant”].
Those who live in Zaanan [C sounds like Hebrew for “come out”]
won’t come out.
The people in Beth Ezel [C “house of nearness”] ·will cry [are in mourning],
but they will not give you any support.
12 Those who live in Maroth [C sounds like Hebrew for “sad” or “miserable”]
·will be anxious [hope] for good news to come,
because ·trouble [disaster] ·will [or has] come from the Lord,
all the way to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 You people living in Lachish [C a large town in Judah; Lachish sounds like the Hebrew for “horse” or “steed”],
harness the fastest ·horses [steeds] to the chariot.
·Jerusalem’s [L Daughter of Zion’s; C the location of the Temple] sins ·started in [began with] you;
yes, Israel’s ·sins [transgressions; rebellion] were found in you.
14 So you must give ·farewell gifts [a dowry]
to Moresheth in Gath.
The houses in Aczib [C “deception”] ·will be false help
to [or have deceived/betrayed] the kings of Israel.
15 I will bring against you people who will ·take [possess; conquer] your land,
you who live in Mareshah [C sounds like Hebrew for “conqueror”].
The ·glory [or nobles; leaders] of Israel
will go in to Adullam [C perhaps to hide in its caves].
16 ·Cut off your hair [Shave your head; Make yourself bald; C a sign of mourning or sadness]
for the children ·you love [in whom you delight].
Make yourself bald like the eagle,
because your children will be taken away ·to a foreign land [in exile/captivity].
Micah 1
New King James Version
Micah 1
New King James Version
Judgment on Israel and Judah
1 The word of the Lord that came to (A)Micah of Moresheth in the days of (B)Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
The Coming Judgment on Israel
2 Hear, all you peoples!
Listen, O earth, and all that is in it!
Let the Lord God be a witness against you,
The Lord from (C)His holy temple.
3 For behold, the Lord is coming out of His place;
He will come down
And tread on the high places of the earth.
4 (D)The mountains will melt under Him,
And the valleys will split
Like wax before the fire,
Like waters poured down a steep place.
5 All this is for the transgression of Jacob
And for the sins of the house of Israel.
What is the transgression of Jacob?
Is it not Samaria?
And what are the (E)high places of Judah?
Are they not Jerusalem?
6 “Therefore I will make Samaria (F)a heap of ruins in the field,
Places for planting a vineyard;
I will pour down her stones into the valley,
And I will (G)uncover her foundations.
7 All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces,
And all her (H)pay as a harlot shall be burned with the fire;
All her idols I will lay desolate,
For she gathered it from the pay of a harlot,
And they shall return to the (I)pay of a harlot.”
Mourning for Israel and Judah
8 Therefore I will wail and howl,
I will go stripped and naked;
(J)I will make a wailing like the jackals
And a mourning like the ostriches,
9 For her wounds are incurable.
For (K)it has come to Judah;
It has come to the gate of My people—
To Jerusalem.
10 (L)Tell it not in Gath,
Weep not at all;
In [a]Beth Aphrah
Roll yourself in the dust.
11 Pass by in naked shame, you inhabitant of [b]Shaphir;
The inhabitant of [c]Zaanan does not go out.
Beth Ezel mourns;
Its place to stand is taken away from you.
12 For the inhabitant of [d]Maroth [e]pined for good,
But (M)disaster came down from the Lord
To the gate of Jerusalem.
13 O inhabitant of (N)Lachish,
Harness the chariot to the swift steeds
(She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion),
For the transgressions of Israel were (O)found in you.
14 Therefore you shall (P)give presents to [f]Moresheth Gath;
The houses of (Q)Achzib[g] shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.
15 I will yet bring an heir to you, O inhabitant of (R)Mareshah;[h]
The glory of Israel shall come to (S)Adullam.[i]
16 Make yourself (T)bald and cut off your hair,
Because of your (U)precious children;
Enlarge your baldness like an eagle,
For they shall go from you into (V)captivity.
Footnotes
- Micah 1:10 Lit. House of Dust
- Micah 1:11 Lit. Beautiful
- Micah 1:11 Lit. Going Out
- Micah 1:12 Lit. Bitterness
- Micah 1:12 Lit. was sick
- Micah 1:14 Lit. Possession of Gath
- Micah 1:14 Lit. Lie
- Micah 1:15 Lit. Inheritance
- Micah 1:15 Lit. Refuge
Micah 1
English Standard Version
Micah 1
English Standard Version
1 The word of the Lord that came to Micah (A)of Moresheth (B)in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw (C)concerning (D)Samaria and Jerusalem.
The Coming Destruction
2 (E)Hear, you peoples, all of you;[a]
(F)pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it,
and (G)let the Lord God be a witness against you,
(H)the Lord from his holy temple.
3 For behold, (I)the Lord is coming out of (J)his place,
and will come down and (K)tread upon the high places of the earth.
4 And (L)the mountains will melt under him,
and the valleys will split open,
like wax before the fire,
like waters poured down a steep place.
5 All this is for (M)the transgression of Jacob
and for the sins of the house of Israel.
(N)What is the transgression of Jacob?
Is it not (O)Samaria?
And what is (P)the high place of Judah?
Is it not Jerusalem?
6 Therefore I will make (Q)Samaria (R)a heap in the open country,
a place for planting vineyards,
and I will pour down her stones (S)into the valley
and (T)uncover her foundations.
7 All (U)her carved images shall be beaten to pieces,
(V)all her wages shall be burned with fire,
and all her idols I will lay waste,
for from (W)the fee of a prostitute she gathered them,
and to the fee of a prostitute they shall return.
8 (X)For this I will lament and wail;
I will go (Y)stripped and naked;
I will make lamentation (Z)like the jackals,
and mourning (AA)like the ostriches.
9 (AB)For her wound is incurable,
and it has come to Judah;
it has reached to the gate of my people,
to Jerusalem.
10 (AC)Tell it not in (AD)Gath;
weep not at all;
in Beth-le-aphrah
(AE)roll yourselves in the dust.
11 Pass on your way,
inhabitants of Shaphir,
(AF)in nakedness and shame;
the inhabitants of Zaanan
do not come out;
the lamentation of Beth-ezel
shall take away from you its standing place.
12 For the inhabitants of Maroth
wait anxiously for good,
because disaster has come down (AG)from the Lord
to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 Harness the steeds to the chariots,
inhabitants of (AH)Lachish;
it was the beginning of sin
to the daughter of Zion,
for in you were found
(AI)the transgressions of Israel.
14 Therefore you shall give parting gifts[b]
to (AJ)Moresheth-gath;
the houses of (AK)Achzib shall be a deceitful thing
to the kings of Israel.
15 I will again bring (AL)a conqueror to you,
inhabitants of (AM)Mareshah;
the glory of Israel
shall come to (AN)Adullam.
16 (AO)Make yourselves bald and cut off your hair,
for the children of your delight;
(AP)make yourselves as bald as the eagle,
for they shall go from you into exile.
Footnotes
- Micah 1:2 Hebrew all of them
- Micah 1:14 Or give dowry
Micah 1
New International Version
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.
2 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
3 Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling(L) place;
he comes down(M) and treads on the heights of the earth.(N)
4 The mountains melt(O) beneath him(P)
and the valleys split apart,(Q)
like wax before the fire,
like water rushing down a slope.
5 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?
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)
7 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
8 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.
9 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
- 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.
Expanded Bible (EXB)
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.