Add parallel Print Page Options

The word of Jehovah that came to Micah the Morashtite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

Hear, ye peoples, all of you; hearken, O earth, and [a]all that therein is: and let the Lord Jehovah be witness [b]against you, the Lord from his holy temple. For, behold, Jehovah cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains shall be melted under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, as waters that are poured down a steep place. For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem? Therefore I will make Samaria as a heap of the field, and as places for planting vineyards; and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will uncover the foundations thereof. And all her graven images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her hires shall be burned with fire, and all her idols will I lay desolate; for of the hire of a harlot hath she gathered them, and unto the hire of a harlot shall they return.

For this will I lament and wail; I will go stripped and naked; I will make a wailing like the jackals, and a lamentation like the ostriches. For her wounds are incurable; for it is come even unto Judah; it reacheth unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem. 10 Tell it not in Gath, weep not at all: at [c]Beth-le-aphrah [d]have I rolled myself in the dust. 11 Pass away, O [e]inhabitant of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame: the [f]inhabitant of Zaanan is not come forth; the wailing of Beth-ezel shall take from you the [g]stay thereof. 12 For the [h]inhabitant of Maroth [i]waiteth anxiously for good, because evil is come down from Jehovah unto the gate of Jerusalem. 13 Bind the chariot to the swift steed, O [j]inhabitant of Lachish: she was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee. 14 Therefore shalt thou give a parting gift to Moresheth-gath: the houses of Achzib shall be [k]a deceitful thing unto the kings of Israel. 15 I will yet bring unto thee, O [l]inhabitant of Mareshah, him that shall possess thee: the glory of Israel shall come even unto Adullam. 16 Make thee bald, and cut off thy hair for the children of thy delight: enlarge thy baldness as the [m]eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 1:2 Hebrew the fulness thereof.
  2. Micah 1:2 Or, among
  3. Micah 1:10 That is, A house of dust.
  4. Micah 1:10 Another reading is, roll thyself
  5. Micah 1:11 Hebrew inhabitress.
  6. Micah 1:11 Hebrew inhabitress.
  7. Micah 1:11 Or, standing-place
  8. Micah 1:12 Hebrew inhabitress.
  9. Micah 1:12 Or, is in travail for
  10. Micah 1:13 Hebrew inhabitress.
  11. Micah 1:14 Hebrew achzab.
  12. Micah 1:15 Hebrew inhabitress.
  13. Micah 1:16 Or, vulture

The Impending Doom of Samaria and Jerusalem

The word of Yahweh that came to Micah the Morashtite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah, that he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem:

Hear, all you peoples;
    give heed, O earth and its fullness.
And let the Lord Yahweh be against you as a witness,
    the Lord from his holy temple.[a]
For behold, Yahweh is coming out from his place,
    and he will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth.
The mountains will melt under him
    and the valleys will burst open,
like wax before the fire,
    like water rushing down a slope.
All this is for the rebellion of Jacob,
    and for the sins of the house of Israel.
What is the rebellion of Jacob?
    Is it not Samaria?
And what are the high places of Judah?
    Are they not Jerusalem?
So I will make Samaria as a heap of rubble in the field,
    a place for planting a vineyard.
And I will pour down her stones into the valley
    and uncover her foundations.
Then all her idols will be broken in pieces,
    and all her prostitution wages will be burned in the fire,
    and all her idols I will make a desolation,
For from the wage of a prostitute she gathered them,
    and to the wage of a prostitute they will return.
On account of this I will lament and wail.
    I will go about barefoot and naked.
I will make a lamentation like the jackals,
    and a mourning ceremony like the ostriches.[b]
For her wounds are incurable,
    because it has come to Judah.
    It has reached to the gate of my people, to Jerusalem.
10 Do not tell it in Gath;
    you must not weep at all.
In Beth-le-Aphrah
    roll yourself in dust.
11 Pass on, you inhabitants of Shaphir,
    in naked shame.
The inhabitants of Zaanan do not come forth;
    the wailing of Beth-ha-Ezel will take its protection from you.
12 For the inhabitants of Maroth
    writhed for good,
because disaster has come down from Yahweh
    to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 Harness the chariot to the team of horses,
    O inhabitants of Lachish;
it is the beginning of sin
    for the daughter of Zion,
for the transgressions of Israel
    were found in you.
14 Therefore you will give parting gifts
    to Moresheth-Gath;
the houses of Achzib will be a deception
    to the kings of Israel.
15 I will again bring the conqueror upon you,
    O inhabitants of Mareshah;
the glory of Israel
    will come to Adullam.
16 Make yourselves bald
    and cut off your hair
    for the children of your pleasure.
Expand your baldness as the eagle,
    for they will go into exile away from you.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 1:2 Literally “the temple of his holiness”
  2. Micah 1:8 Literally “daughters of an ostrich”