Micah 1
Modern English Version
1 The word of the Lord, which came to Micah the Morashite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem.
2 Hear, all you peoples!
Listen, earth and everything in it,
that the Sovereign Lord may be a witness against you,
the Lord from His holy temple.
Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem
3 Look! The Lord is coming out from His place,
so that He might come down and tread upon the high places of the earth.
4 The mountains will melt beneath Him,
and the valleys split apart
like wax before the fire,
like waters deluged down a slope.
5 All this because of the transgression of Jacob
and because of the sins of the house of Israel.
What is the transgression of Jacob?
Is it not Samaria?
And what is the high place of Judah?
Is it not Jerusalem?
6 Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the field
for the planting of vineyards.
I will dump her stones into the valley
and expose her foundations.
7 All her idols will be shattered,
and her gifts burned with fire,
and I will annihilate her images,
because she gathered them as the wages of a prostitute,
and as the wages of a prostitute they will again be used.
The Lament of Micah
8 Because of this I will lament and wail,
I will go about barefoot and naked;
I will howl like the jackals
and moan like owlets.
9 For her wound is mortal,
for it has come to Judah;
it has extended to the gate of my people,
to Jerusalem.
10 Do not tell it in Gath,
do not weep at all;
in Beth Ophrah,
roll around in the dust.
11 Pass on your way,
inhabitants of Shaphir, naked and ashamed;
the inhabitants of Zaanan
have not come out.
The mourning of Beth Ezel
has taken from you its foothold.
12 Indeed the inhabitants of Maroth
wait anxiously for good,
because calamity has come down from the Lord
to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 Harness the chariot to the steeds,
inhabitants of Lachish.
It was the beginning of sin
to the daughter of Zion,
because in you were found
the transgressions of Israel.
14 Therefore you will give parting gifts
to Moresheth Gath;
the houses of Akzib will be deception
to the kings of Israel.
15 I will again bring a conqueror to you,
inhabitants of Mareshah;
the glory of Israel
will come to Adullam.
16 Make yourself bald and shave your head
for the children of your delight;
make yourself as bald as the eagle,
for they will go from you into exile.
Micah 1
American Standard Version
1 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.
2 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. 3 For, behold, Jehovah cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. 4 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. 5 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? 6 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. 7 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.
8 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. 9 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
- Micah 1:2 Hebrew the fulness thereof.
- Micah 1:2 Or, among
- Micah 1:10 That is, A house of dust.
- Micah 1:10 Another reading is, roll thyself
- Micah 1:11 Hebrew inhabitress.
- Micah 1:11 Hebrew inhabitress.
- Micah 1:11 Or, standing-place
- Micah 1:12 Hebrew inhabitress.
- Micah 1:12 Or, is in travail for
- Micah 1:13 Hebrew inhabitress.
- Micah 1:14 Hebrew achzab.
- Micah 1:15 Hebrew inhabitress.
- Micah 1:16 Or, vulture
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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