Micah 1:8-16
Expanded Bible
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 1:8-16
New American Standard Bible
8 Because of this I must mourn and wail,
I must go (A)barefoot and naked;
I must do mourning like the (B)jackals,
And a mourning like the ostriches.
9 For her (C)wound is incurable,
For (D)it has come to Judah;
It has reached the (E)gate of my people,
Even to Jerusalem.
10 (F)Do not tell it in Gath,
Do not weep at all.
At [a]Beth-le-aphrah roll yourself in the dust in mourning.
11 [b]Go on your way, inhabitant of [c]Shaphir, in (G)shameful nakedness.
The inhabitant of [d](H)Zaanan does not [e]escape.
The mourning of [f]Beth-ezel: “He will take from you its [g]support.”
12 For the inhabitant of [h]Maroth
[i](I)Waits for something good,
Because a disaster has come down from the Lord
To the (J)gate of Jerusalem.
13 Harness the chariot to the team of horses,
You inhabitant of (K)Lachish—
She was the beginning of sin
To the daughter of Zion—
Because in you were found
The (L)rebellious acts of Israel.
14 Therefore you will give parting (M)gifts
In behalf of Moresheth-gath;
The houses of (N)Achzib will become a [j](O)deception
To the kings of Israel.
15 Moreover, I will bring on you
The one who takes possession,
You inhabitant of [k](P)Mareshah.
The glory of Israel will enter (Q)Adullam.
16 Shave yourself (R)bald, yes, cut off your hair,
Because of the children of your delight;
Extend your baldness like the eagle,
For they will (S)go from you into exile.
Footnotes
- Micah 1:10 I.e., house of dust
- Micah 1:11 I.e., Go into captivity
- Micah 1:11 I.e., pleasantness
- Micah 1:11 I.e., going out
- Micah 1:11 Lit go out
- Micah 1:11 I.e., the house beside
- Micah 1:11 Lit standing place
- Micah 1:12 I.e., bitterness
- Micah 1:12 Or possibly has been in agony for
- Micah 1:14 Heb achzab, wordplay on Achzib
- Micah 1:15 I.e., possession
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