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The Doom of the Cities of Judah

For this I will lament and wail;
    I will go barefoot and naked;
I will make lamentation like the jackals
    and mourning like the ostriches.(A)
For her wound[a] is incurable.
    It has come to Judah;
it has reached to the gate of my people,
    to Jerusalem.(B)

10 Tell it not in Gath;
    weep not at all;
in Beth-leaphrah
    roll yourselves in the dust.(C)
11 Pass on your way,
    inhabitants of Shaphir,
    in nakedness and shame;
the inhabitants of Zaanan
    do not come forth;
Beth-ezel is wailing
    and shall remove its support from you.(D)
12 For the inhabitants of Maroth
    wait anxiously for good,
yet disaster has come down from the Lord
    to the gate of Jerusalem.(E)
13 Harness the steeds to the chariots,
    inhabitants of Lachish;
it was the beginning of sin
    to daughter Zion,
for in you were found
    the transgressions of Israel.(F)
14 Therefore you shall give parting gifts
    to Moresheth-gath;
the houses of Achzib shall be a deception
    to the kings of Israel.(G)
15 I will again bring a conqueror upon you,
    inhabitants of Mareshah;
the glory of Israel
    shall come to Adullam.(H)
16 Make yourselves bald and cut off your hair
    for your pampered children;
make yourselves as bald as the eagle,
    for they have gone from you into exile.(I)

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Footnotes

  1. 1.9 Gk Syr Vg: Heb wounds

On account of this, I will cry out and howl;
        I will go about barefoot and stripped.
    I will cry out like the jackals,
        and mourn like the ostriches.

Destruction looms

Indeed, Zion has been weakened by her wounds!
            It has come as far as Judah;
    he has struck as far as the gate of my people,
            as far as Jerusalem.
10 In Gath tell it not; no need to weep there![a]
        In Beth-le-aphrah, roll yourself in the dust!
11 Pass by (for your sake),[b] inhabitants of Shaphir!
        In nakedness and shame she will not go out, inhabitants of Zaanan.
The cry of Beth-ezel
        will take away from you[c] any place to stand.
12 How she longs for good, inhabitants of Maroth!
        Calamity has come down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 Harness the horses to the chariot, inhabitants of Lachish!
        It was the beginning of sin for Daughter Zion;
            the crimes of Israel have been found in you.
14 Therefore, you will give good-bye gifts to Moresheth-gath;
        the houses of Achzib have become a deception for the kings of Israel.
15 Again I will bring to you the one who conquers, inhabitants of Mareshah;
        the glory of Israel will come as far as Adullam.
16 Make yourself bald and cut off your hair
            because of your cherished children!
        Make yourself as bald as the vulture,
            for they have gone from you into exile.

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 1:10 Heb lacks there.
  2. Micah 1:11 You (plural)
  3. Micah 1:11 You (feminine singular)