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Yahweh’s[a] word 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, you peoples, all of you.
    Listen, O earth, and all that is therein:
and let the Lord[b] Yahweh be witness against you,
    the Lord from his holy temple.
For, behold,[c] Yahweh comes out of his place,
    and will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.
The mountains melt under him,
    and the valleys split apart,
    like wax before the fire,
    like waters that are poured down a steep place.

“All this is for the disobedience of Jacob,
    and for the sins of the house of Israel.
What is the disobedience of Jacob?
    Isn’t it Samaria?
And what are the high places of Judah?
    Aren’t they Jerusalem?
Therefore I will make Samaria like a rubble heap of the field,
    like places for planting vineyards;
and I will pour down its stones into the valley,
    and I will uncover its foundations.
All her idols will be beaten to pieces,
    and all her temple gifts will be burned with fire,
    and all her images I will destroy;
for of the hire of a prostitute has she gathered them,
    and to the hire of a prostitute shall they return.”

For this I will lament and wail;
    I will go stripped and naked;
    I will howl like the jackals,
    and moan like the daughters of owls.
For her wounds are incurable;
    for it has come even to Judah.
It reaches to the gate of my people,
    even to Jerusalem.
10 Don’t tell it in Gath.
    Don’t weep at all.
    At Beth Ophrah[d] I have rolled myself in the dust.
11 Pass on, inhabitant of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame.
    The inhabitant of Zaanan won’t come out.
    The wailing of Beth Ezel will take from you his protection.
12 For the inhabitant of Maroth waits anxiously for good,
    because evil has come down from Yahweh to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 Harness the chariot to the swift steed, inhabitant of Lachish.
    She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion;
    For the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
14 Therefore you will give a parting gift to Moresheth Gath.
    The houses of Achzib will be a deceitful thing to the kings of Israel.
15 I will yet bring to you, inhabitant of Mareshah, him who will possess you.
    He who is the glory of Israel will come to Adullam.
16 Shave your heads,
    and cut off your hair for the children of your delight.
Enlarge your baldness like the vulture;
    for they have gone into captivity from you!

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations.
  2. 1:2 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”
  3. 1:3 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
  4. 1:10 Beth Ophrah means literally “House of Dust.”

Judgment on Israel and Judah

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

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.

For behold, the Lord is coming out of His place;
He will come down
And tread on the high places of the earth.
(D)The mountains will melt under Him,
And the valleys will split
Like wax before the fire,
Like waters poured down a steep place.
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?

“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.
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

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,
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

  1. Micah 1:10 Lit. House of Dust
  2. Micah 1:11 Lit. Beautiful
  3. Micah 1:11 Lit. Going Out
  4. Micah 1:12 Lit. Bitterness
  5. Micah 1:12 Lit. was sick
  6. Micah 1:14 Lit. Possession of Gath
  7. Micah 1:14 Lit. Lie
  8. Micah 1:15 Lit. Inheritance
  9. Micah 1:15 Lit. Refuge