Destruction in Israel and Judah

The word of the Lord which came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and which he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem.

The mountains will melt under Him And the valleys will be split, Like wax before the fire, Like water poured down a steep place.

All this is due to the wrongdoing of Jacob And the sins of the house of Israel. What is the wrongdoing of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? What is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?

For I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the open country, Planting places for a vineyard. I will hurl her stones down into the valley, And lay bare her foundations.

All of her idols will be crushed, All of her earnings will be burned with fire, And all of her images I will make desolate; For she collected them from a prostitute’s earnings, And to the earnings of a prostitute they will return.

Go on your way, inhabitant of Shaphir, in shameful nakedness. The inhabitant of Zaanan does not escape. The mourning of Beth-ezel: “He will take from you its support.”

For the inhabitant of Maroth Waits for something good, Because a disaster has come down from the Lord To the gate of Jerusalem.

Harness the chariot to the team of horses, You inhabitant of Lachish— She was the beginning of sin To the daughter of Zion— Because in you were found The rebellious acts of Israel.

Shave yourself bald, yes, cut off your hair, Because of the children of your delight; Extend your baldness like the eagle, For they will go from you into exile.

They covet fields, so they seize them; And houses, so they take them. They exploit a man and his house, A person and his inheritance.

Therefore this is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am planning against this family a catastrophe From which you cannot remove your necks; And you will not walk haughtily, For it will be an evil time.

On that day they will take up against you a song of mocking And utter a song of mourning and say, ‘We are completely destroyed! He exchanges the share of my people; How He removes it from me! To the apostate He apportions our fields.’

‘Do not prophesy,’ so they prophesy. But if they do not prophesy about these things, Insults will not be turned back.

Is it being said, house of Jacob: ‘Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient? Are these His works?’ Do My words not do good For the one walking rightly?

Recently My people have arisen as an enemy— You strip the robe off the garment From unsuspecting passers-by, From those returned from war.

You evict the women of My people, Each one from her pleasant house. From her children you take My splendor forever.

If someone walking after wind and falsehood Had lied and said, ‘I will prophesy to you about wine and liquor,’ He would become a prophet to this people.

“I will certainly assemble all of you, Jacob, I will certainly gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together like sheep in the fold; Like a flock in the midst of its pasture They will be noisy with people.

The one who breaks through goes up before them; They break through, pass through the gate, and go out by it. So their king passes on before them, And the Lord at their head.”

Rulers Denounced

And I said, “Hear now, you leaders of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know justice?

You who hate good and love evil, Who tear off their skin from them And their flesh from their bones,

Who eat the flesh of my people, Strip off their skin from them, Smash their bones, And chop them up as for the pot, And as meat in a cauldron!”

This is what the Lord says concerning the prophets who lead my people astray: When they have something to bite with their teeth, They cry out, “Peace!” But against him who puts nothing in their mouths They declare holy war.

Therefore it will be night for you—without vision, And darkness for you—without divination. The sun will go down on the prophets, And the day will become dark over them.

The seers will be put to shame, And the diviners will be ashamed. Indeed, they will all cover their lips Because there is no answer from God.