Micah 1
1 Yahweh’s word that came to Micah of Morasheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
And the word of the Lord came to Michaeas the son of Morasthi, in the days of Joatham, and Achaz, and Ezekias, kings of Juda, concerning what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem.
2 Hear, you peoples, all of you! Listen, O earth, and all that is therein. Let the Lord Yahweh be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.
Hear [these] words, ye people; and let the earth give heed, and all that are in it: and the Lord God shall be among you for a testimony, the Lord out of his holy habitation.
3 For behold, Yahweh comes out of his place, and will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.
For, behold, the Lord comes forth out of his place, and will come down, and will go upon the high places of the earth.
4 The mountains melt under him, and the valleys split apart like wax before the fire, like waters that are poured down a steep place.
And the mountains shall be shaken under him, and the valleys shall melt like wax before the fire, and as water rushing down a declivity.
5 “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?
All these [calamities are] for the transgression of Jacob, and for the sin of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? [is it] not Samaria? and what is the sin of the house of Juda? [is it] not Jerusalem?
6 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.
Therefore I will make Samaria [as] a store-house of the fruits of the field, and [as] a planting of a vineyard: and I will utterly demolish her stones, and I will expose her foundations.
7 All her idols will be beaten to pieces, all her temple gifts will be burned with fire, and I will destroy all her images; for of the hire of a prostitute has she gathered them, and to the hire of a prostitute shall they return.”
And they shall cut in pieces all the graven images, and all that she has hired they shall burn with fire, and I will utterly destroy all her idols: because she has gathered of the hires of fornication, and of the hires of fornication has she amassed [wealth].
8 For this I will lament and wail. I will go stripped and naked. I will howl like the jackals and mourn like the ostriches.
Therefore shall she lament and wail, she shall go barefooted, and [being] naked she shall make lamentation as [that] of serpents, and mourning as of the daughters of sirens.
9 For her wounds are incurable; for it has come even to Judah. It reaches to the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.
For her plague has become grievous; for it has come even to Juda; and has reached to the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.
10 Don’t tell it in Gath. Don’t weep at all. At Beth Ophrah I have rolled myself in the dust.
Ye that are in Geth, exalt not yourselves, and ye Enakim, do not rebuild from [the ruins of] the house in derision: sprinkle dust [in the place of] your laughter.
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.
The inhabitant of Sennaar, fairly inhabiting her cities, came not forth to mourn for the house next to her: she shall receive of you the stroke of grief.
12 For the inhabitant of Maroth waits anxiously for good, because evil has come down from Yahweh to the gate of Jerusalem.
Who has begun [to act] for good to her that dwells in sorrow? for calamities have come down from the Lord upon the gates 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.
[even] a sound of chariots and horsemen: the inhabitants of Lachis, she is the leader of sin to the daughter of Sion: for in thee were found the transgressions of Israel.
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.
Therefore shall he cause men to be sent forth as far as the inheritance of Geth, [even] vain houses; they are become vanity to the kings of Israel;
15 I will yet bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of Mareshah. The glory of Israel will come to Adullam.
until they bring the heirs, O inhabitant of Lachis: the inheritance shall reach to Odollam, [even] the glory of the daughter of Israel.
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!
Shave thine hair, and make thyself bald for thy delicate children; increase thy widowhood as an eagle; for [thy people] are gone into captivity from thee.
