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.
The Lord’s message which came to Micah of Morsheth in the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. The visions he saw about 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.
Listen, all you peoples! Pay attention, all you inhabitants of the earth! For the Lord God will be a witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple!
3 For behold, Yahweh comes out of his place, and will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.
The Lord is coming from his holy place, he descends and treads on the heights 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.
so that the mountains melt beneath like wax in the presence of the fire, and the valleys break apart like water poured down a steep descent.
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 this is because of the crime of Jacob, and for the sin of the house of Israel. What was the crime of Jacob? Was it not Samaria? What is the sin of Judah? 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.
‘I will make Samaria a ruin in an open field, and a place where a vineyard is planted, I will hurl down her stones into the valley, and lay bare 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.”
‘All her images will be shattered, and all her statues will be burned with fire, and all her idols I will lay in ruins. For they were acquired by prostitution, and to prostitution they will return.’
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.
This is why I will mourn and wail, I will go barefoot and naked, I will howl like the jackals and mourn like the desert owl.
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 the blow that Samaria has received is incurable. It has spread over Judah, it extends even 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.
Don’t tell this in Gath! Don’t even cry – but sit in the dust at Beth-leaphrah.
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.
Pass by, inhabitants of Shaphir, naked and ashamed! The inhabitants of Zaanan cannot leave their city. Beth-ezel laments and removes its support from you.
12 For the inhabitant of Maroth waits anxiously for good, because evil has come down from Yahweh to the gate of Jerusalem.
The inhabitants of Maroth wait anxiously for good! But the Lord has sent disaster to 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.
Harness the horse to the chariot, inhabitants of Lachish. You led the daughter of Zion, Jerusalem, into sin, in you are found the crimes 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 you must give parting gifts to Moresheth-gath. Beth-achzib will betray the kings of Israel.
15 I will yet bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of Mareshah. The glory of Israel will come to Adullam.
I will hand you to a conqueror, people of Mareshah, the leaders of Israel will hide in Adullam Cave!
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 your head in morning for the children you love, until you are bald as vultures, because they have left you for exile.
