Micah 1
1 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.
The word of the LORD that came to Micah the Morashtite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
2 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!
Hear, ye peoples, all of you; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.
3 The Lord is coming from his holy place, he descends and treads on the heights of the earth,
For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.
4 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.
And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, as waters that are poured down a steep place.
5 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?
For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem?
6 ‘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.
Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, [and] as the plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof.
7 ‘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.’
And all her graven images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her hires shall be burned with fire, and all her idols will I lay desolate: for of the hire of an harlot hath she gathered them, and unto the hire of an harlot shall they return.
8 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.
For this will I wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the jackals, and a mourning like the ostriches.
9 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.
For her wounds are incurable: for it is come even unto Judah; it reacheth unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.
10 Don’t tell this in Gath! Don’t even cry – but sit in the dust at Beth-leaphrah.
Tell it not in Gath, weep not at all: at Beth-le-Aphrah have I rolled myself in the dust.
11 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.
Pass ye away, O inhabitant of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame: the inhabitant of Zaanan is not come forth; the wailing of Beth-ezel shall take from you the stay thereof.
12 The inhabitants of Maroth wait anxiously for good! But the Lord has sent disaster to the gates of Jerusalem.
For the inhabitant of Maroth waiteth anxiously for good: because evil is come down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem.
13 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.
Bind the chariot to the swift steed, O inhabitant of Lachish: she was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.
14 Therefore you must give parting gifts to Moresheth-gath. Beth-achzib will betray the kings of Israel.
Therefore shalt thou give a parting gift to Moresheth-gath: the houses of Achzib shall be a deceitful thing unto the kings of Israel.
15 I will hand you to a conqueror, people of Mareshah, the leaders of Israel will hide in Adullam Cave!
I will yet bring unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah, him that shall possess thee: the glory of Israel shall come even unto Adullam.
16 Shave your head in morning for the children you love, until you are bald as vultures, because they have left you for exile.
Make thee bald, and poll thee for the children of thy delight: enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee.
