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 Morasthite 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, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that is in it: 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 from 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 melted under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the 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 plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down her stones into the valley, and I will lay bare her foundations.
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 the fire, and all her idols will I lay desolate: for she gathered it from the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot.
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.
Therefore I will wail and weep, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.
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 wound is incurable; for it is come to Judah; he is come to 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.
Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself 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, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Bethezel; he shall receive from you his standing.
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 became weak waiting for good: but evil came down from the LORD to 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.
O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast: she is the beginning of the 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 presents to Moreshethgath: the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.
15 I will hand you to a conqueror, people of Mareshah, the leaders of Israel will hide in Adullam Cave!
Yet will I bring an heir to thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come to Adullam the glory of Israel.
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 cut off the hair of thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee.
