Micah 1
1 The word of Yahweh which came unto Micah the Morashtite, in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah, —of which he had vision concerning Samaria, and Jerusalem: —
This is the word of Yahweh 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 Hear ye peoples, all of you, Hearken, O earth and the fulness thereof, —and let My Lord Yahweh be among you for a witness, My Lord out of his holy temple.
Listen, all you peoples. Listen, earth, and all that is in you. Let the Lord Yahweh be a witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.
3 For lo! Yahweh, coming forth out of his place, —that he may descend, and march along upon the high places of the earth.
Look, Yahweh comes out of his place; he will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.
4 Then shall the mountains be melted beneath him, and, the valleys, be cleft, —as wax before the fire, as waters poured out in a steep place.
The mountains will melt under him; the valleys will break apart, like wax before fire, like waters that are poured down a steep place.
5 For the transgression of Jacob, is all this, and for the sin of the house of Israel, —Whose is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria’s? And whose is the sin of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?
All this is because of the Jacob's transgression, and because of the sins of the house of Israel. What is Jacob's transgression? Is it not Samaria? What is Judah's high place? Is it not Jerusalem?
6 Therefore will I make of Samaria a heap in a field, the plantings in a vineyard, —and I will pour down, into the valley, her stones, and, her foundations, will I lay bare;
“I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the field, a place for planting vineyards, and I will pour her stones down into the valley and I will uncover her foundations.
7 And, all her images, shall be beaten in pieces, and, all her rewards for unchastity, shall be burned in the fire, and, all her idols, will I make a desolation, —for, out of the reward of unchastity, she gathered [them], and, unto the reward of unchastity, shall they return.
All her carved figures will be broken to pieces, and all her gifts that she received will be burned with fire, and I will destroy all her idols. Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes, they will become the wages of prostitutes again.”
8 For this cause, will I lament and howl, I will go stript and bare, —I will make a lamentation, like the wild dogs, and a mourning, like ostriches.
For this reason I will lament and wail; I will go barefoot and naked; I will wail like the jackals and mourn like owls.
9 For dangerous are her wounds, —for she hath come as far as Judah, she hath reached as far as the gate of my people, as far as Jerusalem.
For her wound is incurable, for it has come to Judah. It has reached the gate of my people, to Jerusalem.
10 In Gath, do not tell, in Accho, do not weep, —in Beth-l’aphrah, roll yourselves in dust.
Do not tell about it in Gath; do not weep at all. At Beth Leaphrah I roll myself in the dust.
11 Pass thou over (for you), thou inhabitress of Shaphir, of disgraceful disclosure, —the inhabitress of Zaanan, hath not gone forth, at the lamentation of Beth-ezel, shall he take from you his station,
Pass by, inhabitants of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame. The inhabitants of Zaanan do not come out. Beth Ezel mourns, for their protection is taken away.
12 Though the inhabitress of Maroth waited for blessing, —yet there came down calamity from Yahweh, to the gate of Jerusalem.
For the inhabitants of Maroth wait anxiously for good news, because disaster has come down from Yahweh to the gates of Jerusalem.
13 Bind the chariot to the steed, O inhabitress of Lachish, —the beginning of sin, was she to the daughter of Zion, for, in thee, have been found the transgressions of Israel.
Harness the chariot to the team of horses, inhabitants of Lachish. You, Lachish, were the beginning of sin for the daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
14 Therefore, shalt thou give a dismission, against Moresheth-gath, —The houses of Achzib, served for a deception to the kings of Israel.
So you will give a parting gift to Moresheth Gath; the town of Akzib will disappoint the kings of Israel.
15 The time shall yet be when, the heir, I will bring unto thee, O inhabitress of Mareshah, —as far as Adullam, shall enter the glory of Israel.
I will again bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of Mareshah; the splendor of Israel will come to Adullam.
16 Make thee bald, and cut off thy hair, for the children of thy pleasures, —enlarge thy baldness, like a vulture, for they are exiled from thee.
Shave your head and cut off your hair for the children in whom you delight. Make yourself as bald as eagles, for your children will go into exile from you.
