Micah 1
1 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.
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. Listen, earth, and all that is in you. Let the Lord Yahweh 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 Look, Yahweh comes out of his place; he will come down and tread on the high places 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 The mountains will melt under him; the valleys will break apart, like wax before fire, like waters that are poured down a steep place.
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 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?
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 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.
Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the field, a place for the planting of vineyards; and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will uncover the foundations thereof.
7 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.”
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 a harlot hath she gathered them, and unto the hire of a harlot shall they return.
8 For this reason I will lament and wail; I will go barefoot and naked; I will wail like the jackals and mourn like owls.
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 her wound is incurable, for it has come to Judah. It has reached the gate of my people, to Jerusalem.
For her wound is incurable; for it is come even unto Judah; it reacheth unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.
10 Do not tell about it in Gath; do not weep at all. At Beth Leaphrah I roll myself in the dust.
Tell it not in Gath, weep not at all; at Beth-le-aphrah roll thyself in the dust.
11 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.
Pass ye away, O inhabitant of Saphir, in nakedness and shame; the inhabitant of Zaanan is not come forth; the wailing of Beth-ezel shall take from you the standing-place thereof.
12 For the inhabitants of Maroth wait anxiously for good news, because disaster has come down from Yahweh 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 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.
Bind the chariots to the swift steeds, O inhabitant of Lachish; she was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; for the transgressions of Israel are found in thee.
14 So you will give a parting gift to Moresheth Gath; the town of Akzib will disappoint 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 again bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of Mareshah; the splendor of Israel will come to Adullam.
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 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.
Make thee bald, and poll thee for the children of thy delight; enlarge thy baldness as the vulture; for they are gone into captivity from thee.
