Micah 1
1 The word of the Lord which came to Micah the Morashtite, in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah: his vision about Samaria and Jerusalem.
The word of the Lord that came to Micah the Morashthite in the days of Jotham, Achaz, [and] Hezekiah, the kings of Judah, which he foresaw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
2 Give ear, you peoples, all of you; give attention, O earth and everything in it: let the Lord God be witness against you, the Lord from his holy Temple.
Hear, ye people, altogether; listen, O earth, with all that filleth it: and let the Lord Eternal be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.
3 For see, the Lord is coming out from his place, and will come down, stepping on the high places of the earth.
For, behold, the Lord cometh forth out of his residence; and he will come down, and will step along upon the high places of the earth.
4 And the mountains will be turned to water under him, and the deep valleys will be broken open, like wax before the fire, like waters flowing down a slope.
And the mountains shall melt beneath him, and the valleys shall cleave in twain, like wax [melteth] before the fire, like water poured out on a declivity.
5 All this is because of the wrongdoing of Jacob and the sins of the children of Israel. What is the wrongdoing of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem?
For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. Who caused the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and who caused the high-places of Judah? is it not Jerusalem?
6 So I will make Samaria into a field and the plantings of a vine-garden: I will send its stones falling down into the valley, uncovering its bases.
Therefore will I change Samaria into stone-heaps on the field, into vineyard plantations: and I will hurl down into the valley her stones, and her foundations will I lay open.
7 And all her pictured images will be hammered into bits, and all the payments for her loose ways will be burned with fire, and all the images of her gods I will make waste: for with the price of a loose woman she got them together, and as the price of a loose woman will they be given back.
And all her graven images shall he beaten to pieces, and all her wages of sin shall be burnt with the fire, and all her idols will I make desolate; for from harlot's wages she gathered them, and for harlot's wages shall they be used again.
8 For this I will be full of sorrow and give cries of grief; I will go uncovered and unclothed: I will give cries of grief like the jackals and will be in sorrow like the ostriches.
For this will I lament and wail; I will go confused and naked: I will make a lament like the crocodiles, and mourning like the ostriches.
9 For her wounds may not be made well: for it has come even to Judah, stretching up to the doorway of my people, even to Jerusalem.
For her wounds arc incurable; for [the evil] is come even unto Judah; [the enemy] hath reached as far as the gate of my people, even up to Jerusalem.
10 Give no word of it in Gath, let there be no weeping at all: at Beth-le-aphrah be rolling in the dust.
Tell it not at Gath, weep ye not loudly [there]: in Bethle'aphrah roll thyself in the dust.
11 Be uncovered and go away, you who are living in Shaphir: the one living in Zaanan has not come out of her town; Beth-ezel is taken away from its base, even from its resting-place.
Pass ye away, ye inhabitants of Shaphir, having your shame laid bare: the inhabitress of Zaanan cometh not forth [any more]; the mourning of Beth-haezel taketh from you its halting place.
12 For the one living in Maroth is waiting for good: for evil has come down from the Lord to the doorways of Jerusalem.
For the inhabitress of Maroth is grieved for the [lost] good; because evil came down from the Lord unto the gate of Jerusalem.
13 Let the war-carriage be yoked to the quick-running horse, you who are living in Lachish: she was the first cause of sin to the daughter of Zion; for the wrongdoings of Israel were seen in you.
Bind the chariot to the swift horses, O inhabitress of Lachish: the beginning of sin was she to the daughter of Zion; for in thee were found the transgressions of Israel.
14 For this cause give a parting offering to Moresheth-gath: the daughter of Achzib will be a deceit to the king of Israel.
Therefore shalt thou have to give presents to Moresheth-gath: the houses of Achzib shall become a deception to the kings of Israel.
15 Even now will the taker of your heritage come to you, you who are living in Mareshah: the glory of Israel will come to destruction for ever.
Yet will I bring an [enemy as] heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: as far as 'Adullam shall withdraw the glory of Israel.
16 Let your head be uncovered and your hair cut off in sorrow for the children of your delight: let the hair be pulled from your head like an eagle's; for they have been taken away from you as prisoners.
Make thyself bald, and cut off thy hair for the children of thy delight; enlarge thy baldness like the eagle; because they are gone into exile from thee.
