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 Jehovah, which came to Micah, the Morasthite, in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah; which was revealed to him concerning Judah 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, all ye nations, Give ear, O earth, and all that is therein! The Lord, Jehovah, appeareth as a witness against you, The Lord from his holy palace.
3 For see, the Lord is coming out from his place, and will come down, stepping on the high places of the earth.
Behold, Jehovah cometh forth from his dwelling-place; He cometh down, and advanceth 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.
The mountains melt under him, And the valleys cleave asunder, Like wax before the fire, Like waters poured down a steep place.
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 sin of the house of Israel. Where is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not at Samaria? And where are the high places of Judah? Are they not at 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 make Samaria a heap of stones in the field, A place for the planting of a vineyard; I will pour down her stones into the valley, And lay bare her foundations.
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.
All her graven images shall be beaten to pieces, And all the hire of her harlotry shall be burned with fire, And all her idols will I destroy. For from the hire of a harlot did she gather her ornaments, And to the hire of a harlot shall they return.
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.
Therefore I will wail and howl; I will go stripped and naked; I will wail like the jackal, And mourn like the ostrich.
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 wound is mortal; It extendeth to Judah; It reacheth to the gate of my people, even 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 in Gath! weep not in Acco! In Beth-Aprah roll yourselves 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 on, thou inhabitant of Saphir, naked and in shame! The inhabitant of Zaanan no more goeth out; The grief of Beth-Azel denieth you an abode.
12 For the one living in Maroth is waiting for good: for evil has come down from the Lord to the doorways of Jerusalem.
The inhabitant of Maroth mourneth for his goods, For evil came down from Jehovah to the gates 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 courser, O inhabitant of Lachish! Thou wast the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; 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 resign the possession of Moresheth of Gath; The houses of Achzib shall disappoint 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.
A possessor will I bring to thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah; The glory of Israel shall flee to Adullam.
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, cut off thy locks, for the children of thy love; Enlarge thy baldness like the eagle; For they have gone from thee into captivity.
