Micah 1
1 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.
And the word of the Lord came to Michaeas the son of Morasthi, in the days of Joatham, and Achaz, and Ezekias, kings of Juda, concerning what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem.
2 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.
Hear [these] words, you people; and let the earth give heed, and all that are in it: and the Lord God shall be among you for a testimony, the Lord out of his holy habitation.
3 For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of His place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.
For, behold, the Lord comes forth out of his place, and will come down, and will go upon the high places of the earth.
4 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.
And the mountains shall be shaken under him, and the valleys shall melt like wax before the fire, and as water rushing down a declivity.
5 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?
All these [calamities are] for the transgression of Jacob, and for the sin of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? [is it] not Samaria? and what is the sin of the house of Juda? [is it] not Jerusalem?
6 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.
Therefore I will make Samaria [as] a store-house of the fruits of the field, and [as] a planting of a vineyard: and I will utterly demolish her stones, and I will expose her foundations.
7 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.
And they shall cut in pieces all the graven images, and all that she has hired they shall burn with fire, and I will utterly destroy all her idols: because she has gathered of the hires of fornication, and of the hires of fornication has she amassed [wealth].
8 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.
Therefore shall she lament and wail, she shall go barefooted, and [being] naked she shall make lamentation as [that] of serpents, and mourning as of the daughters of sirens.
9 For her wound is incurable; for it is come even unto Judah; it reacheth unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.
For her plague has become grievous; for it has come even to Juda; and has reached to the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.
10 Tell it not in Gath, weep not at all; at Beth-le-aphrah roll thyself in the dust.
You that are in Geth, exalt not yourselves, and you Enakim, do not rebuild from [the ruins of] the house in derision: sprinkle dust [in the place of] your laughter.
11 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.
The inhabitant of Sennaar, fairly inhabiting her cities, came not forth to mourn for the house next to her: she shall receive of you the stroke of grief.
12 For the inhabitant of Maroth waiteth anxiously for good; because evil is come down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem.
Who has begun [to act] for good to her that dwells in sorrow? for calamities have come down from the Lord upon the gates of Jerusalem,
13 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.
[even] a sound of chariots and horsemen: the inhabitants of Lachis, she is the leader of sin to the daughter of Sion: for in you were found the transgressions of Israel.
14 Therefore shalt thou give a parting gift to Moresheth-gath; the houses of Achzib shall be a deceitful thing unto the kings of Israel.
Therefore shall he cause men to be sent forth as far as the inheritance of Geth, [even] vain houses; they are become vanity to the kings of Israel;
15 I will yet bring unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah, him that shall possess thee; the glory of Israel shall come even unto Adullam.
until they bring the heirs, O inhabitant of Lachis: the inheritance shall reach to Odollam, [even] the glory of the daughter of Israel.
16 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.
Shave your hair, and make yourself bald for your delicate children; increase your widowhood as an eagle; for [your people] are gone into captivity from you.
