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: —
The Lord’s message which came to Micah of Morsheth in the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. The visions he saw about 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! Pay attention, all you inhabitants of the earth! For the Lord God will 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.
The Lord is coming from his holy place, he descends and treads on the heights 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.
so that the mountains melt beneath like wax in the presence of the fire, and the valleys break apart like water poured down a steep descent.
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 crime of Jacob, and for the sin of the house of Israel. What was the crime of Jacob? Was it not Samaria? What is the sin of Judah? 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 ruin in an open field, and a place where a vineyard is planted, I will hurl down her stones into the valley, and lay bare 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 images will be shattered, and all her statues will be burned with fire, and all her idols I will lay in ruins. For they were acquired by prostitution, and to prostitution they will return.”
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.
This is why I will mourn and wail, I will go barefoot and naked, I will howl like the jackals and mourn like the desert owl.
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 the blow that Samaria has received is incurable. It has spread over Judah, it extends even to the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.
10 In Gath, do not tell, in Accho, do not weep, —in Beth-l’aphrah, roll yourselves in dust.
Don’t tell this in Gath! Don’t even cry – but sit in the dust at Beth-leaphrah.
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, naked and ashamed! The inhabitants of Zaanan cannot leave their city. Beth-ezel laments and removes its support from you.
12 Though the inhabitress of Maroth waited for blessing, —yet there came down calamity from Yahweh, to the gate of Jerusalem.
The inhabitants of Maroth wait anxiously for good! But the Lord has sent disaster 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 horse to the chariot, inhabitants of Lachish. You led the daughter of Zion, Jerusalem, into sin, in you are found the crimes of Israel.
14 Therefore, shalt thou give a dismission, against Moresheth-gath, —The houses of Achzib, served for a deception to the kings of Israel.
Therefore you must give parting gifts to Moresheth-gath. Beth-achzib will betray 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 hand you to a conqueror, people of Mareshah, the leaders of Israel will hide in Adullam Cave!
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 in morning for the children you love, until you are bald as vultures, because they have left you for exile.
