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.
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 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 [these] words, ye 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 Look, Yahweh comes out of his place; he will come down and tread on 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 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 shaken under him, and the valleys shall melt like wax before the fire, and as water rushing down a declivity.
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?
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 “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 [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 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 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 reason I will lament and wail; I will go barefoot and naked; I will wail like the jackals and mourn like owls.
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 has come to Judah. It has reached the gate of my people, 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 Do not tell about it in Gath; do not weep at all. At Beth Leaphrah I roll myself in the dust.
Ye that are in Geth, exalt not yourselves, and ye Enakim, do not rebuild from [the ruins of] the house in derision: sprinkle dust [in the place of] your laughter.
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.
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 inhabitants of Maroth wait anxiously for good news, because disaster has come down from Yahweh to the gates 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 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.
[even] a sound of chariots and horsemen: the inhabitants of Lachis, she is the leader of sin to the daughter of Sion: for in thee were found the transgressions of Israel.
14 So you will give a parting gift to Moresheth Gath; the town of Akzib will disappoint 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 again bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of Mareshah; the splendor of Israel will come to 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 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.
Shave thine hair, and make thyself bald for thy delicate children; increase thy widowhood as an eagle; for [thy people] are gone into captivity from thee.
