Micah 1
1 The word of the LORD that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
Here is the message that the Lord gave to Micah of Moresheth at the time when Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. This is what he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
2 Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.
Listen, all the nations! Pay attention, everyone on earth! The Lord God testifies against you from the Lord's holy Temple.
3 For behold, the LORD cometh forth from his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.
Look! The Lord is coming, leaving his place and coming down, and is walking on the high places of the earth.
4 And the mountains shall be melted under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, [and] as the waters [that are] poured down a steep place.
The mountains melt beneath him, the valleys burst apart, like wax in front of a fire, like water rushing down a slope. All this is happening because of the rebellion of the descendants of Jacob, the sins of the people of Israel.
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?
What is the rebellion of the descendants of Jacob? Isn't it what is happening in Samaria? Where are the idolatrous high places of Judah? Aren't they right in Jerusalem?
6 Therefore I will make Samaria as a heap of the field, [and] as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down her stones into the valley, and I will lay bare her foundations.
Therefore I will make Samaria a pile of rubble in a field, a place for planting vineyards. I will roll its stones down into the valley; I will lay bare its foundations.
7 And all her graven images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her hires shall be burned with the fire, and all her idols will I lay desolate: for she gathered [it] from the hire of a harlot, and they shall return to the hire of a harlot.
All their carved idols will be smashed to pieces. All that was earned by their temple prostitutes will be burned. All of their idols will be destroyed, for what she collected through the earnings of temple prostitutes will be taken away and used to pay other temple prostitutes.
8 Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.
Because of this I will weep and wail, I will walk barefoot and naked, and will howl like jackals and mourn like owls.
9 For her wound [is] incurable; for it is come to Judah; he is come to the gate of my people, [even] to Jerusalem.
Their wound cannot be healed, it has extended to Judah, and reached right to the gates of Jerusalem.
10 Declare ye [it] not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust.
Don't mention it in Gath; don't weep at all. People of Beth-le-aphrah, roll in the dust.
11 Pass ye away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame exposed: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Beth-ezel; he shall receive from you his standing.
Leave, people of Shaphir, naked and ashamed. People of Zanaan don't come out. People of Beth Ezel mourn, for you have lost your support.
12 For the inhabitant of Maroth waited anxiously for good: but evil came down from the LORD to the gate of Jerusalem.
The people of Maroth wait anxiously for relief, but disaster has come down from the Lord on the gate of Jerusalem.
13 O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast: she [is] the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.
Harness the team of horses to the chariot, you people of Lachish, because the sins of the people of Jerusalem began with you, for the sins of Israel were first found in you.
14 Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moresheth-gath: the houses of Achzib [shall be] a lie to the kings of Israel.
Send your goodbye gifts to Moresheth. The town of Achzib is a deception to the kings of Israel.
15 Yet will I bring an heir to thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come to Adullam the glory of Israel.
I will bring a conqueror to attack you, people of Moresheth. The leaders of Israel will go to Adullam.
16 Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee.
Shave your heads, for the children you love will be taken away; make yourselves as bald as a vulture, for they will be exiled far away from you.
