1 T he word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

¶ 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.

2 H ear, all you people; listen closely, O earth and all that is in it, and let the Lord God be witness among you and against you, the Lord from His holy temple.

Hear, all ye peoples; hearken, O earth, and all that is therein: and the Lord GOD, the Lord from his holy temple shall be a witness against you.

3 F or behold, the Lord comes 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 tread upon the high places of the earth.

4 A nd the mountains shall melt under Him and the valleys shall be cleft like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place.

And the mountains shall melt under him, and the valleys shall be split, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that run down a steep place.

5 A ll this is because of the transgression of Jacob and the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what are the high places in Judah? Are they not Jerusalem?

All this for the rebellion of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the rebellion of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem?

6 T herefore I will make Samaria a heap in the open country, a place for planting vineyards; and I will pour down into the ravine her stones and lay bare her foundations.

Therefore I will make Samaria into heaps in the field, into a land of vineyards: and I will scatter her stones throughout the valley, and I will uncover her foundations.

7 A nd all her carved images shall be broken in pieces, and all her hires shall be burned with fire, and all her idols will be laid waste; for from the hire of harlot she gathered them, and to the hire of harlot they shall return.

And all her graven images shall be broken to pieces, and all her gifts shall be burned in the fire, and I will destroy all her idols, for she gathered it of the gifts of harlots, and they shall return unto gifts of harlots.

8 T herefore I will lament and wail; I will go stripped and naked; I will make a wailing like the jackals and a lamentation like the ostriches.

¶ 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.

9 F or wounds are incurable and they come even to Judah; He has reached to the gate of my people, to Jerusalem.

For her wound is painful, for it is come unto Judah; it is come unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.

10 I n Gath announce it not; in Acco weep not at all, in Beth-le-aphrah roll yourself in the dust.

Do not declare it in Gath, weep little; roll thyself in the dust for the house of Aphrah.

11 P ass on your way, dwellers of Shaphir, in shameful nakedness. The dwellers of Zaanan dare not come forth; the wailing of Beth-ezel takes away from you the place on which it stands.

Pass away naked with shame, thou inhabitant of Saphir: the inhabitant of Zaanan did not come forth in the mourning of Bethezel; he shall receive of you for his lateness.

12 F or the inhabitant of Maroth writhes in pain and waits anxiously for good, because evil comes down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem.

For the inhabitant of Maroth was pained because of good; therefore evil came down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem.

13 B ind the chariot to the swift steed, O lady inhabitant of Lachish; you were the beginning of sin to the Daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.

O thou inhabitant of Lachish, hitch the chariot to dromedaries: for thou wert the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion, for in thee the rebellions of Israel were invented.

14 T herefore you must give parting gifts to Moresheth-gath; the houses of Achzib shall be a deception to the kings of Israel.

Therefore shalt thou give gifts to Moreshethgath; the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.

15 Y et will I bring a conqueror upon you, O lady inhabitant of Mareshah, who shall possess you; the glory and nobility of Israel shall come to Adullam.

Yet will I bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah; the glory of Israel shall come unto Adullam.

16 M ake yourself bald in mourning and cut off your hair for the children of your delight; enlarge your baldness as the eagle, for shall be carried from you into exile.

Make thee bald, and shave thee for the sons of thy delight; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle, for they are gone into captivity from thee.