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 people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord God be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.

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 cometh 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 be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured 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?

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?

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 as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof.

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 the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot.

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 incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he 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.

Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust.

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 ye away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Bethezel; he shall receive of you his standing.

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 waited carefully for good: but 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, 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.

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 presents 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: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel.

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 poll thee for thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee.