1 T he word of the Lord which 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, O peoples, all of you; Listen, O earth and all it contains, And let the Lord God be a witness 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 is coming forth from 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 tread upon the high places of the earth.

4 T he mountains will melt under Him And the valleys will be split, Like wax before the fire, Like water 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 for the rebellion of Jacob And for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the rebellion of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? What is the high place of Judah? Is it 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 F or I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the open country, Planting places for a vineyard. I will pour her stones down into the valley And will 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 ll of her idols will be smashed, All of her earnings will be burned with fire And all of her images I will make desolate, For she collected them from a harlot’s earnings, And to the earnings of a harlot they will 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 B ecause of this I must lament and wail, I must go barefoot and naked; I must make a lament like the jackals And a mourning 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 her wound is incurable, For it has come to Judah; It has reached the gate of my people, Even 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 T ell it not in Gath, Weep not at all. At 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 G o on your way, inhabitant of Shaphir, in shameful nakedness. The inhabitant of Zaanan does not escape. The lamentation of Beth-ezel: “He will take from you its support.”

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 Becomes weak waiting for good, Because a calamity has come 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 H arness the chariot to the team of horses, O inhabitant of Lachish— She was the beginning of sin To the daughter of Zion— Because in you were found The rebellious acts of Israel.

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 will give parting gifts On behalf of Moresheth-gath; The houses of Achzib will become 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 M oreover, I will bring on you The one who takes possession, O inhabitant of Mareshah. The glory of Israel will enter 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 and cut off your hair, Because of the children of your delight; Extend your baldness like the eagle, For they will go 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.