1 T his is the Word of the Lord which came to Micah of Moresheth about Samaria and Jerusalem in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Israel Is Judged

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 people, all of you. Listen, O earth and all who are in it. The Lord God will speak against you from His holy house.

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 S ee, the Lord is coming from His place. He will come down and walk on 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 T he mountains will melt under Him and the valleys will break open, like a candle in front of the fire, like water poured down a hill.

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 Jacob would not obey and because of the sins of the people of Israel. What is Jacob’s sin? Is it not Samaria? What is the high place of Judah? Is it 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 S o I will make Samaria a waste in the open country, making it a place to plant grape-fields. I will pour her stones down into the valley, and lay open the base of the city.

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 ll of her false gods will be broken to pieces. Everything given in the place of worship will be burned with fire. I will destroy all her objects of worship, for she gathered them from the pay of a woman who sells the use of her body. They will return to pay a woman who sells the use of her body. Jerusalem Will Be Taken

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 B ecause of this I must cry out in sorrow. I must go without shoes and clothing. I must cry out like the wild dogs, and cry in sorrow 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 hurt cannot be cured. It has come to Judah. It has come to the gate of my people, even 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 D o not tell about it in Gath. Do not cry at all. Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah.

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

11 G o on your way, people of Shaphir, without clothing and in shame. The people of Zaanan do not come out. Cries of sorrow come from Beth-ezel. Its help is taken from you.

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 T hose who live in Maroth become weak waiting for good, because trouble has come 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 T ie the war-wagons to the horses, you people of Lachish. You were the beginning of sin to the people of Zion, for the sins 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 S o give gifts to Moresheth-gath. The people of Achzib will fool 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 I will bring one who will beat you in battle, O people of Mareshah. The shining-greatness of Israel will 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 C ut off all your hair in sorrow for the children you love. Let no hair be on your head like the eagle, for your children will be taken away from you.

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