1 A word of Jehovah that hath been unto Micah the Morashite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah, that he hath seen concerning Samaria and Jerusalem:

This 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

2 H ear, O peoples, all of them! Attend, O earth, and its fulness, And the Lord Jehovah is against you for a witness, The Lord from His holy temple.

Hear, 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.

3 F or lo, Jehovah is going out from His place, And He hath come down, And hath trodden on high places of earth.

See, the Lord is coming from His place. He will come down and walk on the high places of the earth.

4 M elted have been the mountains under Him, And the valleys do rend themselves, As wax from the presence of fire, As waters cast down by a slope.

The 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.

5 F or the transgression of Jacob all this, And for the sins of the house of Israel. What the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what the high places of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?

All 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?

6 A nd I have set Samaria for a heap of the field, For plantations of a vineyard, And poured out into a valley her stones, And her foundations I uncover.

So 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.

7 A nd all her graven images are beaten down, And all her gifts are burnt with fire, And all her idols I make a desolation, For, from the hire of a harlot she gathered, and unto the hire of a harlot they return.

All 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

8 F or this I lament and howl, I go spoiled and naked, I make a lamentation like dragons, And a mourning like daughters of an ostrich.

Because 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.

9 F or mortal her wounds, For it hath come unto Judah, It hath come to a gate of My people -- to Jerusalem.

For her hurt cannot be cured. It has come to Judah. It has come to the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.

10 I n Gath tell ye not -- in Acco weep not, In Beth-Aphrah, in dust roll thyself.

Do not tell about it in Gath. Do not cry at all. Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah.

11 P ass over for thee, O inhabitant of Shaphir, Naked one of shame. Not gone out hath the inhabitant of Zaanan, The lamentation of Beth-Ezel doth take from you its standing.

Go 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.

12 F or stayed for good hath the inhabitant of Maroth, For evil hath come down from Jehovah to the gate of Jerusalem.

Those who live in Maroth become weak waiting for good, because trouble has come down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem.

13 B ind the chariot to a swift beast, O inhabitant of Lachish, The beginning of sin she to the daughter of Zion, For in thee have been found the transgressions of Israel.

Tie 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.

14 T herefore thou givest presents to Moresheth-Gath, The houses of Achzib become a lying thing to the kings of Israel.

So give gifts to Moresheth-gath. The people of Achzib will fool the kings of Israel.

15 Y et the possessor I do bring in to thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah, To Adullam come in doth the honour of Israel.

I will bring one who will beat you in battle, O people of Mareshah. The shining-greatness of Israel will come to Adullam.

16 M ake bald and shave, for thy delightful sons, Enlarge thy baldness as an eagle, For they have removed from thee!

Cut 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.