Micah

Judgment to Come

1This is the word of the LORD that came to Micah the Moreshite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem:

2Hear, O peoples, all of you;listen, O earth, and everyone in it!May the Lord GOD bear witness against you,the Lord from His holy temple.

3For behold, the LORD comes forthfrom His dwelling place;He will come down and treadon the high places of the earth.

4The mountains will melt beneath Him,and the valleys will split apart,like wax before the fire,like water rushing down a slope.

5All this is for the transgression of Jacoband the sins of the house of Israel.What is the transgression of Jacob?Is it not Samaria?And what is the high place of Judah?Is it not Jerusalem?

6Therefore I will make Samariaa heap of rubble in the open field, a planting area for a vineyard.I will pour her stones into the valleyand expose her foundations.

7All her carved images will be smashed to pieces;all her wages will be burned in the fire, and I will destroy all her idols.Since she collected the wages of a prostitute,they will be used again on a prostitute.

Weeping and Mourning

8Because of this I will lament and wail;I will walk barefoot and naked.I will howl like a jackaland mourn like an ostrich.

9For her wound is incurable;it has reached even Judah;it has approached the gate of my people,as far as Jerusalem itself.

10Do not tell it in Gath;do not weep at all.Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah.

11Depart in shameful nakedness,O dwellers of Shaphir.The dwellers of Zaananwill not come out.Beth-ezelis in mourning;its support is taken from you.

12For the dwellers of Marothpined for good,but calamity came down from the LORD, even to the gate of Jerusalem.

13Harness your chariot horses,O dweller of Lachish.You were the beginning of sin to the Daughter of Zion,for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.

14Therefore, send farewell giftsto Moresheth-gath;the houses of Achzibwill prove deceptive to the kings of Israel.

15I will again bring a conqueror against you,O dweller of Mareshah. The glory of Israel will come to Adullam.

16Shave yourselves bald and cut off your hairin mourning for your precious children;make yourselves as bald as an eagle,for they will go from you into exile.

1The LORD’sword that came to Micah of Morasheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

2Hear, you peoples, all of you!Listen, O earth, and all that is therein.Let the LordGOD be witness against you,the Lord from his holy temple.

3For behold,the LORD comes out of his place,and will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.

4The mountains melt under him,and the valleys split apart like wax before the fire, like waters that are poured down a steep place.

5“All this is for the disobedience of Jacob,and for the sins of the house of Israel.What is the disobedience of Jacob?Isn’t it Samaria?And what are the high places of Judah?Aren’t they Jerusalem?

6Therefore I will make Samaria like a rubble heap of the field,like places for planting vineyards;and I will pour down its stones into the valley,and I will uncover its foundations.

7All her idols will be beaten to pieces,all her temple gifts will be burned with fire, and I will destroy all her images;for of the hire of a prostitute has she gathered them,and to the hire of a prostitute shall they return.”

8For this I will lament and wail.I will go stripped and naked. I will howl like the jackals and mourn like the ostriches.

9For her wounds are incurable;for it has come even to Judah.It reaches to the gate of my people,even to Jerusalem.

10Don’t tell it in Gath.Don’t weep at all. At Beth OphrahI have rolled myself in the dust.

11Pass on, inhabitant of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame.The inhabitant of Zaanan won’t come out. The wailing of Beth Ezel will take from you his protection.

12For the inhabitant of Maroth waits anxiously for good,because evil has come down from the LORD to the gate of Jerusalem.

13Harness the chariot to the swift steed, inhabitant of Lachish.She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.

14Therefore you will give a parting gift to Moresheth Gath.The houses of Achzib will be a deceitful thing to the kings of Israel.

15I will yet bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of Mareshah.The glory of Israel will come to Adullam.

16Shave your heads,and cut off your hair for the children of your delight.Enlarge your baldness like the vulture,for they have gone into captivity from you!