Micah 1

Destruction in Israel and Judah

1The 1word of the Lord which came to 2Micah of Moresheth in the days of 3Jotham, 4Ahaz, and 5Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and which he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem.2Hear, you peoples, all of 6you; 7Listen carefully, earth and 8all it contains, And may the Lord 9God be a 10witness against you, The Lord from His holy temple.3For behold, the Lord is 11coming forth from His place. He will come down and 12tread on the high places of the 13earth.414The mountains will melt under Him And the valleys will be split, Like wax before the fire, Like water poured down a steep place.5All this is due to the 15wrongdoing of Jacob And the sins of the house of Israel. What is the 1617wrongdoing of Jacob? Is it not 18Samaria? What is the 19high 20place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?6For I will make Samaria a 21heap of ruins 22in the open country, 23Planting places for a vineyard. I will 24hurl her stones down into the valley, And 25lay bare her foundations.7All of her 26idols will be crushed, All of her earnings will be burned with fire, And all of her images I will make desolate; For she collected them from a 27prostitute’s earnings, And to the earnings of a prostitute they will return.

8Because of this I must mourn and wail, I must go 28barefoot and naked; I must do mourning like the 29jackals, And a mourning like the ostriches.9For her 30wound is incurable, For 31it has come to Judah; It has reached the 32gate of my people, Even to Jerusalem.1033Do not tell it in Gath, Do not weep at all. At 34Beth-le-aphrah roll yourself in the dust in mourning.1135Go on your way, inhabitant of 36Shaphir, in 37shameful nakedness. The inhabitant of 3839Zaanan does not 40escape. The mourning of 41Beth-ezel: “He will take from you its 42support.”12For the inhabitant of 43Maroth 4445Waits for something good, Because a disaster has come down from the Lord To the 46gate of Jerusalem.13Harness the chariot to the team of horses, You inhabitant of 47Lachish-- She was the beginning of sin To the daughter of Zion-- Because in you were found The 48rebellious acts of Israel.14Therefore you will give parting 49gifts In behalf of Moresheth-gath; The houses of 50Achzib will become a 5152deception To the kings of Israel.15Moreover, I will bring on you The one who takes possession, You inhabitant of 5354Mareshah. The glory of Israel will enter 55Adullam.16Shave yourself 56bald, yes, cut off your hair, Because of the children of your delight; Extend your baldness like the eagle, For they will 57go from you into exile.