1 The word of the Lord that came a to Micah b the Moreshite c—what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem in the days of Jotham, d Ahaz, e and Hezekiah, f kings of Judah.

Coming Judgment on Israel

2 Listen, all you peoples; g

pay attention, earth h and everyone in it! i

The Lord God will be a witness against you, j

the Lord, from His holy temple. k

3 Look, the Lord is leaving His place l

and coming down to trample

the heights m of the earth. n

4 The mountains will melt beneath Him,

and the valleys will split apart,

like wax near a fire, o

like water cascading down a mountainside.

5 All this will happen because of Jacob’s rebellion

and the sins of the house of Israel.

What is the rebellion of Jacob?

Isn’t it Samaria? p

And what is the * high place of Judah? q

Isn’t it Jerusalem?

6 Therefore, I will make Samaria

a heap of ruins r in the countryside,

a planting area s for a vineyard.

I will roll her stones t into the valley

and expose her foundations. u

7 All her carved images will be smashed v to pieces;

all her wages w will be burned in the fire,

and I will destroy all her idols.

Since she collected the wages of a prostitute, x

they will be used again for a prostitute.

Micah’s Lament

8 Because of this I will lament and wail;

I will walk barefoot and naked. y

I will howl like the jackals z

and mourn like ostriches. a

9 For her wound is incurable b

and has reached even Judah; c

it has approached the gate of my people, d

as far as Jerusalem.

10 Don’t announce it in Gath, e

don’t weep at all.

Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah.

11 Depart in shameful nakedness, f

you residents of Shaphir;

the residents of Zaanan g will not come out.

Beth-ezel is lamenting;

its support h is taken from you.

12 Though the residents of Maroth

anxiously wait for something good, i

disaster has come from the Lord j

to the gate of Jerusalem.

13 Harness the horses to the chariot,

you residents of Lachish. k

This was the beginning of sin for Daughter * Zion,

because Israel’s acts of rebellion l can be traced to you.

14 Therefore, send farewell gifts m to Moresheth-gath;

the houses of Achzib n are a deception o

to the kings of Israel.

15 I will again bring a conqueror

against you who live in Mareshah. p

The nobility q of Israel will come to Adullam. r

16 Shave yourselves bald and cut off your hair s

in sorrow for your precious children;

make yourselves as bald as an eagle,

for they have been taken from you into exile. t