Micah 1

1The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth^a during the reigns of Jotham,^b Ahaz^c and Hezekiah,^d kings of Judah^e—the vision^f he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

²Hear,^g you peoples, all of you,^h

listen, earthⁱ and all who live in it,

that the Sovereign Lord may bear witness^j against you,

the Lord from his holy temple.^k

Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem

³Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling^l place;

he comes down^m and treads on the heights of the earth.ⁿ

⁴The mountains melt^o beneath him^p

and the valleys split apart,^q

like wax before the fire,

like water rushing down a slope.

⁵All this is because of Jacob’s transgression,

because of the sins of the people of Israel.

What is Jacob’s transgression?

Is it not Samaria?^r

What is Judah’s high place?

Is it not Jerusalem?

⁶“Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble,

a place for planting vineyards.^s

I will pour her stones^t into the valley

and lay bare her foundations.^u

⁷All her idols^v will be broken to pieces;^w

all her temple gifts will be burned with fire;

I will destroy all her images.^x

Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes,^y

as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used.”

Weeping and Mourning

⁸Because of this I will weep^z and wail;

I will go about barefoot^a and naked.

I will howl like a jackal

and moan like an owl.

⁹For Samaria’s plague^b is incurable;^c

it has spread to Judah.^d

It has reached the very gate^e of my people,

even to Jerusalem itself.

¹⁰Tell it not in Gath^a;

weep not at all.

In Beth Ophrah^b

roll in the dust.

¹¹Pass by naked^f and in shame,

you who live in Shaphir.^c

Those who live in Zaanan^d

will not come out.

Beth Ezel is in mourning;

it no longer protects you.

¹²Those who live in Maroth^e writhe in pain,

waiting for relief,^g

because disaster^h has come from the Lord,

even to the gate of Jerusalem.

¹³You who live in Lachish,ⁱ

harness fast horses to the chariot.

You are where the sin of Daughter Zion^j began,

for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.

¹⁴Therefore you will give parting gifts^k

to Moresheth^l Gath.

The town of Akzib^fm will prove deceptiveⁿ

to the kings of Israel.

¹⁵I will bring a conqueror against you

who live in Mareshah.^go

The nobles of Israel

will flee to Adullam.^p

¹⁶Shave^q your head in mourning

for the children in whom you delight;

make yourself as bald as the vulture,

for they will go from you into exile.^r