1 The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth during the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

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

2 Listen, all you peoples; pay attention, Earth and all that fills it! The Lord God will act as a witness against you from His holy temple.

Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.

3 For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling place; He will descend and tread on the high places of the earth.

For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.

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

And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place.

5 All this is because of the transgression of Jacob and the sins of the house of Israel. What is Jacob’s transgression? Is it not Samaria? And what are the high places of Judah? Are they not Jerusalem?

For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem?

6 I will make Samaria a heap of rubble in the open field, a place for planting vineyards. I will pour her stones into the valley and lay bare her foundations.

Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof.

7 All her carved images will be broken to pieces, all her earnings will be burned with fire, and all her idols I will destroy. Since she gathered them as wages of a prostitute, they will return to the wages of a prostitute.

And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot.

8 Because of this, I will lament and wail; I will walk barefoot and naked. I will howl like jackals and mourn like ostriches.

Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.

9 For her wound is incurable; it has even reached Judah. It has reached the gates of my people, even to Jerusalem itself.

For her wound is incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he is come unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.

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

Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust.

11 Pass by, naked and ashamed, you inhabitants of Shaphir. The inhabitants of Zaanan do not come out. Beth-ezel is in mourning; its support is taken from you.

Pass ye away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Bethezel; he shall receive of you his standing.

12 The inhabitants of Maroth writhe in pain, waiting for relief, because disaster has come from the LORD to the gate of Jerusalem.

For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil came down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem.

13 Harness the chariot to the swift horses, you inhabitants of Lachish. You were the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.

O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast: she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.

14 Therefore, you will give parting gifts to Moresheth Gath. The houses of Achzib will become a deception to the kings of Israel.

Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moreshethgath: the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.

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

Yet will I bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel.

16 Shave your head bald and cut off your hair because of your precious children. Make yourself as bald as the eagle, for they have been taken away from you into exile.

Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee.