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
pay attention, earth A and everyone in it! h
The Lord GOD will be a witness against you, i
the Lord, from his holy temple. j
3 Look, the LORD is leaving his place k
and coming down to trample
4 The mountains will melt beneath him,
and the valleys will split apart,
like wax near a fire, m
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? n
And what is the high place of Judah? o
Isn’t it Jerusalem?
6 Therefore, I will make Samaria
a heap of ruins p in the countryside,
a planting area q for a vineyard.
I will roll her stones r into the valley
and expose her foundations. s
7 All her carved images will be smashed t to pieces;
all her wages u will be burned in the fire,
and I will destroy all her idols.
Since she collected the wages of a prostitute, v
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. w
I will howl like the jackals x
and mourn like ostriches. C
9 For her wound is incurable y
and has reached even Judah; z
it has approached my people’s city gate, a
as far as Jerusalem.
10 Don’t announce it in Gath, b
don’t weep at all.
Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah.
11 Depart in shameful nakedness, c
you residents of Shaphir;
the residents of Zaanan d will not come out.
Beth-ezel is lamenting;
its support D is taken from you.
12 Though the residents of Maroth
anxiously wait for something good, e
disaster has come from the LORD f
to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 Harness the horses to the chariot,
you residents of Lachish. g
This was the beginning of sin for Daughter Zion
because Israel’s acts of rebellion h can be traced to you.
14 Therefore, send farewell gifts i to Moresheth-gath;
the houses of Achzib j are a deception k
to the kings of Israel.
15 I will again bring a conqueror
against you who live in Mareshah. l
The nobility E of Israel will come to Adullam. m
16 Shave yourselves bald and cut off your hair n
in sorrow for your precious children;
make yourselves as bald as an eagle,
for they have been taken from you into exile. o