^{1 Ref} The word of the Lord which came to Micah the Morashtite, in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah: his vision about Samaria and Jerusalem.

^{2 Ref} Give ear, you peoples, all of you; give attention, O earth and everything in it: let the Lord God be witness against you, the Lord from his holy Temple.

^{3 Ref} For see, the Lord is coming out from his place, and will come down, stepping on the high places of the earth.

^{4 Ref} And the mountains will be turned to water under him, and the deep valleys will be broken open, like wax before the fire, like waters flowing down a slope.

^{5 Ref} All this is because of the wrongdoing of Jacob and the sins of the children of Israel. What is the wrongdoing of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem?

^{6 Ref} So I will make Samaria into a field and the plantings of a vine-garden: I will send its stones falling down into the valley, uncovering its bases.

^{7 Ref} And all her pictured images will be hammered into bits, and all the payments for her loose ways will be burned with fire, and all the images of her gods I will make waste: for with the price of a loose woman she got them together, and as the price of a loose woman will they be given back.

^{8 Ref} For this I will be full of sorrow and give cries of grief; I will go uncovered and unclothed: I will give cries of grief like the jackals and will be in sorrow like the ostriches.

^{9 Ref} For her wounds may not be made well: for it has come even to Judah, stretching up to the doorway of my people, even to Jerusalem.

^{10 Ref} Give no word of it in Gath, let there be no weeping at all: at Beth-le-aphrah be rolling in the dust.

^{11 Ref} Be uncovered and go away, you who are living in Shaphir: the one living in Zaanan has not come out of her town; Beth-ezel is taken away from its base, even from its resting-place.

^{12 Ref} For the one living in Maroth is waiting for good: for evil has come down from the Lord to the doorways of Jerusalem.

^{13 Ref} Let the war-carriage be yoked to the quick-running horse, you who are living in Lachish: she was the first cause of sin to the daughter of Zion; for the wrongdoings of Israel were seen in you.

^{14 Ref} For this cause give a parting offering to Moresheth-gath: the daughter of Achzib will be a deceit to the king of Israel.

^{15 Ref} Even now will the taker of your heritage come to you, you who are living in Mareshah: the glory of Israel will come to destruction for ever.

^{16 Ref} Let your head be uncovered and your hair cut off in sorrow for the children of your delight: let the hair be pulled from your head like an eagle's; for they have been taken away from you as prisoners.

^{1 Ref} The word of Yahweh that came to Micah the Morashtite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

^{2 Ref} Hear, you peoples, all of you. Listen, O earth, and all that is therein: And let the Lord Yahweh be witness against you, The Lord from his holy temple.

^{3 Ref} For, behold, Yahweh comes forth out of his place, And will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.

^{4 Ref} The mountains melt under him, And the valleys split apart, Like wax before the fire, Like waters that are poured down a steep place.

^{5 Ref} "All this is for the disobedience of Jacob, And for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the disobedience of Jacob? Isn't it Samaria? And what are the high places of Judah? Aren't they Jerusalem?

^{6 Ref} Therefore I will make Samaria like a rubble heap of the field, Like places for planting vineyards; And I will pour down its stones into the valley, And I will uncover its foundations.

^{7 Ref} All her idols will be beaten to pieces, And all her temple gifts will be burned with fire, And all her images I will destroy; For of the hire of a prostitute has she gathered them, And to the hire of a prostitute shall they return."

^{8 Ref} For this I will lament and wail; I will go stripped and naked; I will howl like the jackals, And moan like the daughters of owls.

^{9 Ref} For her wounds are incurable; For it has come even to Judah. It reaches to the gate of my people, Even to Jerusalem.

^{10 Ref} Don't tell it in Gath, Don't weep at all. At Beth Ophrah{Beth Ophrah means literally "House of Dust."} I have rolled myself in the dust.

^{11 Ref} Pass on, inhabitant of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame. The inhabitant of Zaanan won't come out. The wailing of Beth Ezel will take from you his protection.

^{12 Ref} For the inhabitant of Maroth waits anxiously for good, Because evil has come down from Yahweh to the gate of Jerusalem.

^{13 Ref} Harness the chariot to the swift steed, inhabitant of Lachish. She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; For the transgressions of Israel were found in you.

^{14 Ref} Therefore you will give a parting gift to Moresheth-gath. The houses of Achzib will be a deceitful thing to the kings of Israel.

^{15 Ref} I will yet bring to you, inhabitant of Mareshah, He who is the glory of Israel will come to Adullam.

^{16 Ref} Shave your heads, And cut off your hair for the children of your delight. Enlarge your baldness like the vulture; For they have gone into captivity from you!

^{1 Ref} A word of Jehovah that hath been unto Micah the Morashite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah, that he hath seen concerning Samaria and Jerusalem:

^{2 Ref} Hear, O peoples, all of them! Attend, O earth, and its fulness, And the Lord Jehovah is against you for a witness, The Lord from His holy temple.

^{3 Ref} For lo, Jehovah is going out from His place, And He hath come down, And hath trodden on high places of earth.

^{4 Ref} Melted have been the mountains under Him, And the valleys do rend themselves, As wax from the presence of fire, As waters cast down by a slope.

^{5 Ref} 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 the high places of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?

^{6 Ref} And I have set Samaria for a heap of the field, For plantations of a vineyard, And poured out into a valley her stones, And her foundations I uncover.

^{7 Ref} And all her graven images are beaten down, And all her gifts are burnt with fire, And all her idols I make a desolation, For, from the hire of a harlot she gathered, and unto the hire of a harlot they return.

^{8 Ref} For this I lament and howl, I go spoiled and naked, I make a lamentation like dragons, And a mourning like daughters of an ostrich.

^{9 Ref} For mortal `are' her wounds, For it hath come unto Judah, It hath come to a gate of My people -- to Jerusalem.

^{10 Ref} In Gath tell ye not -- in Acco weep not, In Beth-Aphrah, in dust roll thyself.

^{11 Ref} Pass over for thee, O inhabitant of Shaphir, Naked one of shame. Not gone out hath the inhabitant of Zaanan, The lamentation of Beth-Ezel doth take from you its standing.

^{12 Ref} For stayed for good hath the inhabitant of Maroth, For evil hath come down from Jehovah to the gate of Jerusalem.

^{13 Ref} Bind the chariot to a swift beast, O inhabitant of Lachish, The beginning of sin `is' she to the daughter of Zion, For in thee have been found the transgressions of Israel.

^{14 Ref} Therefore thou givest presents to Moresheth-Gath, The houses of Achzib become a lying thing to the kings of Israel.

^{15 Ref} Yet the possessor I do bring in to thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah, To Adullam come in doth the honour of Israel.

^{16 Ref} Make bald and shave, for thy delightful sons, Enlarge thy baldness as an eagle, For they have removed from thee!