Micah 1

1 The word of the Lord that came  * 1:1 Hs 1:1; Jl 1:1; Zph 1:1 to Micah  * 1:1 2Ch 29:5–11; 32:24–26; Jr 26:18 the Moreshite  * 1:1 Mc 1:14  — what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem in the days of Jotham,  * 1:1 2Kg 15:5,32–38; 2Ch 27:1–9; Is 1:1; Hs 1:1 Ahaz,  * 1:1 2Kg 16:1–20; 2Ch 28:1–27; Is 7:1–12 and Hezekiah,  * 1:1 2Kg 18:1–20; 2Ch 29:1–31 kings of Judah.

Coming Judgment on Israel

2 Listen, all you peoples;  * 1:2 1Kg 22:28; 2Ch 18:27; Jr 6:19; 22:29

pay attention, earth  * 1:2 Or land and everyone in it!  * 1:2 Ps 24:1; Is 34:1; Jr 47:2

The Lord God will be a witness against you,  * 1:2 1Sm 12:5–6; Ps 50:7; Jr 42:5; Mal 3:5

the Lord, from his holy temple.  * 1:2 Ps 11:4; Hab 2:20

3 Look, the Lord is leaving his place  * 1:3 Is 26:21

and coming down to trample

the heights  * 1:3 Or high places of the earth.  * 1:3 Am 4:13

4 The mountains will melt beneath him,

and the valleys will split apart,

like wax near a fire,  * 1:4 Ps 97:5; Is 64:1–2; Nah 1:5

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?  * 1:5 Is 7:9; Am 8:14

And what is the high place of Judah?  * 1:5 2Ch 34:3–4

Isn’t it Jerusalem?

6 Therefore, I will make Samaria

a heap of ruins  * 1:6 Mc 3:12 in the countryside,

a planting area  * 1:6 Jr 31:5; Am 5:11 for a vineyard.

I will roll her stones  * 1:6 Lm 4:1 into the valley

and expose her foundations.  * 1:6 Ezk 13:14

7 All her carved images will be smashed  * 1:7 Dt 9:21; 2Ch 34:7 to pieces;

all her wages  * 1:7 Dt 23:18 will be burned in the fire,

and I will destroy all her idols.

Since she collected the wages of a prostitute,  * 1:7 Dt 23:18

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.  * 1:8 Is 20:2–4; 32:11

I will howl like the jackals  * 1:8 Is 13:21–22

and mourn like ostriches.  * 1:8 Or eagle owls; lit daughters of the desert

9 For her wound is incurable  * 1:9 Is 3:26; Jr 30:12,15

and has reached even Judah;  * 1:9 2Kg 18:13–16; 19:31–37; Is 8:7–8

it has approached my people’s city gate,  * 1:9 Mc 1:12

as far as Jerusalem.

10 Don’t announce it in Gath,  * 1:10 2Sm 1:20

don’t weep at all.

Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah.

11 Depart in shameful nakedness,  * 1:11 Ezk 23:29

you residents of Shaphir;

the residents of Zaanan  * 1:11 Jos 15:37 will not come out.

Beth-ezel is lamenting;

its support  * 1:11 Lit its standing place; Hb obscure is taken from you.

12 Though the residents of Maroth

anxiously wait for something good,  * 1:12 Is 59:9–11; Jr 14:19

disaster has come from the  Lord* 1:12 Jdg 2:15; 2Kg 17:7; 21:12; Is 45:7; Mc 2:3

to the gate of Jerusalem.

13 Harness the horses to the chariot,

you residents of Lachish.  * 1:13 Jos 10:3; 2Kg 14:19; Is 36:2

This was the beginning of sin for Daughter Zion

because Israel’s acts of rebellion  * 1:13 Mc 1:5 can be traced to you.

14 Therefore, send farewell gifts  * 1:14 2Kg 16:8 to Moresheth-gath;

the houses of Achzib  * 1:14 Jos 15:44 are a deception  * 1:14 Jr 15:18

to the kings of Israel.

15 I will again bring a conqueror

against you who live in Mareshah.  * 1:15 Jos 15:44

The nobility  * 1:15 Lit glory of Israel will come to Adullam.  * 1:15 Jos 12:15; 15:35; 1Sm 22:1; 2Sm 23:13

16 Shave yourselves bald and cut off your hair  * 1:16 Jb 1:20; Is 22:12; Jr 7:29

in sorrow for your precious children;

make yourselves as bald as an eagle,

for they have been taken from you into exile.  * 1:16 2Kg 17:6; Am 7:11,17