1 Yahweh’s word that came to Micah of Morasheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
2 Hear, you peoples, all of you!
Listen, O earth, and all that is therein.
Let the Lord Yahweh be witness against you,
the Lord from his holy temple.
3 For behold, Yahweh comes out of his place,
and will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.
4 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 "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 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 All her idols will be beaten to pieces,
all her temple gifts will be burned with fire,
and I will destroy all her images;
for of the hire of a prostitute has she gathered them,
and to the hire of a prostitute shall they return."
8 For this I will lament and wail.
I will go stripped and naked.
I will howl like the jackals
and mourn like the ostriches.
9 For her wounds are incurable;
for it has come even to Judah.
It reaches to the gate of my people,
even to Jerusalem.
10 Don’t tell it in Gath.
Don’t weep at all.
At Beth Ophrah I have rolled myself in the dust.
11 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 For the inhabitant of Maroth waits anxiously for good,
because evil has come down from Yahweh to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 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 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 I will yet bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of Mareshah.
The glory of Israel will come to Adullam.
16 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 Die woord van die HERE wat tot Miga, die Morastiet, gekom het, in die dae van Jotam, Agas, Hisk¡a, konings van Juda; wat hy gesien het aangaande Samar¡a en Jerusalem.
2 o Volke, luister almal saam! o Aarde en sy volheid, let op! Sodat die Here HERE getuie teen julle kan wees, die Here uit sy heilige paleis.
3 Want kyk, die HERE gaan uit sy woonplek uit, en Hy daal neer en betree die hoogtes van die aarde.
4 En die berge smelt onder Hom, en die laagtes skeur oop, soos was voor die vuur, soos water wat langs 'n helling afstroom!
5 Dit alles vanweë die oortreding van Jakob en vanweë die sondes van die huis van Israel. Wie is die oorsaak van die oortreding van Jakob? Is dit nie Samar¡a nie? En wie is die oorsaak van die hoogtes van Juda? Is dit nie Jerusalem nie?
6 Daarom sal Ek Samar¡a 'n puinhoop maak op die veld, 'n plek om wingerdstokke te plant; en Ek sal haar klippe in die dal laat afrol en haar fondamente blootlê.
7 En al haar gesnede beelde sal stukkend geslaan en al wat sy as hoereloon ontvang het, met vuur verbrand word, en al haar afgode sal Ek tot 'n verwoesting maak; want uit hoereloon het sy dit versamel, en tot hoereloon sal dit terugkeer.
8 Daaroor wil ek rouklaag en huil, kaalvoet en naak loop. Ek wil klae soos die jakkalse en treur soos die volstruise.
9 Waarlik, haar wonde is ongeneeslik; want dit het gekom tot by Juda, dit reik tot aan die poort van my volk, tot by Jerusalem.
10 Moet dit nie in Gat vertel nie, ween daar ganselik nie! In Bet-Ofra het ek my in die stof gewentel!
11 Trek weg in smadelike naaktheid, o inwoners van Safir! Die inwoners van Sa„nan trek nie uit nie. Die weeklagte van Bet-Haësel sal julle daar die verblyf ontneem.
12 Want die inwoners van Marot wag in pyn op iets goeds, omdat onheil neerdaal van die HERE na die poort van Jerusalem.
13 Span die perde voor die wa, o inwoners van Lagis! Dit was die begin van sonde vir die dogter van Sion, dat die oortredinge van Israel in jou gevind is.
14 Daarom moet jy 'n afskeidsgeskenk gee aan Mor,set-Gat; die huise van Agsib sal 'n teleurstelling wees vir die konings van Israel.
15 Nogmaals sal Ek jou 'n veroweraar bring, o inwoner van Mar,sa; die adel van Israel sal tot by Adullam kom.
16 Maak 'n kaalte op jou hoof en skeer jou weens jou troetelkinders; maak die kaalplek groot soos die van 'n aasvoël, omdat hulle van jou af weggevoer is in ballingskap.