MicahChapter 1

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¹This is the word of the LORD that came to Micah from Moresheth. It came during the time when Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. This is what he saw about Samaria and Jerusalem. ²Listen, all you peoples!
Pay attention, earth and everyone in it!
Let the Lord GOD be a witness against you,
the Lord from his holy temple. ³For look! The LORD is coming out from his home.
He will come down and walk on the high places of the earth. ⁴The mountains will melt under him.
The valleys will split open.
They will be like wax near a fire,
like water rushing down a hill. ⁵All this is because of Jacob's sin
and the sins of the family of Israel.
What is Jacob's sin?
Isn't it Samaria?
What is Judah's high place?
Isn't it Jerusalem? ⁶So I will make Samaria a pile of rubble in an open field.
It will be a place to plant vineyards.
I will pour her stones down into the valley.
I will leave her foundations bare. ⁷All her carved idols will be smashed to pieces.
All the pay she earned will be burned in the fire.
I will destroy all her idols.
She collected it as the pay of a prostitute.
So it will be used again to pay a prostitute. ⁸Because of this I will cry and weep.
I will walk around barefoot and naked.
I will howl like a jackal.
I will moan like an ostrich. ⁹For her wound can't be healed.
It has spread even to Judah.
It has come to the gate of my people,
all the way to Jerusalem itself. ¹⁰Don't tell about it in Gath.
Don't cry at all.
Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah.a ¹¹Go away naked and ashamed,
you who live in Shaphir.
Those who live in Zaanan will not come out.
Beth-ezel is mourning.
Its help has been taken away from you. ¹²Those who live in Maroth longed for good things.
But disaster came down from the LORD,
all the way to the gate of Jerusalem. ¹³Hook up the horses to your chariots,
you who live in Lachish.
You were where sin began for the Daughter of Zion,
for the sins of Israel were found in you. ¹⁴So give goodbye gifts to Moresheth-gath.
The houses of Achzib will trick the kings of Israel.b ¹⁵I will once again bring a conqueror against you,
you who live in Mareshah.
The glory of Israel will come to Adullam. ¹⁶Shave your heads.
Cut off your hair to mourn for the children you love.
Make yourselves as bald as an eagle.
For they will be taken away from you as captives.