Mic 1 | BSB | STEP | [This is] the word of the LORD that came to Micah the Moreshite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah— what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem:

‏ Micah 1

Judgment Against Israel

1 [This is] the word of the LORD that came to Micah the Moreshite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah— what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem: 2 Hear, O peoples, all of you; listen, O earth, and everyone in it! The Lord GOD will witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple. 3 For behold, the LORD comes forth out of His dwelling place; He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth. 4 The mountains will melt beneath Him, and the valleys will split apart, like wax before the fire, like water cascading down a slope. 5 All this [is] for the transgression of Jacob and the sins of the house of Israel. What [is] the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem? 6 Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble in the open field, a planting area for a vineyard. I will pour her stones into the valley and expose her foundations. 7 All her carved images will be smashed to pieces; all her wages will be burned in the fire, and I will destroy all her idols. Since she collected the wages of a prostitute, they will be used again on a prostitute.

Weeping and Mourning

8 Because of this I will lament and wail; I will walk barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and mourn like an ostrich. 9 For her wound is incurable; it has reached even Judah; it has approached the gate of my people, as far as Jerusalem itself. 10 Do not tell it in Gath; ^{▼▼Gath sounds like the Hebrew for tell} do not weep at all. Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah. ^{▼▼Beth-Leaphrah means house of dust} 11 Depart in shameful nakedness, O residents of Shaphir. ^{▼▼Shaphir means pleasant} The inhabitants of Zaanan ^{▼▼Zaanan sounds like the Hebrew for come out} will not come out. Beth-ezel is in mourning; its support is taken from you. 12 For the residents of Maroth ^{▼▼Maroth sounds like the Hebrew for bitter} pined for good, but calamity came down from the LORD, even to the gate of Jerusalem. 13 Harness the horses to the chariot, O inhabitant of Lachish. You were the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you. 14 Therefore, send farewell gifts ^{▼▼Or give dowry} to Moresheth-gath; ^{▼▼Moresheth sounds like the Hebrew for gift or dowry} the houses of Achzib ^{▼▼Achzib means deception} [will] prove deceptive to the kings of Israel. 15 I will again bring a conqueror against you, O inhabitant of Mareshah. ^{▼▼Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew for conqueror} The glory of Israel will come to Adullam. 16 Shave yourselves bald and cut off your hair in morning for your precious children; make yourselves as bald as an eagle, for they will go from you into exile.