[1] 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] 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] For see, the Lord is coming out from his place,
and will come down, stepping on the high places of the earth. [4] 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] 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] 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] 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] 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] 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] Give no word of it in Gath, let there be no weeping at all:
at Beth-le-aphrah be rolling in the dust. [11] 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] For the one living in Maroth is waiting for good: for
evil has come down from the Lord to the doorways of Jerusalem. [13] 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] For this cause give a parting
offering to Moresheth-gath: the daughter of Achzib will be a deceit to the
king of Israel. [15] 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] 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.
