Chapter 1

The word of Yahweh that came to Micah the Morashtite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

Hear, you peoples, all of you. Listen, earth, and all that is therein: And let the Lord Yahweh be witness against you, The Lord from his holy temple.

For, behold, Yahweh comes forth out of his place, And will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.

The mountains melt under him, And the valleys split apart, Like wax before the fire, Like waters that are poured down a steep place.

All this is for the disobedience of Jacob, And for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the disobedience of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? aren't they Jerusalem?

Therefore I will make Samaria as a heap of the field, [and] as places for planting vineyards; and I will pour down the stones of it into the valley, and I will uncover the foundations of it.

All her engraved images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her hires shall be burned with fire, and all her idols will I lay desolate; for of the hire of a prostitute has she gathered them, and to the hire of a prostitute shall they return.

For this will I lament and wail; I will go stripped and naked; I will make a wailing like the jackals, and a lamentation like the ostriches.

For her wounds are incurable; for it is come even to Judah; it reaches to the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.

Don't tell it in Gath, don't weep at all: at Beth-le-aphrah have I rolled myself in the dust.

Pass away, inhabitant of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame: the inhabitant of Zaanan hasn't come forth; the wailing of Beth-ezel shall take from you the stay of it.

For the inhabitant of Maroth waits anxiously for good, because evil is come down from Yahweh to the gate of Jerusalem.

Bind 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.

Therefore shall you give a parting gift to Moresheth-gath: the houses of Achzib shall be a deceitful thing to the kings of Israel.

I will yet bring to you, inhabitant of Mareshah, him who shall possess you: the glory of Israel shall come even to Adullam.

Make you bald, and cut off your hair for the children of your delight: enlarge your baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from you.