1 I am Micah from Moresheth. And this is the message about Samaria and Jerusalem that the Lord gave to me when Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were the kings of Judah.
Judgment on Samaria
2 Listen, all of you!
Earth and everything on it,
pay close attention.
The Lord God accuses you
from his holy temple.
3 And he will come down
to crush underfoot
every pagan altar.
4 Mountains will melt
beneath his feet
like wax beside a fire.
Valleys will vanish like water
rushing down a ravine.
5 This will happen because of
the terrible sins of Israel,
the descendants of Jacob.
Samaria has led Israel to sin,
and pagan altars at Jerusalem
have made Judah sin.
6 So the Lord will leave Samaria
in ruins—
merely an empty field
where vineyards are planted.
He will scatter its stones
and destroy its foundations.
7 Samaria's idols will be smashed,
and the wages
of temple prostitutes
will be destroyed by fire.
Silver and gold from those idols
will then be used by foreigners
as payment for prostitutes.
Judah Is Doomed
8 Because of this tragedy,
I go barefoot and naked.
My crying and weeping
sound like howling wolves
or ostriches.
9 The nation is fatally wounded.
Judah is doomed.
Jerusalem will fall.
10 Don't tell it in Gath!
Don't even cry.
Instead, roll in the dust
at Beth-Leaphrah.
11 Depart naked and ashamed,
you people of Shaphir.
The town of Bethezel mourns
because no one from Zaanan
went out to help.
12 Everyone in Maroth
hoped for the best,
but the Lord sent disaster
down on Jerusalem.
13 Get the war chariots ready,
you people of Lachish.
You led Jerusalem into sin,
just as Israel did.
14 Now you will have to give
a going-away gift
to Moresheth.
Israel's kings will discover
that they cannot trust
the town of Achzib.
15 People of Mareshah,
the Lord will send someone
to capture your town.
Then Israel's glorious king
will be forced to hide
in Adullam Cave.
16 Judah, shave your head
as bald as a vulture
and start mourning.
Your precious children
will be dragged off
to a foreign country.
1 The word of the Lord, that came vnto Micah the Morashite in the dayes of Iotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah Kings of Iudah, which he sawe concerning Samaria, and Ierusalem. 2 Heare, al ye people: hearke thou, O earth, and all that therein is, and let the Lord God be witnes against you, euen ye Lord from his holy Teple. 3 For beholde, the Lord commeth out of his place, and will come downe, and tread vpon the hie places of the earth. 4 And the mountaines shall melt vnder him (so shall the valleys cleaue) as waxe before the fire, and as the waters that are powred downewarde. 5 For the wickednes of Iaakob is all this, and for the sinnes of the house of Israel: what is the wickednes of Iaakob? Is not Samaria? and which are the hie places of Iudah? Is not Ierusalem? 6 Therefore I wil make Samaria as an heape of the fielde, and for the planting of a vineyard, and I will cause the stones thereof to tumble downe into the valley, and I will discouer the foundations thereof. 7 And all the grauen images thereof shalbe broken, and all the giftes thereof shalbe burnt with the fire, and all the idoles thereof will I destroy: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall returne to the wages of an harlot. 8 Therefore I will mourne and howle: I wil goe without clothes, and naked: I will make lamentation like the dragons, and mourning as the ostriches. 9 For her plagues are grieuous: for it is come into Iudah: the enemie is come vnto the gate of my people, vnto Ierusalem. 10 Declare ye it not at Gath, neither weepe ye: for the house of Aphrah roule thy selfe in the dust. 11 Thou that dwellest at Shaphir, go together naked with shame: she that dwelleth at Zaanan, shall not come forth in ye mourning of Beth-ezel: the enemie shall receiue of you for his standing. 12 For the inhabitant of Maroth wayted for good, but euill came from the Lord vnto the gate of Ierusalem. 13 O thou inhabitant of Lachish, binde the charet to the beastes of price: she is the beginning of the sinne to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee. 14 Therefore shalt thou giue presents to Moresheth Gath: the houses of Achzib shalbe as a lye to the Kings of Israel. 15 Yet will I bring an heire vnto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah, he shall come vnto Adullam, the glorie of Israel. 16 Make thee balde: and shaue thee for thy delicate children: enlarge thy baldenesse as the eagle, for they are gone into captiuity from thee.