Chapter 1

The word of the LORD that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw¹ concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

Hear,³ all ye people; hearken,⁵⁴ O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.

For, behold, the LORD cometh forth⁶ out of his place, and will come down,¹ and tread¹ upon the high places of the earth.

And the mountains shall be molten⁸ under him, and the valleys shall be cleft,¹⁰¹ as wax before the fire, [and] as the waters [that are] poured⁹⁴ down a steep place.

For the transgression of Jacob [is] all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What [is] the transgression of Jacob? [is it] not Samaria? and what [are] the high places of Judah? [are they] not Jerusalem?

Therefore I will make¹ Samaria as an heap of the field, [and] as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down⁵² the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover¹⁷ the foundations thereof.

And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces,⁹³ and all the hires thereof shall be burned¹¹ with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay⁴ desolate: for she gathered¹⁴ [it] of the hire of an harlot,⁶ and they shall return⁴ to the hire of an harlot.⁶

Therefore I will wail⁴ and howl,⁵⁵ I will go⁴ stripped ⁷⁷⁵⁸ and naked: I will make⁴ a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls. ³²⁸⁴

For her wound [is] incurable;⁷ for it is come¹ unto Judah; he is come¹ unto the gate of my people, [even] to Jerusalem.

Declare⁵⁵ ye [it] not at Gath, weep⁴ ye not at all:² in the house of Aphrah ^{6083 1036} roll^{100 6428 98} thyself in the dust.

Pass³ ye away, thou inhabitant⁶ of Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant⁶ of Zaanan came not forth¹ in the mourning of Bethezel; he shall receive⁴ of you his standing.

For the inhabitant⁶ of Maroth waited carefully¹ for good: but evil came down¹ from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem.

O thou inhabitant⁶ of Lachish, bind³ the chariot to the swift beast: she [is] the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found⁸ in thee.

Therefore shalt thou give⁴ presents to Moreshethgath: the houses of Achzib [shall be] a lie to the kings of Israel.

Yet will I bring⁵⁵ an heir⁶ unto thee, O inhabitant⁶ of Mareshah: he shall come⁴ unto Adullam the glory of Israel.

Make thee bald,³ and poll³ thee for thy delicate children; enlarge⁵⁴ thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity¹ from thee.