Micah 1

1The word of Jehovah that came to Micah the Morashtite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

1The Lord gave this message to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah. This is the vision he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

2Hear, ye peoples, all of you; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord Jehovah be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.

2Listen, all you people! Pay attention, earth and everything in it. May the Sovereign Lord witness against you—the Lord from his holy temple.

3For, behold, Jehovah cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.

3Look! The Lord is coming out of his dwelling place; he is coming down to step on the mountaintops of the earth.

4And the mountains shall be melted under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, as waters that are poured down a steep place.

4The mountains will melt under him and the valleys will split apart, like wax near a fire or like water pouring down a steep hill.

5For 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?

5All this is happening because of the rebellion of Jacob and the sins of the nation of Israel. What is the source of Jacob’s rebellion? Isn't it Samaria? What is the source of Judah’s idol worship? Isn't it Jerusalem?

6Therefore I will make Samaria as a heap of the field, and as places for planting vineyards; and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will uncover the foundations thereof.

6Therefore, I will turn Samaria into a pile of rubble in the open country, a place for planting vineyards. I will roll her stones down into the valley and strip her down to her foundations.

7And all her graven 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 harlot hath she gathered them, and unto the hire of a harlot shall they return.

7All her carved idols will be smashed to pieces. All the gifts earned through her spiritual prostitution will be burned. I will destroy all her statues. Since she collected these things as the wages of a prostitute, they will be taken away to pay other prostitutes.

8For 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.

8Because of this, I will weep and wail. I will go around barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and moan like an ostrich.

9For her wounds are incurable; for it is come even unto Judah; it reacheth unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.

9Samaria’s wound cannot be healed. The destruction has reached Judah; it has come right to the gates of my people, even to Jerusalem itself.

10Tell it not in Gath, weep not at all: at Beth-le-aphrah have I rolled myself in the dust.

10Don't tell this news in Gath; don't weep at all. In the house of Dust, roll yourselves in the dust.

11Pass away, O inhabitant of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame: the inhabitant of Zaanan is not come forth; the wailing of Beth-ezel shall take from you the stay thereof.

11Go on your way in nakedness and shame, you people of Shaphir. The people of Zaanan are too afraid to come out. Beth-ezel is in mourning; it can no longer support you.

12For the inhabitant of Maroth waiteth anxiously for good, because evil is come down from Jehovah unto the gate of Jerusalem.

12The people of Maroth wait anxiously for something good to happen, but disaster from the Lord has come right to the gates of Jerusalem.

13Bind the chariot to the swift steed, O inhabitant of Lachish: she was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.

13Hitch the horses to the chariot, you people of Lachish. You were the beginning of sin for the people of Zion, for the rebellions of Israel were found in you.

14Therefore shalt thou give a parting gift to Moresheth-gath: the houses of Achzib shall be a deceitful thing unto the kings of Israel.

14So you must give parting gifts to Moresheth-gath. The town of Achzib will prove to be a deception to the kings of Israel.

15I will yet bring unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah, him that shall possess thee: the glory of Israel shall come even unto Adullam.

15I will bring a conqueror against you, people of Mareshah. The leaders of Israel will flee to Adullam.

16Make thee bald, and cut off thy hair for the children of thy delight: enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee.

16Shave your heads in mourning for the children you love. Make yourselves as bald as an eagle, because your children will be taken away from you into exile.