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

2Hear, all you people! Hearken, O earth, and all its fullness. And let the Lord GOD be witness against you, even the LORD from His holy temple,

3For behold, the LORD is coming out of His place, and will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.

4And the mountains shall melt under Him, and the valleys shall split open, as wax before the fire, and as waters that are poured down a steep place.

5All this is for the transgression of Jacob, 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?

6"And I will make Samaria as a heap of ruins in the field, and as planting places for a vineyard; and I will hurl down her stones into the valley, and I will uncover her foundations.

7And all her graven images shall be smashed to pieces, and all her gifts shall be burned with the fire, and I will destroy all her idols, for she gathered them as the hire of a harlot, and they shall return as the hire of a harlot."

8Therefore I will wail and howl; I will go stripped and naked; I will make a wailing like jackals, and mourn like the ostrich,

9For her wounds are not curable; for it has come to Judah; it has reached to the gate of My people, even to Jerusalem.

10Do not declare it in Gath; weep not at all; in the house of Leaphrah roll yourself in the dust.

11Pass over to them, O inhabitant of Shaphir, in the nakedness of your shame. The inhabitant of Zaanan has not gone out; the mourning of Beth Ezel shall take from you its protection,

12For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good, but instead evil came down from the LORD to the gate of Jerusalem.

13O inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the stallion--she was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion-- for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.

14Therefore you shall give parting gifts to Moresheth Gath; the houses of Achzib are for a lying thing to the kings of Israel.

15Yet I will bring an heir to you, O inhabitant of Mareshah. The glory of Israel shall come to Adullam.

16Make yourself bald, and cut off your hair for the children of your delight; make your baldness large like the eagle; for they go into exile from you.