1The word of the Lord that camea to Micahb the Moreshitec — what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem in the days of Jotham,d Ahaz,e and Hezekiah,f kings of Judah.

Coming Judgment on Israel

2Listen, all you peoples;a

pay attention, earthA and everyone in it!b

The Lord God will be a witness against you,c

the Lord, from his holy temple.d

3Look, the Lord is leaving his placea

and coming down to trample

the heightsA of the earth.b

4The mountains will melt beneath him,

and the valleys will split apart,

like wax near a fire,a

like water cascading down a mountainside.

5All this will happen because of Jacob’s rebellion

and the sins of the house of Israel.

What is the rebellion of Jacob?

Isn’t it Samaria?a

And what is the high place of Judah?b

Isn’t it Jerusalem?

6Therefore, I will make Samaria

a heap of ruinsa in the countryside,

a planting areab for a vineyard.

I will roll her stonesc into the valley

and expose her foundations.d

7All her carved images will be smasheda to pieces;

all her wagesb will be burned in the fire,

and I will destroy all her idols.

Since she collected the wages of a prostitute,c

they will be used again for a prostitute.

Micah’s Lament

8Because of this I will lament and wail;

I will walk barefoot and naked.a

I will howl like the jackalsb

and mourn like ostriches.A

9For her wound is incurablea

and has reached even Judah;b

it has approached my people’s city gate,c

as far as Jerusalem.

10Don’t announce it in Gath,a

don’t weep at all.

Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah.

11Depart in shameful nakedness,a

you residents of Shaphir;

the residents of Zaananb will not come out.

Beth-ezel is lamenting;

its supportA is taken from you.

12Though the residents of Maroth

anxiously wait for something good,a

disaster has come from the Lordb

to the gate of Jerusalem.

13Harness the horses to the chariot,

you residents of Lachish.a

This was the beginning of sin for Daughter Zion

because Israel’s acts of rebellionb can be traced to you.

14Therefore, send farewell giftsa to Moresheth-gath;

the houses of Achzibb are a deceptionc

to the kings of Israel.

15I will again bring a conqueror

against you who live in Mareshah.a

The nobilityA of Israel will come to Adullam.b

16Shave yourselves bald and cut off your haira

in sorrow for your precious children;

make yourselves as bald as an eagle,

for they have been taken from you into exile.b