| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. | 1This is the word of the LORD that came to Micah the Moreshite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem: |
| 2Hear, all you peoples! Listen, O earth, and all that is in it! Let the Lord GOD be a witness against you, The Lord from His holy temple. | 2Hear, O peoples, all of you; listen, O earth, and everyone in it! May the Lord GOD bear witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple. |
| 3For behold, the LORD is coming out of His place; He will come down And tread on the high places of the earth. | 3For behold, the LORD comes forth from His dwelling place; He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth. |
| 4The mountains will melt under Him, And the valleys will split Like wax before the fire, Like waters poured down a steep place. | 4The mountains will melt beneath Him, and the valleys will split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope. |
| 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? | 5All this is for the transgression of Jacob and the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem? |
| 6“Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the field, Places for planting a vineyard; I will pour down her stones into the valley, And I will uncover her foundations. | 6Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble in the open field, a planting area for a vineyard. I will pour her stones into the valley and expose her foundations. |
| 7All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, And all her pay as a harlot shall be burned with the fire; All her idols I will lay desolate, For she gathered it from the pay of a harlot, And they shall return to the pay of a harlot.” | 7All her carved images will be smashed to pieces; all her wages will be burned in the fire, and I will destroy all her idols. Since she collected the wages of a prostitute, they will be used again on a prostitute. |
| 8Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked; I will make a wailing like the jackals And a mourning like the ostriches, | 8Because of this I will lament and wail; I will walk barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and mourn like an ostrich. |
| 9For her wounds are incurable. For it has come to Judah; It has come to the gate of My people— To Jerusalem. | 9For her wound is incurable; it has reached even Judah; it has approached the gate of my people, as far as Jerusalem itself. |
| 10Tell it not in Gath, Weep not at all; In Beth Aphrah Roll yourself in the dust. | 10Do not tell it in Gath; do not weep at all. Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah. |
| 11Pass by in naked shame, you inhabitant of Shaphir; The inhabitant of Zaanan does not go out. Beth Ezel mourns; Its place to stand is taken away from you. | 11Depart in shameful nakedness, O dwellers of Shaphir. The dwellers of Zaanan will not come out. Beth-ezel is in mourning; its support is taken from you. |
| 12For the inhabitant of Maroth pined for good, But disaster came down from the LORD To the gate of Jerusalem. | 12For the dwellers of Maroth pined for good, but calamity came down from the LORD, even to the gate of Jerusalem. |
| 13O inhabitant of Lachish, Harness the chariot to the swift steeds (She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion), For the transgressions of Israel were found in you. | 13Harness your chariot horses, O dweller of Lachish. You were the beginning of sin to the Daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you. |
| 14Therefore you shall give presents to Moresheth Gath; The houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel. | 14Therefore, send farewell gifts to Moresheth-gath; the houses of Achzib will prove deceptive to the kings of Israel. |
| 15I will yet bring an heir to you, O inhabitant of Mareshah; The glory of Israel shall come to Adullam. | 15I will again bring a conqueror against you, O dweller of Mareshah. The glory of Israel will come to Adullam. |
| 16Make yourself bald and cut off your hair, Because of your precious children; Enlarge your baldness like an eagle, For they shall go from you into captivity. | 16Shave yourselves bald and cut off your hair in mourning for your precious children; make yourselves as bald as an eagle, for they will go from you into exile. |
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