Micah 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 saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

During the reign of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, God spoke to Micah from Morasthite. He gave him a vision about Samaria and Jerusalem.

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

Listen, everyone, pay attention, Earth and all its inhabitants. Let the Lord God testify against you from His sacred home.

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

Look, God is leaving His heavenly home, He's coming down to walk upon the highest peaks of our world.

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

The mountains will melt beneath him, and valleys will split open, like wax melting in fire or water rushing down a steep slope.

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?

All this turmoil is due to Jacob's wrongdoings and Israel's sins. What is Jacob's rebellion? Isn't it Samaria? And where are Judah's idol shrines? Aren't they in Jerusalem?

Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof.

I will reduce Samaria to a pile of rubble in the field, like a vineyard after harvest. I will scatter its stones across the valley, revealing its very foundations.

And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot.

Every carved idol will be shattered, every ill-gotten gain will be consumed by flames, and every false god will be left in ruins. For they were funded by immoral earnings, and to such earnings, they will return.

Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.

I will cry out in deep sorrow, barefoot and stripped bare. I will howl like the jackals, my mourning will echo like a lonely owl.

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

Her pain is beyond healing, it has reached Judah. It has arrived at the doorstep of my people, right up to Jerusalem.

Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust.

Don't announce it in Gath, don't shed a tear: in Aphrah's house, humble yourself in the dust.

Pass ye away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Bethezel; he shall receive of you his standing.

Move on, you who live in Saphir, your shame is exposed for all to see. The people of Zaanan didn't show up to mourn for Bethezel; they will take from you what is rightfully theirs.

For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil came down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem.

The people of Maroth longed hopefully for blessings, but instead, misfortune descended from the LORD to Jerusalem's gates.

O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast: she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.

Hey resident of Lachish, quickly harness your chariot to the fast animal. You're the root of Zion's daughter's sin. Israel's wrongdoings were discovered in you.

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

So, you must offer gifts to Moreshethgath. But beware, the promises of Achzib's houses are nothing but deceit to Israel's rulers.

Yet will I bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel.

Once more I will bring against you, people of Mareshah, a conqueror who will take your land for himself. He will come as far as Adullam, the pride of Israel.

Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee.

Shave your head in sorrow for your precious children; let your baldness spread like an eagle's, for they have been taken from you into captivity.