1The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Mo'resheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezeki'ah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samar'ia and Jerusalem.

The house of Israel

21.2: 1 Kings 22.28.Hear, you peoples, all of you;

hearken, O earth, and all that is in it;

and let the Lord GOD be a witness against you,

the Lord from his holy temple.

3For behold, the LORD is coming forth out of his place,

and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth.

4And the mountains will melt under him

and the valleys will be cleft,

like wax before the fire,

like waters 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 Samar'ia?

And what is the sin of the house1.5 Gk Tg Compare Syr: Heb what are the high places of Judah?

Is it not Jerusalem?

6Therefore I will make Samar'ia a heap in the open country,

a place for planting vineyards;

and I will pour down her stones into the valley,

and uncover her foundations.

7All her images shall be beaten to pieces,

all her hires shall be burned with fire,

and all her idols I will lay waste;

for from the hire of a harlot she gathered them,

and to the hire of a harlot they shall return.

8For this I will lament and wail;

I will go stripped and naked;

I will make lamentation like the jackals,

and mourning like the ostriches.

9For her wound1.9 Gk Syr Vg: Heb wounds is incurable;

and it has come to Judah,

it has reached to the gate of my people,

to Jerusalem.

The house of Judah

10Tell it not in Gath,

weep not at all;

in Beth-le-aph'rah

roll yourselves in the dust.

11Pass on your way,

inhabitants of Shaphir,

in nakedness and shame;

the inhabitants of Za'anan

do not come forth;

the wailing of Beth-e'zel

shall take away from you its standing place.

12For the inhabitants of Maroth

wait anxiously for good,

because evil has come down from the LORD

to the gate of Jerusalem.

13Harness the steeds to the chariots,

inhabitants of Lachish;

you were1.13 Cn: Heb it was the beginning of sin

to the daughter of Zion,

for in you were found

the transgressions of Israel.

14Therefore you shall give parting gifts

to Mo'resheth-gath;

the houses of Achzib shall be a deceitful thing

to the kings of Israel.

15I will again bring a conqueror upon you,

inhabitants of Mare'shah;

the glory of Israel

shall come to Adullam.

16Make yourselves bald and cut off your hair,

for the children of your delight;

make yourselves as bald as the eagle,

for they shall go from you into exile.