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.
2 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. {all ye...: Heb. ye people, all of them} {all that...: Heb. the fulness thereof}
3 For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.
4 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. {a steep...: Heb. a descent}
5 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?
6 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.
7 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.
8 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. {owls: Heb. daughters of the owl}
9 For her wound {is} incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he is come unto the gate of my people, {even} to Jerusalem. {her...: or, she is grievously sick of her wounds}
10 Declare ye {it} not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust. {Aphrah: that is, Dust}
11 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. {thou...: or, thou that dwellest fairly} {inhabitant: Heb. inhabitress} {Zaanan: or, The country of flocks} {Bethezel: or, A place near}
12 For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil came down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem. {inhabitant: Heb. inhabitress} {waited...: or, was grieved}
13 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. {inhabitant: Heb. inhabitress}
14 Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moreshethgath: the houses of Achzib {shall be} a lie to the kings of Israel. {to...: or, for Moreshethgath} {Achzib: that is, A lie}
15 Yet will I bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel. {inhabitant: Heb. inhabitress} {he...: or, the glory of Israel shall, etc}
16 Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee.