Online Bible

Destruction in Israel and Judah

The ^aword of the LORD that came to ^bMicah of Moresheth in the days of ^cJotham, ^dAhaz, and ^eHezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw through divine revelation concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

2 Hear, O peoples, all of you;^aListen closely, O earth and all that is in it,And let the Lord GOD be ^bwitness giving a testimony of the judgment against you,The Lord from His holy temple in the heavens. 1+@Kin 22:283 For behold, the LORD ^ais coming down from His placeHe shall come down and ^btread in judgment on the high places of the earth. Zech 14:3, 4; Mal 4:2, 3; Matt 24:27-30; Rev 1:7; 19:11-164 ^aThe mountains shall melt under HimAnd the valleys shall be splitLike wax before the fire,Like waters poured down a steep place.5 All this is because of the rebellion and apostasy of ¹JacobAnd for the sins of the house of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) .What is the ^arebellion and apostasy of Jacob?Is it not the abandonment of God in order to worship the idols of ^bSamaria?What are the ^chigh places of idolatry in Judah (the Southern Kingdom) ?Are they not Jerusalem the capital and center of corruption?6 Therefore I the LORD shall make Samaria a ¹^aheap of ruins and of stones and arable land in the open country,A place for ^bplanting vineyards;And I will ^cpour her stones down into the ravineAnd ^dlay bare her foundations. 2+@Kin 19:25; Ezek 13:147 All her ^aidols shall be broken in pieces,All her earnings from her idolatry shall be burned with fire,And all her images I shall make desolate;For from the ^bearnings of a prostitute she collected them,And to the earnings of a prostitute they shall return.

8 Because of this I Micah must lament (mourn over with expressions of grief) and wail,I must go ^abarefoot and naked without outer garments as if robbed;I must wail like the ^bjackalsAnd lament with a loud, mournful cry like the ostriches.9 For Samaria’s ^awound is incurable,For ^bit has come to Judah;The enemy has reached the ^cgate of my people,Even to Jerusalem.10 ¹^aAnnounce it not in Gath in Philistia,Weep not at all and in this way betray your grief to Gentiles;In Beth-le-aphrah (House of Dust) roll in the dust among your own people.11 Go on your way into exile—stripped of beauty, disarmed, inhabitants of Shaphir (Beautiful) , in ^ashameful nakedness.The inhabitant of ^bZaanan (Go Out) does not go out of the house;The wailing of Beth-ezel (House of Removal) will take away from you its support.12 For the inhabitant of Maroth (Bitterness)Writhes in pain at its losses and ^awaits anxiously for good,Because a catastrophe has come down from the LORDTo the ^bgate of Jerusalem.13 Harness the chariot to the team of horses to escape the invasion,O inhabitant of ^aLachish—She was the beginning of sinTo the Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem)—Because in you were foundThe ^brebellious acts of Israel.14 Therefore you will give parting ^agiftsOn behalf of Moresheth-gath (Micah’s home) ;The houses of ^bAchzib (Place of Deceit) will become a ^cdeceptionTo the kings of Israel.15 Moreover, I will bring on youThe one who takes possession,O inhabitant of ^aMareshah (Prominent Place) .The glory (nobility) of Israel will enter ^bAdullam seeking refuge. 1+@Sam 22:116 Make yourself ^abald in mourning—shave off your hairFor the children of your delight;Remain as bald as the eagle,For your children will be ^btaken from you into exile.

Calamity in Israel and Judah

The ^aword of ¹Yahweh which came to ^bMicah of Moresheth in the days of ^cJotham, ^dAhaz, and ^eHezekiah, kings of Judah, which he beheld concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

2 Hear, O peoples, all of ¹you;^aGive heed, O earth, as well as its fullness,And let Lord Yahweh be a ^bwitness against you,The Lord from His holy temple.3 For behold, Yahweh is ^agoing forth from His place.He will come down and ^btread on the high places of the ¹earth.4 ^aThe mountains will melt under Him,And the valleys will be split,Like wax before the fire,Like water poured down a steep place.5 All this is for the transgression of JacobAnd for the sins of the house of Israel.What is the ^atransgression of Jacob?Is it not ^bSamaria?What is the ^chigh ¹place of Judah?Is it not Jerusalem?6 So I will make Samaria a ^aheap of ruins in the field,^bPlanting places for a vineyard.And I will ^cpour her stones down into the valleyAnd will ^dlay bare her foundations.7 And all of her ^agraven images will be smashed,And all of her earnings will be burned with fireAnd all of her idols I will make desolate,For she collected them from a ^bharlot’s earnings,And to the earnings of a harlot they will return.

8 Because of this I must lament and wail;I must go ^abarefoot and naked;I must make a lament like the ^bjackalsAnd a mourning like the ostriches.9 For her ¹^awound is incurable,For ^bit has come to Judah;It has reached the ^cgate of my people,Even to Jerusalem.10 ^aTell it not in Gath,Weep not at all.At ¹Beth-le-aphrah roll yourself in the dust.11 ¹Pass on by, inhabitant of ²Shaphir, in ^ashameful nakedness.The inhabitant of ³^bZaanan does not go out.The lamentation of ⁴Beth-ezel: “He will take from you its ⁵support.”12 For the inhabitant of ¹MarothWrithes ^ain waiting for goodBecause a ²calamity has come down from YahwehTo the ^bgate of Jerusalem.13 Harness the chariot to the team of horses,O inhabitant of ^aLachish—She was the beginning of sinTo the daughter of Zion—Because in you were foundThe ^btransgressions of Israel.14 Therefore you will give parting ^agiftsOn behalf of ¹Moresheth-gath;The houses of ²^bAchzib will become a ^cdeceptionTo the kings of Israel.15 Moreover, I will bring on youThe one who takes possession,O inhabitant of ¹^aMareshah.The glory of Israel will enter ^bAdullam.16 Make yourself ^abald and cut off your hair,Because of the children of your delight;Extend your baldness like the eagle,For they will ^bgo from you into exile.