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The Prophet Micah

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- Chapter 1 -

(Isaiah 7:17–25)
1
This 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:
2
Hear, 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.
3
For behold, the LORD comes forth from His dwelling place; He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.
4
The mountains will melt beneath Him, and the valleys will split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.
5
All 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 rubble in the open field, a planting area for a vineyard. I will pour her stones into the valley and expose her foundations.
7
All 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.

Weeping and Mourning

8
Because of this I will lament and wail; I will walk barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal (a) and mourn like an ostrich.(b)
9
For her wound is incurable; it has reached even Judah; it has approached the gate of my people, as far as Jerusalem itself.
10
Do not tell it in Gath;(c) do not weep at all. Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah.(d)
11
Depart in shameful nakedness, O dwellers of Shaphir.(e) The dwellers of Zaanan (f) will not come out. Beth-ezel (g) is in mourning; its support is taken from you.
12
For the dwellers of Maroth (h) pined for good, but calamity came down from the LORD, even to the gate of Jerusalem.
13
Harness your chariot horses, O dweller of Lachish.(i) You were the beginning of sin to the Daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
14
Therefore, send farewell gifts (j) to Moresheth-gath;(k) the houses of Achzib (l) will prove deceptive to the kings of Israel.
15
I will again bring a conqueror against you, O dweller of Mareshah.(m) The glory of Israel will come to Adullam.
16
Shave 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.

Footnotes

(a)1:8 Or a serpent or a dragon
(b)1:8 Literally like daughters of an ostrich or like daughters of an owl
(c)1:10 Gath sounds like the Hebrew for tell.
(d)1:10 Beth-Leaphrah means house of dust.
(e)1:11 Shaphir means pleasant.
(f)1:11 Zaanan sounds like the Hebrew for come out.
(g)1:11 Beth-ezel means adjoining house.
(h)1:12 Maroth sounds like the Hebrew for bitter.
(i)1:13 Lachish sounds like the Hebrew term for team of horses.
(j)1:14 Or give dowry
(k)1:14 Moresheth sounds like the Hebrew for gift or dowry.
(l)1:14 Achzib means deception.
(m)1:15 Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew for conqueror.
(Isaiah 7:17–25)
1
The LORD’s(a) word that came to Micah of Morasheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
2
Hear, you peoples, all of you! Listen, O earth, and all that is therein. Let the Lord (b) GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.
3
For behold,(c) the LORD comes out of his place, and will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.
4
The mountains melt under him, and the valleys split apart like wax before the fire, like waters that are poured down a steep place.
5
“All this is for the disobedience of Jacob, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the disobedience of Jacob? Isn’t it Samaria? And what are the high places of Judah? Aren’t they Jerusalem?
6
Therefore I will make Samaria like a rubble heap of the field, like places for planting vineyards; and I will pour down its stones into the valley, and I will uncover its foundations.
7
All her idols will be beaten to pieces, all her temple gifts will be burned with fire, and I will destroy all her images; for of the hire of a prostitute has she gathered them, and to the hire of a prostitute shall they return.”

Weeping and Mourning

8
For this I will lament and wail. I will go stripped and naked. I will howl like the jackals and mourn like the ostriches.
9
For her wounds are incurable; for it has come even to Judah. It reaches to the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.
10
Don’t tell it in Gath. Don’t weep at all. At Beth Ophrah(d) I have rolled myself in the dust.
11
Pass on, inhabitant of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame. The inhabitant of Zaanan won’t come out. The wailing of Beth Ezel will take from you his protection.
12
For the inhabitant of Maroth waits anxiously for good, because evil has come down from the LORD to the gate of Jerusalem.
13
Harness the chariot to the swift steed, inhabitant of Lachish. She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
14
Therefore you will give a parting gift to Moresheth Gath. The houses of Achzib will be a deceitful thing to the kings of Israel.
15
I will yet bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of Mareshah. The glory of Israel will come to Adullam.
16
Shave your heads, and cut off your hair for the children of your delight. Enlarge your baldness like the vulture, for they have gone into captivity from you!

Footnotes

(a)1:1 When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.
(b)1:2 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”
(c)1:3 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
(d)1:10 Beth Ophrah means literally “House of Dust.”
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