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Micah 1
New Century Version

Samaria and Israel to Be Punished

1 During the time that Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah, the word of the Lord came to Micah, who was from Moresheth. He saw these visions about Samaria and Jerusalem.

2 Hear this, all you nations;
    listen, earth and all you who live on it.
The Lord God will be a witness against you,
    the Lord from his Holy Temple.
3 See, the Lord is coming out of his place;
    he is coming down to walk on the tops of the mountains.
4 The mountains will melt under him,
    and the valleys will crack open,
like wax near a fire,
    like water running down a hillside.
5 All this is because of Jacob’s sin,
    because of the sins of the nation of Israel.
What is the place of Jacob’s sin?
    Isn’t it Samaria?
What is Judah’s place of idol worship?
    Isn’t it Jerusalem?

The Lord Speaks

6 “So I will make Samaria a pile of ruins in the open country,
    a place for planting vineyards.
I will pour her stones down into the valley
    and strip her down to her foundations.
7 All her idols will be broken into pieces;
    all the gifts to her idols will be burned with fire.
    I will destroy all her idols,
and because Samaria earned her money by being unfaithful to me,
    this money will be carried off by others who are not faithful to me.”

Micah’s Great Sadness

8 I will moan and cry because of this evil,
    going around barefoot and naked.
I will cry loudly like the wild dogs
    and make sad sounds like the owls do,
9 because Samaria’s wound cannot be healed.
    It will spread to Judah;
it will reach the city gate of my people,
    all the way to Jerusalem.
10 Don’t tell it in Gath.[a]
    Don’t cry in Acco.[b]
Roll in the dust
    at Beth Ophrah.[c]
11 Pass on your way, naked and ashamed,
    you who live in Shaphir.[d]
Those who live in Zaanan[e]
    won’t come out.
The people in Beth Ezel[f] will cry,
    but they will not give you any support.
12 Those who live in Maroth[g]
    will be anxious for good news to come,
because trouble will come from the Lord,
    all the way to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 You people living in Lachish,[h]
    harness the fastest horse to the chariot.
Jerusalem’s sins started in you;
    yes, Israel’s sins were found in you.
14 So you must give farewell gifts
    to Moresheth[i] in Gath.
The houses in Aczib[j] will be false help
    to the kings of Israel.
15 I will bring against you people who will take your land,
    you who live in Mareshah.[k]
The glory of Israel
    will go in to Adullam.
16 Cut off your hair to show you are sad
    for the children you love.
Make yourself bald like the eagle,
    because your children will be taken away to a foreign land.

Footnotes

  1. 1:10 Gath This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “tell.”
  2. 1:10 Acco This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “cry.”
  3. 1:10 Beth Ophrah This name means “house of dust.”
  4. 1:11 Shaphir This name means “beautiful.”
  5. 1:11 Zaanan This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “come out.”
  6. 1:11 Beth Ezel This name means “house by the side of another,” suggesting help or support.
  7. 1:12 Maroth This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “sad” or “miserable.”
  8. 1:13 Lachish This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “horses.”
  9. 1:14 Moresheth This may be a play on the word “engaged,” referring to a farewell gift to a bride.
  10. 1:14 Aczib This name means “lie” or “trick.”
  11. 1:15 Mareshah This name sounds like the Hebrew word for a person who captures other cities and lands.
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Micah 1
New International Version

1 The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth(A) during the reigns of Jotham,(B) Ahaz(C) and Hezekiah,(D) kings of Judah(E)—the vision(F) he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

2 Hear,(G) you peoples, all of you,(H)
    listen, earth(I) and all who live in it,
that the Sovereign Lord may bear witness(J) against you,
    the Lord from his holy temple.(K)

Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem

3 Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling(L) place;
    he comes down(M) and treads on the heights of the earth.(N)
4 The mountains melt(O) beneath him(P)
    and the valleys split apart,(Q)
like wax before the fire,
    like water rushing down a slope.
5 All this is because of Jacob’s transgression,
    because of the sins of the people of Israel.
What is Jacob’s transgression?
    Is it not Samaria?(R)
What is Judah’s high place?
    Is it not Jerusalem?

6 “Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble,
    a place for planting vineyards.(S)
I will pour her stones(T) into the valley
    and lay bare her foundations.(U)
7 All her idols(V) will be broken to pieces;(W)
    all her temple gifts will be burned with fire;
    I will destroy all her images.(X)
Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes,(Y)
    as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used.”

Weeping and Mourning

8 Because of this I will weep(Z) and wail;
    I will go about barefoot(AA) and naked.
I will howl like a jackal
    and moan like an owl.
9 For Samaria’s plague(AB) is incurable;(AC)
    it has spread to Judah.(AD)
It has reached the very gate(AE) of my people,
    even to Jerusalem itself.
10 Tell it not in Gath[a];
    weep not at all.
In Beth Ophrah[b]
    roll in the dust.
11 Pass by naked(AF) and in shame,
    you who live in Shaphir.[c]
Those who live in Zaanan[d]
    will not come out.
Beth Ezel is in mourning;
    it no longer protects you.
12 Those who live in Maroth[e] writhe in pain,
    waiting for relief,(AG)
because disaster(AH) has come from the Lord,
    even to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 You who live in Lachish,(AI)
    harness fast horses to the chariot.
You are where the sin of Daughter Zion(AJ) began,
    for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
14 Therefore you will give parting gifts(AK)
    to Moresheth(AL) Gath.
The town of Akzib[f](AM) will prove deceptive(AN)
    to the kings of Israel.
15 I will bring a conqueror against you
    who live in Mareshah.[g](AO)
The nobles of Israel
    will flee to Adullam.(AP)
16 Shave(AQ) your head in mourning
    for the children in whom you delight;
make yourself as bald as the vulture,
    for they will go from you into exile.(AR)

Footnotes

  1. Micah 1:10 Gath sounds like the Hebrew for tell.
  2. Micah 1:10 Beth Ophrah means house of dust.
  3. Micah 1:11 Shaphir means pleasant.
  4. Micah 1:11 Zaanan sounds like the Hebrew for come out.
  5. Micah 1:12 Maroth sounds like the Hebrew for bitter.
  6. Micah 1:14 Akzib means deception.
  7. Micah 1:15 Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew for conqueror.
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Jonah 4
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