Bible Gateway passage: Micah 1 - New International Version (2024)

1The 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.

²Hear,^(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

³Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling^(L) place;
he comes down^(M) and treads on the heights of the earth.^(N)
4The mountains melt^(O) beneath him^(P)
and the valleys split apart,^(Q)
like wax before the fire,
like water rushing down a slope.
⁵All 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)
7All 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

⁸Because 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.
⁹For 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.
¹⁰Tell it not in Gath^[a];
weep not at all.
In Beth Ophrah^[b]
roll in the dust.
¹¹Pass 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.
¹²Those 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.
¹³You 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.
¹⁴Therefore 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.
¹⁵I will bring a conqueror against you
who live in Mareshah.^[g](AO)
The nobles of Israel
will flee to Adullam.^(AP)
16Shave^(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.

Cross references

1. Micah 1:1 : ver 14; Jer 26:18
2. Micah 1:1 : S 1Ch 3:12
3. Micah 1:1 : S 1Ch 3:13
4. Micah 1:1 : S 1Ch 3:13
5. Micah 1:1 : Hos 1:1
6. Micah 1:1 : Isa 1:1
7. Micah 1:2 : S Dt 32:1
8. Micah 1:2 : Ps 50:7
9. Micah 1:2 : S Jer 6:19
10. Micah 1:2 : S Ge 31:50; S Dt 4:26; S Isa 1:2
11. Micah 1:2 : S Ps 11:4
12. Micah 1:3 : S Isa 18:4
13. Micah 1:3 : S Isa 64:1
14. Micah 1:3 : S Am 4:13
15. Micah 1:4 : S Ps 46:2, 6
16. Micah 1:4 : S Job 9:5
17. Micah 1:4 : S Nu 16:31; Na 1:5
18. Micah 1:5 : Am 8:14
19. Micah 1:6 : S Dt 20:6
20. Micah 1:6 : S Am 5:11
21. Micah 1:6 : Eze 13:14
22. Micah 1:7 : S Eze 6:6
23. Micah 1:7 : S Ex 32:20
24. Micah 1:7 : S Dt 9:21
25. Micah 1:7 : Dt 23:17-18
26. Micah 1:8 : S Isa 15:3
27. Micah 1:8 : S Isa 20:2
28. Micah 1:9 : Jer 46:11
29. Micah 1:9 : S Jer 10:19
30. Micah 1:9 : S 2Ki 18:13
31. Micah 1:9 : Isa 3:26
32. Micah 1:11 : Eze 23:29
33. Micah 1:12 : Jer 14:19
34. Micah 1:12 : Jer 40:2
35. Micah 1:13 : S Jos 10:3
36. Micah 1:13 : S Ps 9:14
37. Micah 1:14 : 2Ki 16:8
38. Micah 1:14 : S ver 1
39. Micah 1:14 : S Jos 15:44
40. Micah 1:14 : Jer 15:18
41. Micah 1:15 : Jos 15:44
42. Micah 1:15 : S Jos 12:15
43. Micah 1:16 : S Lev 13:40; S Job 1:20
44. Micah 1:16 : S Dt 4:27; S Am 5:27