1The word of the LORD that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, that he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.a2Hear, all you people. Hearken, O earth and all who are on it. And let the Lord GOD be a witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple.b3For behold, the LORD comes forth out of His realm and will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.4And the mountains will melt beneath Him and the valleys will split apart, as wax before the fire, as water rushing down a slope.c5All this is because of the rebellion of Jacob 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?d6Therefore, I will make Samaria as a heap of the field and as places for planting a vineyard. And I will pour down her stones into the valley and will uncover her foundations.e7And all her graven images will be beaten to pieces and all her temple gifts will be burned with fire. And I will lay desolate all her idols, for she gathered it from the wages of prostitutes, as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used.f8Therefore, I will lament and wail. I will go stripped and naked. I will make a wailing like the jackals and mourning as the owls.g9For her wound is incurable, for it has come to Judah. He has come to the gate of My people, even to Jerusalem.h10Do not declare it at Gath. Do not weep at all. In Beth Ophrah roll yourself in the dust.i11Go your way, inhabitant of Sa-phir, in shameful nakedness. The inhabitant of Zaanan did not come out in the mourning. Beth Ezel mourns. Its place to stand is taken away from you.12For the inhabitant of Maroth becomes weak waiting for good. But calamity came down from the LORD to the gate of Jerusalem.j13O you inhabitant of Lachish, harness 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 you.k14Therefore, you will give parting gifts to Moresheth Gath. The houses of Achzib will be a lie to the kings of Israel.l15Yet I will bring an heir to you, O inhabitant of Mareshah. He will come to Adullam the glory of Israel.m16Make yourself bald and cut off your hair because of the children of your delight. Extend your baldness like the vulture, for they will go from you into exile.n
a Jr 26:18 b Is 1:1 c Ps 11:4 d Am 9:5 e Dt 32:13; 33:29 f 2 Kg 19:25 g Ez 13:14 h Hs 2:5 i Dt 23:18 j Ps 102:6 k 2 Kg 18:13 l 2 Sm 1:20 m Is 59:9-11 n Is 36:2 o Ez 23:11 p 2 Sm 8:2 q Ja 15:44 r Ja 15:44 s 2 Ch 11:7 t Jb 1:20 u Lm 4:5 v Am 7:11,17
Chapter 2
1Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil on their beds! When the morning is light, they practice it because it is in the power of their hand.a2And they covet fields and take them by violence, and houses, and take them away. So they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.b3Therefore, thus says the LORD, "Behold, against this family I devise a calamity, from which you will not remove your necks, neither will you walk haughtily, for it will be an evil time.c4"In that day one will take up a parable against you and lament with a bitter lamentation. He will say, 'We are utterly plundered. He has changed the portion of my people. How he has removed it from me! To the apostate He divided our fields.'d5"Therefore, you will have no one who will cast a cord by lot in the assembly of the LORD."6"Do not prophesy," they say to those who prophesy. But if they do not speak out concerning these things, reproaches will not be turned back.7Should this be said, O house of Jacob?, "Is the Spirit of the LORD angry? Are these His deeds? Do not My words do good to him who walks uprightly?"8"Lately My people have risen up as an enemy. You strip off the robe with the garment from those who trust you, as they pass by like men returned from war.9"The women of My people you have cast out from their pleasant houses. From their children you have taken away My glory forever.e10"Arise and depart, for this is not your rest. Because it is defiled, it will destroy you, even with a great destruction.f11"If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood lie, saying, 'I will prophesy to you of wine and of strong drink,' he will even be the spokes-man to this people.g12"I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of you. I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together as the sheep in a pen, as the flock in the midst of their fold. They will make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.h13"The one who breaks open the way will come up before them. They will break out, pass through the gate, and go out by it. And their king will pass before them, with the LORD at their head."i
a Hs 7:6,7 b Is 5:8 c Jr 8:3 d Am 5:13 e 2 Sm 1:7 f Dt 12:9 g Lv 18:25 h Is 30:10 i Mc 4:6,7 j Jr 31:10 k Ez 33:22; 36:37 l Hs 3:5 m Is 52:12
Chapter 3
1And I said, "Hear now O heads of Jacob, and you princes of the house of Israel. Is it not for you to know justice?a2"You who hate the good and love the evil, who strip their skin from off them and the flesh from off their bones;b3"who also eat the flesh of My people and flay their skin from off them, and they break their bones and chop them in pieces, as for the pot and as flesh in the caldron."c4Then they will cry out to the LORD, but He will not hear them. He will even hide His face from them at that time because they have behaved themselves wickedly in their deeds.d5Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who make My people stray, who chew with their teeth and cry out, "Peace," but against him who puts nothing in their mouths they declare holy war.e6"Therefore, you will have night without vision, and you will have darkness without divination. And the sun will go down over the prophets and the day will be dark over them.f7"Then the seers will be ashamed and the diviners confounded. Yes, they will all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God."g8But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the LORD, and of justice and of might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.h9Hear this you heads of the house of Jacob and princes of the house of Israel who abhor justice and pervert all equity.10They build up Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity.i11Her heads judge for a bribe and her priests teach for hire. And her prophets divine for money. Yet they will lean on the LORD and say, "Is not the LORD among us? Calamity will not come upon us."j12Therefore, on account of you Zion will be plowed as a field and Jerusalem will become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.k
a Ez 22:27 b Jr 5:4,5 c Ps 14:4; 27:2 d Ez 11:3,6,7 e Jr 11:11 f Ez 13:10,19 g Mt 7:15 h Ez 13:18 i Is 8:20-22; 29:10-12 j Is 29:10 k Am 8:11 l Is 58:1 m Jr 22:13,17 n Hk 2:12 o Is 1:23 p Jr 6:13 q Is 48:2 r Jr 26:18 s Ps 79:1 t Mc 4:1,2
Chapter 4
1But in the last days it will come to pass that the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established on the top of the mountains. And it will be exalted above the hills, and people will flow unto it.a2And many nations will come and say, "Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD and to the house of the God of Jacob. And He will teach us of His ways and we will walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.3And He will judge among many people and rebuke strong nations afar off. And they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up a sword against nation, nor will they learn war anymore.b4But every man will sit under his vine and under his fig tree and no one will make them afraid. For the mouth of the LORD of armies has spoken it.c5For all people will walk in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.d6"In that day," says the LORD, "I will assemble the lame and gather the outcasts, even those whom I have afflicted.e7"I will make the lame a remnant and the outcasts a strong nation. And the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion from now on, even forever.f8"And you, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, to you it will come, even the former dominion. The kingdom will come to the daughter of Jerusalem.g9"Now why do you cry out aloud? Is there no king in your midst? Has your counsellor perished? For pangs have taken you as a woman in labor pains.h10"Be in pain and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor pains. For now you will go forth out of the city and you will dwell in the field, and you will go even to Babylon. There you will be delivered. There the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.i11"Now many nations have gathered against you who say, 'Let her be defiled and let our eye look on Zion.'j12"But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD, nor understand His counsel. For He will gather them as the sheaves into the threshing floor.k13"Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion. For I will make your horn iron and I will make your hoofs bronze. And you will beat in pieces many people. And I will consecrate their gain to the LORD and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth.l
a Is 2:2-4 b Is 2:4 c Ps 72:7 d Zc 3:10 e Zc 10:12 f Ez 34:16 g Ps 147:2 h Mc 2:12 i Is 9:6; 24:23 j Jr 8:19 k Is 13:8 l Am 5:27 m Is 45:13 n Ps 18:17 o Lm 2:16 p Ob 12 q Is 55:8,9 r Is 21:10 s Jr 51:33 t Is 41:15 u Dn 2:44 v Is 18:7 w Zc 4:14
Chapter 5
1"Now gather yourself into troops, O daughter of troops. He has laid siege against us. They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.a2"But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you are small among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you He will come forth to Me who is to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting."b3Therefore, He will give them up until the time when she who labors in pain has brought forth. Then the remnant of His brethren will return to the children of Israel.c4And He will stand and feed His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will remain, because His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.d5Now this One will be the peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land, and when he treads in our palaces, then we will raise up against him seven shepherds and eight leaders of men.6And they will rule the land of Assyria with the sword and the land of Nimrod in its entrances. Thus He will deliver us from the Assyrian when He comes into our land and when He treads within our borders.e7And the remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many people as dew from the LORD, as the showers on the grass that wait for no man, nor wait for the sons of men.f8And the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, if he passes through, tramples down and tears and there is no one to rescue.g9Your hand will be lifted up on your adversaries and all your enemies will be cut off.10"Then it will come to pass in that day," says the LORD, "that I will cut off your horses out of the midst of you and I will destroy your chariots.h11"And I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds.i12"And I will cut off witchcrafts out of your hand, and you will have no more soothsayers.j13"Your graven images also I will cut off, and your standing images out of the midst of you. And you will no longer worship the work of your hands.k14"And I will root up your Asherim from among you and I will destroy your cities.l15"And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury on the nations, such as they have not heard."m
a Lm 3:30; Mt 27:30; Mk 15:19 b Mt 2:6; Lk 2:4,11; Jn 7:42 c Gn 35:19; 48:7 d 1 Sm 23:23 e Ex 18:25 f Is 9:6 g Ps 90:2; Jn 1:1 h Mc 4:10 i Mc 4:7; 7:18 j Is 40:11; 49:9 k Ps 72:8 l Is 9:6 m Gn 10:8-11 n Is 14:25 o Mc 5:3 p Dt 32:2 q Nm 24:9 r Zc 9:10 s Dt 17:16 t Is 2:7; 22:18 u Is 2:6 v Zc 13:2 w Is 2:8 x 2 Th 1:8
Chapter 6
1Hear now what the LORD says. "Arise! Plead your case before the mountains and let the hills hear your voice.a2"Hear O mountains the LORD'S complaint, and you strong foundations of the earth. For the LORD has a complaint with His people, and He will contend with Israel.b3"O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me.c4"For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of servants. And I sent before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam.d5"O My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may know the righteousness of the LORD."e6With what will I come before the LORD and bow myself before the High God? Will I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?f7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousand rivers of oil? Will I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?g8He has shown you, O man, what is good and what the LORD requires of you, but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?h9The LORD'S voice cries out to the city--it is sound wisdom to fear Your name. "Hear the rod! Who has appointed it?i10"Are there still the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked and the short measure that is abominable?j11"Will I acquit a man with the wicked balances and a bag of deceitful weights?k12"For her rich men are full of violence and her inhabitants have spoken lies. And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.l13"Therefore, I will also make you sick in striking you, in making you desolate because of your sins.m14"You will eat, but not be satisfied. And your vileness will be in the midst of you. And you will take hold, but will not deliver. And what you rescue I will give up to the sword.n15"You will sow, but you will not reap. You will tread the olives, but you will not anoint yourself with oil, and make sweet wine, but will not drink wine.o16"For the statutes of Omri are kept and all the works of the house of Ahab are done. And you walk in their counsels, so that I should make you a desolation and your inhabitants a hissing. Therefore, you will bear the reproach of My people."p
a Ps 50:1,4 b Hs 12:2 c Is 1:18 d Jr 2:5,31 e Is 43:22,23 f Dt 4:20 g Nm 22:5,6 h Jg 5:11 i Is 1:11 j Jb 29:6 k 2 Kg 16:3 l Dt 10:12 m Gn 18:19 n Hs 12:7 o Mc 2:1,2 p Jr 9:2-6,8 q Lv 26:16 r Lv 26:26 s Am 5:11 t 1 Kg 16:25,26 u Hs 5:11 v Is 25:8
Chapter 7
1Woe is me! For I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage. There is no cluster to eat. My soul desired the first-ripe fruit.a2The good man has perished out of the land. And there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood. Each of them hunts the other with a net.b3So that they may do evil earnestly with both hands, the prince and the judge ask for a bribe. And the great one utters his mischievous desire. So they weave it together.c4The best of them is as a brier. The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen and your visitation is coming. Then their confusion will occur.d5Do not trust in a friend. Do not put confidence in a guide. Guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom.e6For the son dishonors the father. The daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies are the men of his own house.f7Therefore, I will look to the LORD. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.g8Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. When I fall, I will arise. When I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.h9I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my cause and executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light and I will behold His righteousness.i10Then my enemy will see and shame will cover her who said to me, "Where is the LORD your God?" My eyes will behold her. Now she will be trodden down as the mire of the streets.j11In the day that your walls are to be built, in that day the decree will go far and wide.k12In that day also they will come even to you from Assyria and from the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt even to the Euphrates, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.l13Yet the land will be desolate because of those who dwell in it, because of the fruit of their deeds.m14Feed Your people with Your staff, the flock of Your heritage who dwell solitarily in the forest in the midst of Carmel. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old.n15"According to the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt I will show to him marvellous things."o16The nations will see and be confounded at all their might. They will lay their hand on their mouths and their ears will become deaf.p17They will lick the dust like a serpent. They will crawl out of their holes like worms of the earth. They will be afraid of the LORD our God and will be afraid because of You.q18Who is a God like unto You, who pardons iniquity and passes by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever because He delights in mercy.r19He will turn again. He will have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities underfoot, and You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.s20You will be true to Jacob, and show mercy to Abraham, has You have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.t
a Is 17:6 b Is 28:4 c Is 57:1 d Hk 1:15 e Mc 3:11; Lk 1:72,73 f Ez 2:6 g Jr 9:4 h Dt 28:56 i Mt 10:36 j Is 25:9 k Pv 24:17 l Pv 24:16 m Lm 3:39,40 n Jr 50:34 o Ps 35:26 p Ps 42:3 q Am 9:11 r Is 11:16; 19:23-25 s Jr 21:14 t Is 37:24 u Ps 68:22; 78:12 v Ex 34:10 w Is 26:11 x Jb 21:5 y Is 49:23 z Ps 18:45 a Jr 33:9 b Ex 15:11 c Ex 34:6,7,9 d Mc 4:7 e Ps 103:8,9,13 f Ez 33:11 g Lk 1:72,73 h Ps 105:9