Micah 1

The Lord Comes Down and Treads the High Places

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The Word to Michaiah of Morashthi

1:1The word of the Lord came to Michaiah of Morashthi in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, concerning what he saw about Samaria and Jerusalem.

1:2Hear words, you peoples! Let the earth and everyone in it attend! The Lord will be among you as a testimony, the Lord from His holy house.

1:3For look, the Lord is coming out of His place; He will descend and step upon the heights of the earth,

1:4and the mountains will be shaken beneath Him, and the valleys will melt like wax before fire and like water carried down a descent.

Against Samaria

1:5All this is because of Jacob’s impiety and the sin of Israel’s house. What is Jacob’s impiety? Is it not Samaria? And what is the sin of Judah’s house? Is it not Jerusalem?

1:6I will make Samaria a fruit watcher’s hut in a field and a vineyard plantation. I will pull her stones down into a chasm and uncover her foundations.

1:7They will cut up all her carved images and burn all her wages in fire, and I will consign all her idols to obliteration. For she gathered from prostitution wages and amassed from prostitution wages.

1:8Because of this she will lament and mourn; she will go barefoot and naked. She will make lamentation like dragons and mourning like daughters of sirens.

1:9For her blow has prevailed; it came as far as Judah and touched the gate of My people, as far as Jerusalem.

The Lament over the Cities

1:10You in Gath, do not magnify yourselves! You in Akim, do not rebuild from a house for laughter; sprinkle yourselves with earth in keeping with your laughter.

1:11Dwelling well in her cities, the inhabitant of Sennaan did not come out to mourn the house adjoining her; she will receive from you a blow of pain.

1:12Who began good things for the woman dwelling in pains? For calamities came down from the Lord upon Jerusalem’s gates,

1:13the noise of chariots and horsemen. Inhabitant of Lachish, she is a leader of sin to the daughter of Zion, for Israel’s impieties were found in you.

1:14Therefore you will give away those being sent as far as the inheritance of Gath—vain houses; it became empty things for Israel’s kings.

1:15Until I bring heirs to you, O inheritance dwelling in Lachish, the glory of Israel’s daughter will come as far as Odollam.

1:16Shave yourself and shear your hair for your delicate children. Enlarge your widowhood like an eagle, for they have been taken captive away from you.

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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V2 · working draft awaiting specialist review.