MICAH

Micah 1 ©

Micah’s country, calling and the time of his prophecy, v. 1. He publishes the coming of God to judge His people by reason of their idolatry, 2. A prophecy and prophetical representation of the desolations and miseries that were to come upon Israel and Judah in general, and various places in particular, and which lay heavy upon them already, 6.

1

THE word of the LORD that came to 1Micah the 2Morasthite in the days of 3Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he 4saw concerning 5Samaria and Jerusalem.

2

Hear, all 6yea people; hearken, O 7earth, and 8all that therein is: and 9let the Lord GOD be witness 10against 11you, the Lord from his holy 12temple.

3

For, behold, theb LORD 13cometh forth out of his place,c and will come down, and 14tread upon the highd places of the earth.

4

And the mountains shall be 15molten undere him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the 16fire, and as the 17waters that are poured down a 18steep place.

5

For the transgression of Jacob is 19all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. 20What 21is the 22transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem?

6

Therefore I will make Samaria as an 23heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the 24stones thereof into the 25valley, and I will 26discover the foundations thereof.

7

And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the 27hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the 28idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return 29to the hire of an harlot.

8

30Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go 31stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the 32dragons,f and mourning as the owls.

9

For her wound 33is incurable; for it is come unto 34Judah; 35he is come unto the gate 36of my people, even to Jerusalem.

10

¶Declareg ye it not at 37Gath, 38weep ye not at all: 39in the house of Aphrah 40rollh thyself in the dust.

11

41Pass ye away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having 42thy shamei naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came 43not forth in the mourning of Beth-ezel; 44he shall receive of you his standing.

12

For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully 45for good: but 46evilj came down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem.

13

O thou inhabitant of 47Lachish, 48bind the chariot to the swift beast: she is the 49beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of 50Israel were found in thee.

14

Therefore shalt thou give 51presents to 52Moresheth-gath:53 the houses of 54Achzib shall be a 55lie to the kings of Israel.

15

Yet will I bring an 56heir unto thee, O inhabitant of 57Mareshah: 58he shall come unto Adullam the 59glory of Israel.

16

Make 60thee 61bald, and poll thee for thy 62delicate children; 63enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into 64captivity from thee.