The Impending Doom Of Samaria And Jerusalem

1 This message from the LORD came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of the Judean kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah concerning the vision he saw about Samaria and Jerusalem:

1 The (A)word of the Lord which came to (B)Micah of Moresheth in the days of (C)Jotham, (D)Ahaz and (E)Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

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

1 The word of the Lord that came(A) to Micah(B) the Moreshite(C)—what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem in the days of Jotham,(D) Ahaz,(E) and Hezekiah,(F) kings of Judah.

1 The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw [through divine revelation] concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

Coming Judgment On Israel

2 "Listen, people! All of you! Earth! Pay attention, and all you inhabitants of it! May the Lord GOD be a witness against you the Lord from his holy Temple.

2 Hear, O peoples, all of (a)you;(F)Listen, O earth and (b)all it contains,And let the Lord (c)God be a (G)witness against you,The Lord from His holy temple.

2 Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.

2 Listen, all you peoples;(G)pay attention, earth(a) and everyone in it!(H)The Lord God will be a witness against you,(I)the Lord, from His holy temple.(J)

2 Hear, O peoples, all of you;Listen closely, O earth and all that is in it,And let the Lord God be witness [giving a testimony of the judgment] against you,The Lord from His holy temple [in the heavens].(A)

Judgment Against Samaria And Jerusalem

3 Look here! The LORD is coming from his place! He will come down and will trample down the high places throughout the land.

3 For behold, the Lord is (H)coming forth from His place.He will come down and (I)tread on the high places of the (d)earth.

3 For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.

3 Look, the Lord is leaving His place(K)and coming down to tramplethe heights(b) of the earth.(L)

3 For behold, the Lord is coming down from His placeHe shall come down and tread [in judgment] on the high places of the earth.(B)

4 The mountains will melt under him and the valleys will split apart, like wax in the presence of fire and like water gushing down a steep incline.

4 (J)The mountains will melt under HimAnd the valleys will be split,Like wax before the fire,Like water poured down a steep place.

4 And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place.

4 The mountains will melt beneath Him,and the valleys will split apart,like wax near a fire,(M)like water cascading down a mountainside.

4 The mountains shall melt under HimAnd the valleys shall be splitLike wax before the fire,Like waters poured down a steep place.

5 All this comes about due to the transgression of Jacob, and due to the sins of the house of Israel. What is Jacob's sin? It's Samaria, isn't it? And what's Judah's high place? It's Jerusalem, isn't it?

5 All this is for the rebellion of JacobAnd for the sins of the house of Israel.What is the (K)rebellion of Jacob?Is it not (L)Samaria?What is the (M)high (e)place of Judah?Is it not Jerusalem?

5 For the transgression of Jacob is all this, 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?

5 All this will happen because of Jacob’s rebellionand the sins of the house of Israel.What is the rebellion of Jacob?Isn’t it Samaria?(N)And what is the high place of Judah?(O)Isn’t it Jerusalem?

5 All this is because of the rebellion and apostasy of (a)JacobAnd for the sins of the house of Israel (the Northern Kingdom).What is the rebellion and apostasy of Jacob?Is it not [the abandonment of God in order to worship the idols of] Samaria?What are the high places [of idolatry] in Judah (the Southern Kingdom)?Are they not Jerusalem [the capital and center of corruption]?

6 "So I will turn Samaria into a mound of dirt in a field, a place to plant vineyards. And I will dump her building stones into the valley, uncovering her foundation.

6 For I will make Samaria a (N)heap of ruins (f)in the open country,(O)Planting places for a vineyard.I will (P)pour her stones down into the valleyAnd will (Q)lay bare her foundations.

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

6 Therefore, I will make Samariaa heap of ruins(P) in the countryside,a planting area(Q) for a vineyard.I will roll her stones(R) into the valleyand expose her foundations.(S)

6 Therefore I [the Lord] shall make Samaria a (b)heap of ruins [and of stones and arable land] in the open country,A place for planting vineyards;And I will pour her stones down into the ravineAnd lay bare her foundations.(C)

7 All of her carved images will be crushed to pieces, all the earnings of her prostitution will be burned up, and I will destroy all her idols; because she collected the wages of prostitution, and to the wages of prostitution they will return."

7 All of her (R)idols will be smashed,All of her earnings will be burned with fireAnd all of her images I will make desolate,For she collected them from a (S)harlot’s earnings,And to the earnings of a harlot they will return.

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

7 All her carved images will be smashed(T) to pieces;all her wages(U) will be burned in the fire,and I will destroy all her idols.Since she collected the wages of a prostitute,(V)they will be used again for a prostitute.

7 All her idols shall be broken in pieces,All her earnings [from her idolatry] shall be burned with fire,And all her images I shall make desolate;For from the earnings of a prostitute she collected them,And to the earnings of a prostitute they shall return.

Micah's Lament

8 "Therefore I will cry out and grieve loudly; I will walk around stripped and naked. I will cry out like a jackal and mourn like a company of ostriches.

8 Because of this I must lament and wail,I must go (T)barefoot and naked;I must make a lament like the (U)jackalsAnd a mourning like the ostriches.

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

8 Because of this I will lament and wail;I will walk barefoot and naked.(W)I will howl like the jackals(X)and mourn like ostriches.(c)

8 Because of this I [Micah] must lament (mourn over with expressions of grief) and wail,I must go barefoot and naked [without outer garments as if robbed];I must wail like the jackalsAnd lament [with a loud, mournful cry] like the ostriches.

9 For Samaria's injury is fatal, reaching all the way to Judah, extending even to the gate of my people to Jerusalem."

9 For her (g)(V)wound is incurable,For (W)it has come to Judah;It has reached the (X)gate of my people,Even to Jerusalem.

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

9 For her wound is incurable(Y)and has reached even Judah;(Z)it has approached the gate of my people,(AA)as far as Jerusalem.

9 For Samaria’s wound is incurable,For it has come to Judah;The enemy has reached the gate of my people,Even to Jerusalem.

The Enemy Approaches Jerusalem

10 "Don't discuss it in Gath! Don't cry bitterly in Akim! Roll in the ashes, Beth-leaphrah!

10 (Y)Tell it not in Gath,Weep not at all.At (h)Beth-le-aphrah roll yourself in the dust.

10 Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust.

10 Don’t announce it in Gath,(AB)don’t weep at all.Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah.

10 (c)Announce it not in Gath [in Philistia],Weep not at all [and in this way betray your grief to Gentiles];In Beth-le-aphrah (House of Dust) roll in the dust [among your own people].

11 Run away, you residents of Shaphir, displaying your shameful nakedness. Don't come out, you residents of Zaanan! Your firm standing will disappear as Beth-ezel mourns.

11 (i)Go on your way, inhabitant of (j)Shaphir, in (Z)shameful nakedness.The inhabitant of (k)(AA)Zaanan does not (l)escape.The lamentation of (m)Beth-ezel: “He will take from you its (n)support.”

11 Pass ye away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Bethezel; he shall receive of you his standing.

11 Depart in shameful nakedness,(AC)you residents of Shaphir;the residents of Zaanan(AD) will not come out.Beth-ezel is lamenting;its support(d) is taken from you.

11 Go on your way [into exile—stripped of beauty, disarmed], inhabitants of Shaphir (Beautiful), in shameful nakedness.The inhabitant of Zaanan (Go Out) does not go out [of the house];The wailing of Beth-ezel (House of Removal) will take away from you its support.

12 Even though the inhabitants of Maroth long for success, nevertheless evil descended from the LORD to the gate of Jerusalem.

12 For the inhabitant of (o)MarothBecomes weak (AB)waiting for good,Because a calamity has come down from the LordTo the (AC)gate of Jerusalem.

12 For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil came down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem.

12 Though the residents of Marothanxiously wait for something good,(AE)disaster has come from the Lord(AF)to the gate of Jerusalem.

12 For the inhabitant of Maroth (Bitterness)Writhes in pain [at its losses] and waits anxiously for good,Because a catastrophe has come down from the LordTo the gate of Jerusalem.

13 "You inhabitants of Lachish, harness your chariot to your swiftest steed the daughter of Zion has begun to sin because within you the transgressions of Israel were revealed.

13 Harness the chariot to the team of horses,O inhabitant of (AD)Lachish—She was the beginning of sinTo the daughter of Zion—Because in you were foundThe (AE)rebellious acts of Israel.

13 O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind 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 thee.

13 Harness the horses to the chariot,you residents of Lachish.(AG)This was the beginning of sin for Daughter Zion,because Israel’s acts of rebellion(AH) can be traced to you.

13 Harness the chariot to the team of horses [to escape the invasion],O inhabitant of Lachish—She was the beginning of sinTo the Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem)—Because in you were foundThe rebellious acts of Israel.

14 Therefore give your gifts to Moresheth-gath; that is, the houses of Achzib as a deceitful symbol to the kings of Israel.

14 Therefore you will give parting (AF)giftsOn behalf of Moresheth-gath;The houses of (AG)Achzib will become a (AH)deceptionTo the kings of Israel.

14 Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moreshethgath: the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.

14 Therefore, send farewell gifts(AI) to Moresheth-gath;the houses of Achzib(AJ) are a deception(AK)to the kings of Israel.

14 Therefore you will give parting giftsOn behalf of Moresheth-gath (Micah’s home);The houses of Achzib (Place of Deceit) will become a deceptionTo the kings of Israel.

15 Nevertheless, I will deliver an heir to you, inhabitants of Mareshah to Adullam the glory of Israel will come.

15 Moreover, I will bring on youThe one who takes possession,O inhabitant of (p)(AI)Mareshah.The glory of Israel will enter (AJ)Adullam.

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

15 I will again bring a conqueroragainst you who live in Mareshah.(AL)The nobility(e) of Israel will come to Adullam.(AM)

15 Moreover, I will bring on youThe one who takes possession,O inhabitant of Mareshah (Prominent Place).The glory (nobility) of Israel will enter Adullam [seeking refuge].(D)

16 "Shave your head and cut off your locks as you mourn your beloved children. Make yourself bald as an eagle, because they will go from you into exile!"

16 Make yourself (AK)bald and cut off your hair,Because of the children of your delight;Extend your baldness like the eagle,For they will (AL)go from you into exile.

16 Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee.

16 Shave yourselves bald and cut off your hair(AN)in sorrow for your precious children;make yourselves as bald as an eagle,for they have been taken from you into exile.(AO)

16 Make yourself bald [in mourning]—shave off your hairFor the children of your delight;Remain as bald as the eagle,For your children will be taken from you into exile.

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