The Hebrew Prophets

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

Hear, you peoples, all of you. Listen, O earth, and all that is therein: and let the Lord the LORD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.

For, behold, the LORD comes out of his place, and will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.

The mountains melt under him, and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like waters that are poured down a steep place.

“All this is for the disobedience of Jacob, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the disobedience of Jacob? Isn’t it Samaria? And what are the high places of Judah? Aren’t they Jerusalem?

Therefore I will make Samaria like a rubble heap of the field, like places for planting vineyards; and I will pour down its stones into the valley, and I will uncover its foundations.

All her idols will be beaten to pieces, and all her temple gifts will be burned with fire, and all her images I will destroy; for of the hire of a prostitute has she gathered them, and to the hire of a prostitute shall they return.”

For this I will lament and wail; I will go stripped and naked; I will howl like the jackals, and moan like the daughters of owls.

For her wounds are incurable; for it has come even to Judah. It reaches to the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.

Don’t tell it in Gath. Don’t weep at all. At Beth Ophrah I have rolled myself in the dust.

Pass on, inhabitant of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame. The inhabitant of Zaanan won’t come out. The wailing of Beth Ezel will take from you his protection.

For the inhabitant of Maroth waits anxiously for good, because evil has come down from the LORD to the gate of Jerusalem.

Harness the chariot to the swift steed, inhabitant of Lachish. She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; For the transgressions of Israel were found in you.

Therefore you will give a parting gift to Moresheth Gath. The houses of Achzib will be a deceitful thing to the kings of Israel.

I will yet bring to you, inhabitant of Mareshah. He who is the glory of Israel will come to Adullam.

Shave your heads, and cut off your hair for the children of your delight. Enlarge your baldness like the vulture; for they have gone into captivity from you!

Woe 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.

They covet fields, and seize them; and houses, and take them away: and they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

Therefore thus says the LORD: “Behold, I am planning against these people a disaster, from which you will not remove your necks, neither will you walk haughtily; for it is an evil time.

In that day they will take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, saying, ‘We are utterly ruined! My people’s possession is divided up. Indeed he takes it from me and assigns our fields to traitors!’”

Therefore you will have no one who divides the land by lot in the LORD’s assembly.

“Don’t prophesy!” They prophesy. “Don’t prophesy about these things. Disgrace won’t overtake us.”

Shall it be said, O house of Jacob: “Is the Spirit of the LORD angry? Are these his doings? Don’t my words do good to him who walks blamelessly?”

But lately my people have risen up as an enemy. You strip the robe and clothing from those who pass by without a care, returning from battle.

You drive the women of my people out from their pleasant houses; from their young children you take away my blessing forever.