1
2 3 4 5
6 7 
1 <1> During the time that Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah, the word of the Lord came to Micah. Micah was from Moresheth. He saw these visions about Samaria and Jerusalem.
<2> Listen, all of you people!
Earth and everyone on it,[1] listen!
My Master, the Lord, will come
from his holy temple.
My Master will come as a witness[2]
against you.
<3> See, the Lord is coming out of his place.
He is coming down to walk
on the high places[3] of the earth.
<4> The mountains will melt under him
like wax before a fire.
The valleys will split open
and flow like water down a steep hill.
<5> This will happen because of Jacob’s[4] sin,
because of the sins of the nation[5] of Israel.
What caused Jacob[6] to sin?
It was Samaria.
Where is the high place in Judah?
It is Jerusalem.
<6> So I will change Samaria into a pile of rocks in the field,
a place ready for planting grapes.
I will push Samaria’s stones down into the valley,
leaving nothing but the foundations.
<7> All her idols[7]
will be broken into pieces.
Her prostitute’s wages (idols)
will be burned in fire.
I will destroy all her statues of false gods,
because Samaria got her riches by being unfaithful to me.[8]
So those things will be taken by people
who are not faithful to me.[9]
<8> I will be very sad about what will happen.
I will go without sandals and clothes.
I will cry like a dog.[10]
I will mourn like a bird.[11]
<9> Samaria’s[12] wound cannot be healed.
Her disease has spread to Judah.
It has reached the city gate of my people;
it has spread all the way to Jerusalem.
<10> Don’t tell it in Gath.[13]
Don’t cry in Acco.[14]
Roll yourself in the dust at Beth Ophrah.[15]
<11> You people living in Shaphir,[16]
pass on your way, naked and ashamed.
The people living in Zaanan[17] will not come out.
The people in Beth Ezel[18] will cry
and take their support from you.
<12> The people living in Maroth[19] have become weak waiting for something good to happen,
because trouble came down from the Lord and has reached the city gate of Jerusalem.
<13> Lady of Lachish,[20] tie a fast horse
to the chariot.[21]
Lachish, you are the first to be sacrificed[22] for Daughter Zion[23]
because you followed in Israel’s sins.[24]
<14> So you must give goodbye gifts
to Moresheth[25] in Gath.
The houses in Aczib[26] will trick
the kings of Israel.
<15> You people who live in Mareshah,[27]
I will bring someone against you who will take the things you own.
The Glory[28] of Israel
will come into Adullam.[29]
<16> So cut off your hair, make yourself bald,[30]
because you will cry for the children you love.
Make yourself bald like an eagle[31] and show your sadness,
because your children will be taken away from you.
2
<1> Trouble will come to those who
make plans to sin.
They lie on their beds making their evil plans.
Then when the morning light comes, they do what they planned,
because they have the power to do what they want.
<2> They want fields,
so they take them.
They want houses,
so they take them.
They cheat a man
and take his house and his land.
<3> That is why the Lord says:
“Look, I am planning trouble against this family.
You will not be able to save yourselves.[32]
You will stop being proud,
because bad times are coming.
<4> Then people will sing songs about you.
They will sing this sad song:
‘We are ruined!
The Lord took away our land and gave it to other people.
Yes, he took my land away from me.
He has divided our fields [among our enemies].
<5> So we will not be able to measure the land
and divide it among the Lord’s people.’”
<6> The people say, “Don’t prophesy[33] to us.
Don’t say those bad things about us.
Nothing bad will happen to us.”
<7> But people of Jacob,[34]
I must say these things.
The Lord is losing his patience
because of the bad things you did.
If you lived right,
then I could say nice words to you.
<8> But to my people, they are like an enemy.
You steal the clothes right off the backs
of people walking by.
Those people think they are safe,
but you take things from them like they are prisoners of war.[35]
<9> You have taken nice houses
away from the women of my people.
You have taken my wealth
away from their small children forever.
<10> Get up and leave!
This will not be your place of rest, because you ruined it.
You made it unclean, so it will be destroyed!
It will be a terrible destruction!
<11> These people don’t want to listen to me.
But if a man comes telling lies,
then they will accept him.
They would accept a false prophet[36] if he comes and says,
“There will be good times in the future, with plenty of wine and beer.”
<12> Yes, people of Jacob,[37]
I will bring all of you together.
I will bring together all those in Israel[38] who are still living.
I will put them together
like sheep in the sheep pen,
like a flock in its pasture.
Then the place will be filled
with the noise of many people.
<13> Then the “Crasher” will push through
and walk to the front of his people.
They will break through the gates and leave that city.
They will leave with their king marching before them—
with the Lord at the front of his people.
“Listen, leaders of Jacob[39]
and officers of the nation[40] of Israel!
You should know what justice is.
<2> But you hate good and love evil.
You tear the skin off the people
and tear the flesh off their bones.
<3> You are destroying my people.[41]
You take their skin off them and break their bones.
You chop their bones up like meat to put in the pot!
<4> Then you will pray to the Lord,
but he will not answer you.
No, he will hide his face from you,
because what you do is evil.”
<5> Some false prophets[42] are telling lies to the Lord’s people. This is what the Lord says about them:
“These prophets are led by their stomachs.
They promise peace for those who give them food,
but they promise war to those who do not give them food.
<6> “This is why it is like night for you
and you don’t have visions.[43]
You cannot see what will happen in the future,
so it is like darkness to you.
The sun has gone down on the prophets.
They cannot see what will happen in the future,
so it is like darkness to them.
<7> The seers[44] are ashamed.
The fortune-tellers[45] are embarrassed.
They will not say anything
because God will not speak to them.”
<8> But the Lord’s Spirit has filled me
with power, goodness, and strength.
So I can tell Jacob[46] about his crimes,
and so I can tell Israel about his sins!
<9> Leaders of Jacob[47] and rulers of Israel,
listen to me!
You hate the right way of living!
If something is straight,
then you make it crooked!
<10> You build Zion[48] by murdering people.[49]
You build Jerusalem by cheating people!
<11> The judges in Jerusalem accept bribes
to help them decide who wins in court.
The priests in Jerusalem must be paid
before they will teach the people.
People must pay the prophets
before they will look into the future.
Then those leaders expect the Lord to help them.
They say, “The Lord lives here with us,
so nothing bad will happen to us.”
<12> Leaders, because of you, Zion will be destroyed.
It will become a plowed field.
Jerusalem will become a pile of rocks.
Temple Mount will be an empty hill[50] overgrown with bushes.
the mountain of the Lord’s Temple[51]
will be on the highest of all mountains.
It will be raised higher than the hills.
There will be a steady stream of people going there.
<2> People from many nations will go there
and say,
“Come, let’s go up to the Lord’s mountain.
Let’s go to the Temple of the God of Jacob.[52]
Then God will teach us his way of living,
and we will follow him.”
The teachings from God, the Lord’s message,
will begin in Jerusalem on Mount Zion[53]
and will go out to all the world.
<3> Then God will be a judge
for the people of many nations.
He will end the arguments
for many[54] people in faraway countries.
They will stop using their weapons for fighting.
They will make plows from their swords,
and they will use their spears as tools for cutting plants.
People will stop fighting other people.
They will never again train for war.
<4> They will sit under their own
grapevine and fig tree.
No one will make them afraid.
That is because the Lord All-Powerful
said it would happen like that.
<5> All the people from other nations follow their own gods,
but we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever![55]
<6> The Lord says,
“Jerusalem was hurt and crippled.
She was thrown away.
She was hurt and punished,
but I will bring her back to me.
<7> The people of that ‘crippled’ city
will be the only ones left alive.
They were forced to leave,
but I will make them into a strong nation.”
The Lord will be their king.
He will rule from Mount Zion[56] forever.
<8> And you, Tower of Flocks,[57]
your time will come.
Ophel, hill of Zion,
you will again be the seat of government.
Yes, the kingdom will be in Jerusalem
like it was in the past.”
<9> Now, why are you crying so loud?
Is your king gone?
Have you lost your leader?
You are suffering like a woman
who is giving birth.
<10> Daughter Zion,[58] feel the pain.
Give birth to your “baby.”
You must go out of this city.
You will live in the field.
That is, you will go to Babylon,
but you will also be saved from that place.
The Lord will go there and rescue you.
He will take you away from your enemies.
<11> Many nations have come to fight against you.
They say, “Look, there is Zion[59]!
Let’s attack her!”
<12> They have their plans,
but they don’t know what the Lord is planning.
He brought them here
for a special purpose.
They will be crushed
like grain on a threshing[60] floor.
<13> “Daughter Zion, get up and crush them!
I will make you very strong.
It will be like you have horns of iron and hooves of bronze.
You will beat many people into small pieces.
You will give their wealth to the Lord.
You will give their treasure
to the Lord of all the earth.”
5 <1> Now strong city,[61] gather your soldiers!
They are surrounding us for the attack!
They will hit the Judge of Israel
on the cheek with a stick.
<2> But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are the smallest town in Judah.
Your family is almost too small to count,
but the “Ruler of Israel” will come from you to rule for me.
His beginnings[62] are from ancient times,
from long, long ago.
<3> The Lord[63] will give up his people
until the woman gives birth to her child, the promised king.
Then the rest of his brothers
will come back to the people of Israel.
<4> Then the Ruler of Israel will stand
in the power of the Lord and
in the wonderful name of the Lord his God
and care for his people.
They will live in peace
because at that time his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.[64]
<5> There will be peace.
Yes, the Assyrian army will come into our country
and trample our large buildings.
But the Ruler of Israel[65] will choose
seven shepherds and eight leaders.[66]
<6> They will use their swords
and rule the Assyrians.
They will rule the land of Nimrod[67]
with their swords in hand.
They will use their swords
to rule those people.
But then the Ruler of Israel will save us from the Assyrians
when they come into our land and walk on our territory.
<7> But those from Jacob[68] who are still living and scattered among the nations
will be like dew from the Lord that does not depend on anyone.
They will be like rain on the grass
that does not wait for anyone.
<8> Those from Jacob who are still living
are scattered among the nations.
But they will be like a lion
among the animals in the forest.
They will be like a young lion
among flocks of sheep.
If the lion passes through,
he goes where he wants to go.
If he attacks an animal,
then no one can save it.
The survivors will be like that.
<9> You will lift your hand against your enemies,
and you will destroy them.
<10> The Lord says,
“At that time I will take away your horses,
and I will destroy your chariots.[69]
<11> I will destroy the cities in your country.
I will pull down all your fortresses.[70]
<12> You will no longer try to do magic.
You will have no more fortune-tellers.[71]
<13> I will destroy your statues of false gods.
I will pull down your stones for remembering them
You will not worship what your hands have made.
<14> I will destroy the Asherah poles[72]
and your false gods.[73]
<15> Some nations will not listen to me,
but I will show my anger and get my revenge.”
6 <1> Now hear what the Lord says:
“Present your argument to the mountains.
Let the hills hear your story.[74]
<2> The Lord has a complaint against his people.
Mountains,
listen to the Lord’s complaint.
Foundations of the earth,
hear the Lord.
He will prove that Israel is wrong!”
<3> He says, “My people, tell me what I did!
Did I do something wrong against you?
Did I make life too hard for you?
<4> I will tell you what I did.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to you.
I brought you from the land of Egypt.
I freed you from slavery.
<5> My people, remember the evil plans
of Balak king of Moab.
Remember what Balaam son of Beor said to Balak.
Remember what happened from Acacia to Gilgal,[75]
and you will know the Lord is right!”
<6> What must I bring when I come
to meet with the Lord?
What must I do when I bow down
to God above?
Should I come to him
with burnt offerings[76] and a year-old calf?
<7> Will the Lord be pleased
with 1000 rams or 10,000 rivers of oil?
Should I give my first child
as payment for my crimes?
Should I give the child
who came from my body as payment for my sins?
<8> Human, the Lord told you what goodness is.
This is what he wants from you:
Be fair to other people.
Love kindness and loyalty
and humbly obey your God.
<9> The Lord shouts to the city:
“A wise person respects the Lord’s name.[77]
So pay attention to the punishing rod and to the one who uses it![78]
<10> Do the wicked still hide treasures
that they have stolen?
Do they still cheat people
with baskets that are too small?[79]
Yes, all of this is still happening!
<11> Some people carry special weights
that they use to cheat people when they weigh their goods.
Should I pardon them?
<12> The rich in that city are still cruel.
The people there still tell lies.
Yes, they tell their lies.
<13> So I have begun to punish you.
I will destroy you because of your sins.
<14> You will eat,
but you will not become full.
You will still be hungry and empty.[80]
You will try to bring people to safety,
but people with swords will kill the people you rescued.
<15> You will plant your seeds,
but you will not gather food.
You will try to squeeze oil from your olives,
but you will not get any oil.
You will crush your grapes,
but you will not get enough juice to have wine to drink.
<16> This is because you obey the laws of Omri.[81]
You do all the evil things that Ahab’s family does.
You follow their teachings,
so I will let you be destroyed.
People will whistle in amazement
when they see your destroyed city.
Then you will bear the shame
that the other nations bring to you.”[82]
like fruit that has been gathered,
like grapes that have already been picked.
There are no grapes left to eat.
There are none of the early figs that I love.
<2> By this I mean that all the faithful people are gone.
There are no good people left.
Everyone is planning to kill someone.
Everyone is trying to trap their brother.
<3> People are good at doing bad things with both hands.
Officials ask for bribes.
Judges take money to change their decisions in court.
“Important leaders” do whatever they want to do.
<4> Even the best of them is as crooked
as a tangled thornbush.
Your prophets said this day would come,
and the day of your watchmen[83] has come.
Now you will be punished.
Now you will be confused!
<5> Don’t trust your neighbor
or trust a friend!
Don’t even speak freely with your wife.
<6> Your enemies will be the people in your own house.
A son will not honor his father.
A daughter will turn against her mother.
A daughter-in-law will turn against her mother-in-law.
<7> So I will look to the Lord for help.
I will wait for God to save me.
My God will hear me.
<8> I have fallen,
but enemy, don’t laugh at me!
I will get up again.
I sit in darkness now,
but the Lord will be a light for me.
<9> I sinned against the Lord,
so he was angry with me.
But he will argue my case for me in court.
He will do what is right for me.
Then he will bring me out into the light,
and I will see that he is right.
<10> My enemy said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”
But my enemy will see this,
and she will be ashamed.
At that time I will laugh at her.[84]
People will walk over her, like mud in the streets.
<11> The time will come when your walls
will be rebuilt.
At that time the country will grow.
<12> Your people will come back to your land.
They will come back from Assyria and from the cities of Egypt.
They will come from Egypt
and from the other side of the Euphrates River.
They will come from the sea in the west
and from the mountains in the east.
<13> The land was ruined by the people
who lived there and by what they did.
<14> So rule your people with your rod.
Rule the flock of people who belong to you.
That flock lives alone in the woods
and up on Mount Carmel.
That flock lives in Bashan and Gilead
as they did in the past.
<15> I did many miracles
when I took you out of Egypt.
I will let you see more miracles like that.
<16> The nations will see those miracles,
and they will be ashamed.
They will see that their “power”
is nothing compared to mine.
They will be amazed
and put their hands over their mouths.
They will cover their ears
and refuse to listen.
<17> They will crawl in the dust like a snake.
They will shake with fear.
They will be like insects crawling
from their holes in the ground
and coming to the Lord our God.
God, they will fear and respect you!
<18> There is no God like you.
You take away people’s guilt.
God will forgive his people who survive.
He will not stay angry with them forever,
because he enjoys being kind.
<19> He will come back and comfort us again.
He will throw all of our sins into the deep sea.
<20> God, please be true to Jacob.[85]
Be kind and loyal to Abraham,[86] as you promised our ancestors[87] a long time ago.
[1] 1:2 everyone on it Literally, “its fullness.”
[2] 1:2 witness Anyone who tells what they have seen or heard.
[3] 1:3 high places Here, this might mean simply “hills,” or it might be the places for worshiping God or false gods. These places were often on the hills and mountains.
[4] 1:5 Jacob Another name for Israel (see Gen. 32:24-28), ancestor of the people of Israel (also called Israelites and, later, Jews). He was the father of twelve sons from whom the twelve tribes of Israel descended.
[5] 1:5 nation Literally, “house.” This might mean the royal family of that country.
[6] 1:5 Jacob Another name for Israel (see Gen. 32:24-28), ancestor of the people of Israel (also called Israelites and, later, Jews). He was the father of twelve sons from whom the twelve tribes of Israel descended.
[7] 1:7 idol A statue of a false god that people worship. It can also mean anything that is more important to a person than God.
[8] 1:7 her riches … me Literally, “her wages were a prostitute’s wages.”
[9] 1:7 will be … to me Literally, “will return to prostitute’s wages.”
[10] 1:8 dog Literally, “jackal,” a kind of wild dog.
[11] 1:8 bird Literally, “ostrich,” a large bird.
[12] 1:9 Samaria The capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel.
[13] 1:10 Gath This is a wordplay. This name means “tell.”
[14] 1:10 Acco This name means “cry.”
[15] 1:10 Beth Ophrah This name means “House of Dust.”
[16] 1:11 Shaphir This name means “beautiful.”
[17] 1:11 Zaanan This name means “come out.”
[18] 1:11 Beth Ezel This name means “House of Support.”
[19] 1:12 Maroth This name means “bitter,” “angry,” or “sad.”
[20] 1:13 Lachish This Hebrew word is like the word meaning “horse.”
[21] 1:13 chariot A small, two-wheeled cart pulled by horses and used in war.
[22] 1:13 Lachish … sacrificed Or, “Lachish, you were the first to sin.” The Hebrew word can mean “sins” or “sin offering.”
[23] 1:13 Daughter Zion Another name for Jerusalem.
[24] 1:13 Israel’s sins That is, building places of worship other than the Temple in Jerusalem.
[25] 1:14 Moresheth Micah’s hometown.
[26] 1:14 Aczib This name means “lie” or “trick.”
[27] 1:15 Mareshah The name means “a person who takes things.”
[28] 1:15 Glory See “Glory of the Lord.”
[29] 1:15 Adullam A cave that David hid in when he ran away from Saul. See 1 Sam. 22:1.
[30] 1:16 cut … bald This showed that a person made a special agreement with God or that a person was very sad.
[31] 1:16 eagle Or, “vulture.”
[32] 2:3 save yourselves Literally, “take your necks off it.”
[33] 2:6 prophesy To speak or teach things from God.
[34] 2:7 Jacob Another name for Israel (see Gen. 32:24-28), ancestor of the people of Israel (also called Israelites and, later, Jews). He was the father of twelve sons from whom the twelve tribes of Israel descended.
[35] 2:8 Those people … war Or, “Those people think they are safe, returning from war.”
[36] 2:11 false prophet A person who claims to speak for God but does not really speak God’s truth.
[37] 2:12 Jacob Another name for Israel (see Gen. 32:24-28), ancestor of the people of Israel (also called Israelites and, later, Jews). He was the father of twelve sons from whom the twelve tribes of Israel descended.
[38] 2:12 Israel Another name for Jacob. (See Gen. 32:28.) Here, it means the people of Israel. Also in 3:1, 8.
[39] 3:1 Jacob Another name for Israel (see Gen. 32:24-28), ancestor of the people of Israel (also called Israelites and, later, Jews). He was the father of twelve sons from whom the twelve tribes of Israel descended.
[40] 3:1 nation Literally, “house.” This might mean the royal family of that country.
[41] 3:3 You are destroying my people Literally, “They eat the flesh of my people.”
[42] 3:5 false prophet A person who claims to speak for God but does not really speak God’s truth.
[43] 3:6 vision Something like a dream used by God to speak to people.
[44] 3:7 seer A kind of prophet (see “prophet”) who received messages from God in visions.
[45] 3:7 fortune-teller A person who tries to use magic to learn what will happen in the future.
[46] 3:8 Jacob Another name for Israel (see Gen. 32:24-28), ancestor of the people of Israel (also called Israelites and, later, Jews). He was the father of twelve sons from whom the twelve tribes of Israel descended.
[47] 3:9 Jacob Another name for Israel (see Gen. 32:24-28), ancestor of the people of Israel (also called Israelites and, later, Jews). He was the father of twelve sons from whom the twelve tribes of Israel descended.
[48] 3:10 Zion The southeastern part of the mountain that Jerusalem is built on. Sometimes it means the city of Jerusalem, the people of God living there, or the Temple.
[49] 3:10 murdering people Literally, “bloodshed.”
[50] 3:12 empty hill Or, “high place,” a term usually used for local shrines (places for worship) where people often worshiped idols.
[51] 4:1 Temple The permanent building in Jerusalem that replaced the portable “Holy Tent” that was used by the Israelites from the time of their wandering in the desert to the reign of king Solomon, when the first Temple was built. Like the Holy Tent, the Temple was the center of Israelite worship, although provision was made for it to be “a house of prayer for all nations” (Isa. 56:7).
[52] 4:2 Jacob Another name for Israel (see Gen. 32:24-28), ancestor of the people of Israel (also called Israelites and, later, Jews). He was the father of twelve sons from whom the twelve tribes of Israel descended.
[53] 4:2 Zion The southeastern part of the mountain that Jerusalem is built on. Sometimes it means the city of Jerusalem, the people of God living there, or the Temple.
[54] 4:3 many Or, “powerful.”
[55] 4:5 Or, “All the nations will walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God, forever and ever!”
[56] 4:7 Zion The southeastern part of the mountain that Jerusalem is built on. Sometimes it means the city of Jerusalem, the people of God living there, or the Temple.
[57] 4:8 Tower of Flocks Or, “Migdal Eder.” This probably means a part of Jerusalem. The leaders would be like shepherds in a tower watching their sheep.
[58] 4:10 Daughter Zion Another name for Jerusalem. Also in verse 13.
[59] 4:11 Zion The southeastern part of the mountain that Jerusalem is built on. Sometimes it means the city of Jerusalem, the people of God living there, or the Temple.
[60] 4:12 threshing Putting newly harvested wheat or other grain on a hard floor and walking on it or beating it with special tools to separate the hulls from the grain.
[61] 5:1 strong city Literally, “daughter of troops.”
[62] 5:2 beginnings Or, “family origins.”
[63] 5:3 the Lord Or, “the Ruler of Israel.”
[64] 5:4 They … the earth Or, “They will settle here because at that time his kingdom will extend to the ends of the earth.
[65] 5:5 the Ruler of Israel Or, “we.”
[66] 5:5 seven shepherds and eight leaders Or, “seven shepherds, no eight leaders.”
[67] 5:6 land of Nimrod Another name for Assyria.
[68] 5:7 Jacob Another name for Israel (see Gen. 32:24-28), ancestor of the people of Israel (also called Israelites and, later, Jews). He was the father of twelve sons from whom the twelve tribes of Israel descended.
[69] 5:10 chariot A small, two-wheeled cart pulled by horses and used in war.
[70] 5:11 fortress A building or city with tall, strong walls for protection.
[71] 5:12 fortune-teller A person who tries to use magic to learn what will happen in the future.
[72] 5:14 Asherah pole A wooden pole (originally, perhaps, a tree trunk) that was set up to honor the goddess Asherah.
[73] 5:14 false gods Or, “cities.”
[74] 6:1 This is like a court case. The mountains and hills are the judge and jury.
[75] 6:5 Acacia to Gilgal This story is found in Num. 22-25.
[76] 6:6 burnt offering A gift to God. Usually these were animals that were killed and completely burned on the altar.
[77] 6:9 the Lord’s name Literally, “your name.”
[78] 6:9 So pay attention … uses it The Hebrew here is hard to understand.
[79] 6:10 baskets … too small Literally, “short ephahs.” An ephah is about 1/2 bushel.
[80] 6:14 You … empty Here, the Hebrew is not clear.
[81] 6:16 Omri A king of Israel who led his nation to worship false gods. See 1 Kings 16:21-26.
[82] 6:16 Then … you Or, “My people’s shame will be taken away.”
[83] 7:4 watchmen Another name for prophets. This shows that the prophets were like guards who stood on a city’s wall and watched for trouble coming from far away.
[84] 7:10 laugh at her Literally, “my eyes will stare at her.”
[85] 7:20 Jacob Another name for Israel (see Gen. 32:24-28), ancestor of the people of Israel (also called Israelites and, later, Jews). He was the father of twelve sons from whom the twelve tribes of Israel descended.
[86] 7:20 Abraham Here, Abraham is used to mean all the people of Israel. See “Abraham” in the Word List.
[87] 7:20 ancestors Literally, “fathers,” meaning a person’s parents, grandparents, and all the other people that person is descended from. In the New Testament it usually refers to people who lived during Old Testament times.