| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. | 1The word of the LORD that came to Micah the Moreshite--what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. |
| 2Hear, you peoples, all of you; pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it, and let the Lord GOD be a witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. | 2Listen, all you peoples; pay attention, earth and everyone in it! The Lord GOD will be a witness against you, the Lord, from His holy temple. |
| 3For behold, the LORD is coming out of his place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. | 3Look, the LORD is leaving His place and coming down to trample the heights of the earth. |
| 4And the mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will split open, like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place. | 4The mountains will melt beneath Him, and the valleys will split apart, like wax near a fire, like water cascading down a mountainside. |
| 5All this is for the transgression of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem? | 5All this will happen because of Jacob's rebellion and the sins of the house of Israel. What is the rebellion of Jacob? Isn't it Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Isn't it Jerusalem? |
| 6Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the open country, a place for planting vineyards, and I will pour down her stones into the valley and uncover her foundations. | 6Therefore, I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the countryside, a planting area for a vineyard. I will roll her stones into the valley and expose her foundations. |
| 7All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, all her wages shall be burned with fire, and all her idols I will lay waste, for from the fee of a prostitute she gathered them, and to the fee of a prostitute they shall return. | 7All her carved images will be smashed to pieces; all her wages will be burned in the fire, and I will destroy all her idols. Since she collected the wages of a prostitute, they will be used again for a prostitute. |
| 8For this I will lament and wail; I will go stripped and naked; I will make lamentation like the jackals, and mourning like the ostriches. | 8Because of this I will lament and wail; I will walk barefoot and naked. I will howl like the jackals and mourn like ostriches. |
| 9For her wound is incurable, and it has come to Judah; it has reached to the gate of my people, to Jerusalem. | 9For her wound is incurable and has reached even Judah; it has approached the gate of my people, as far as Jerusalem. |
| 10Tell it not in Gath; weep not at all; in Beth-le-aphrah roll yourselves in the dust. | 10Don't announce it in Gath, don't weep at all. Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah. |
| 11Pass on your way, inhabitants of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame; the inhabitants of Zaanan do not come out; the lamentation of Beth-ezel shall take away from you its standing place. | 11Depart in shameful nakedness, you residents of Shaphir; the residents of Zaanan will not come out. Beth-ezel is lamenting; its support is taken from you. |
| 12For the inhabitants of Maroth wait anxiously for good, because disaster has come down from the LORD to the gate of Jerusalem. | 12Though the residents of Maroth anxiously wait for something good, disaster has come from the LORD to the gate of Jerusalem. |
| 13Harness the steeds to the chariots, inhabitants of Lachish; it was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion, for in you were found the transgressions of Israel. | 13Harness the horses to the chariot, you residents of Lachish. This was the beginning of sin for Daughter Zion, because Israel's acts of rebellion can be traced to you. |
| 14Therefore you shall give parting gifts to Moresheth-gath; the houses of Achzib shall be a deceitful thing to the kings of Israel. | 14Therefore, send farewell gifts to Moresheth-gath; the houses of Achzib are a deception to the kings of Israel. |
| 15I will again bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of Mareshah; the glory of Israel shall come to Adullam. | 15I will again bring a conqueror against you who live in Mareshah. The nobility of Israel will come to Adullam. |
| 16Make yourselves bald and cut off your hair, for the children of your delight; make yourselves as bald as the eagle, for they shall go from you into exile. | 16Shave yourselves bald and cut off your hair in sorrow for your precious children; make yourselves as bald as an eagle, for they have been taken from you into exile. |
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