| King James Bible | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1The 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. | 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, 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. | 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 cometh forth 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 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. | 4The mountains will melt beneath him, and the valleys will split apart, like wax near a fire, like water cascading down a mountainside. |
| 5For 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? | 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 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. | 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. |
| 7And 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. | 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. |
| 8Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls. | 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; for it is come unto Judah; he is come unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem. | 9For her wound is incurable and has reached even Judah; it has approached my people's city gate, as far as Jerusalem. |
| 10Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust. | 10Don't announce it in Gath, don't weep at all. Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah. |
| 11Pass 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. | 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 inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil came down from the LORD unto 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. |
| 13O 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. | 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 shalt thou give presents to Moreshethgath: the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel. | 14Therefore, send farewell gifts to Moresheth-gath; the houses of Achzib are a deception to the kings of Israel. |
| 15Yet will I bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel. | 15I will again bring a conqueror against you who live in Mareshah. The nobility of Israel will come to Adullam. |
| 16Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee. | 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. |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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