דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֣ה ׀ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָ֗ה אֶל־מִיכָה֙ הַמֹּ֣רַשְׁתִּ֔י בִּימֵ֥י יוֹתָ֛ם אָחָ֥ז יְחִזְקִיָּ֖ה מַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר־חָזָ֥ה עַל־שֹׁמְר֖וֹן וִירֽוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ The word of GOD that came to Micah the Morashtite, who prophesied concerning Samaria and Jerusalem in the reigns of Kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah.
שִׁמְעוּ֙ עַמִּ֣ים כֻּלָּ֔ם הַקְשִׁ֖יבִי אֶ֣רֶץ וּמְלֹאָ֑הּ וִיהִי֩ אֲדֹנָ֨י יֱהֹוִ֤ה בָּכֶם֙ לְעֵ֔ד אֲדֹנָ֖י מֵהֵיכַ֥ל קׇדְשֽׁוֹ׃ Listen, all you peoples,
Give heed, O earth, and all it holds;
And let the Sovereign GOD be your accuser—
The Sovereign from the holy abode.
כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה יֹצֵ֣א מִמְּקוֹמ֑וֹ וְיָרַ֥ד וְדָרַ֖ךְ עַל־[בָּ֥מֳתֵי] (במותי) אָֽרֶץ׃ For lo! GOD
Is coming forth from the heavenlyathe heavenly Lit. “His.” dwelling-place—
To come down and stride
Upon the heights of the earth.
וְנָמַ֤סּוּ הֶֽהָרִים֙ תַּחְתָּ֔יו וְהָעֲמָקִ֖ים יִתְבַּקָּ֑עוּ כַּדּוֹנַג֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י הָאֵ֔שׁ כְּמַ֖יִם מֻגָּרִ֥ים בְּמוֹרָֽד׃ The mountains shall melt underfoot
And the valleys burst open—
Like wax before fire,
Like water cascading down a slope.
בְּפֶ֤שַׁע יַֽעֲקֹב֙ כׇּל־זֹ֔את וּבְחַטֹּ֖אות בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מִֽי־פֶ֣שַׁע יַעֲקֹ֗ב הֲלוֹא֙ שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן וּמִי֙ בָּמ֣וֹת יְהוּדָ֔ה הֲל֖וֹא יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ All this is for the transgression of Jacob,
And for the sins of the House of Israel.
What is the transgression of Jacob
But Samaria,
And what the shrinesbshrines Emendation yields “sins.” of Judah
But Jerusalem?
וְשַׂמְתִּ֥י שֹׁמְר֛וֹן לְעִ֥י הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה לְמַטָּ֣עֵי כָ֑רֶם וְהִגַּרְתִּ֤י לַגַּי֙ אֲבָנֶ֔יהָ וִיסֹדֶ֖יהָ אֲגַלֶּֽה׃ So I will turn Samaria
Into a ruin in open country,
Into ground for planting vineyards;
For I will tumble her stones into the valley
And lay her foundations bare.
וְכׇל־פְּסִילֶ֣יהָ יֻכַּ֗תּוּ וְכׇל־אֶתְנַנֶּ֙יהָ֙ יִשָּׂרְפ֣וּ בָאֵ֔שׁ וְכׇל־עֲצַבֶּ֖יהָ אָשִׂ֣ים שְׁמָמָ֑ה כִּ֠י מֵאֶתְנַ֤ן זוֹנָה֙ קִבָּ֔צָה וְעַד־אֶתְנַ֥ן זוֹנָ֖ה יָשֽׁוּבוּ׃ All her sculptured images shall be smashed,
And all her prostitute’s wealthcher prostitute’s wealth I.e., the bounty of offerings dedicated to idols. be burned,
And I will make a waste heap of all her idols,
For they were amassed from fees for prostitution,
And they shall become prostitute’s fees again.
עַל־זֹאת֙ אֶסְפְּדָ֣ה וְאֵילִ֔ילָה אֵילְכָ֥ה (שילל) [שׁוֹלָ֖ל] וְעָר֑וֹם אֶעֱשֶׂ֤ה מִסְפֵּד֙ כַּתַּנִּ֔ים וְאֵ֖בֶל כִּבְנ֥וֹת יַעֲנָֽה׃ Because of this I will lament and wail;
I will go stripped and naked!
I will lament as sadly as the jackals,
As mournfully as the ostriches.
כִּ֥י אֲנוּשָׁ֖ה מַכּוֹתֶ֑יהָ כִּי־בָ֙אָה֙ עַד־יְהוּדָ֔ה נָגַ֛ע עַד־שַׁ֥עַר עַמִּ֖י עַד־יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ For the nation’sdthe nation’s Heb. “her.” wound is incurable,
It has reached Judah,
It has spread to the gate of my people,
To Jerusalem.
בְּגַת֙ אַל־תַּגִּ֔ידוּ בָּכ֖וֹ אַל־תִּבְכּ֑וּ בְּבֵ֣ית לְעַפְרָ֔ה עָפָ֖ר (התפלשתי) [הִתְפַּלָּֽשִׁי]׃ eMeaning of much of vv. 10–13 uncertain. They may refer to the transfer of part of western Judah to Philistine rule by Sennacherib of Assyria in the year 701 BCE. Tell it not in Gath,
Refrain from weeping;fTell it not … weeping So that enemies may not gloat; cf. 2 Sam. 1.20.
In Beth-leaphrah,
Strew dustgdust Heb. ʻaphar, a play on Beth-leaphrah; vv. 10–15 contain several similar puns. over your [head].
עִבְרִ֥י לָכֶ֛ם יוֹשֶׁ֥בֶת שָׁפִ֖יר עֶרְיָה־בֹ֑שֶׁת לֹ֤א יָֽצְאָה֙ יוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת צַֽאֲנָ֔ן מִסְפַּד֙ בֵּ֣ית הָאֵ֔צֶל יִקַּ֥ח מִכֶּ֖ם עֶמְדָּתֽוֹ׃ Pass on, inhabitants of Shaphir!
Did not the inhabitants of Zaanan
Have to go forth naked in shame?
There is lamentation in Beth-ezel—
It will withdraw its support from you.
כִּֽי־חָ֥לָֽה לְט֖וֹב יוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת מָר֑וֹת כִּֽי־יָ֤רַד רָע֙ מֵאֵ֣ת יְהֹוָ֔ה לְשַׁ֖עַר יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ Though the inhabitants of Maroth
Hoped for good,
Yet disaster from GOD descended
Upon the gate of Jerusalem.
רְתֹ֧ם הַמֶּרְכָּבָ֛ה לָרֶ֖כֶשׁ יוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת לָכִ֑ישׁ רֵאשִׁ֨ית חַטָּ֥את הִיא֙ לְבַת־צִיּ֔וֹן כִּי־בָ֥ךְ נִמְצְא֖וּ פִּשְׁעֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ Hitch the steeds to the chariot,
Inhabitant of Lachish!
It is the beginning
Of Fair Zion’s guilt;
Israel’s transgressions
Can be traced to you!
לָכֵן֙ תִּתְּנִ֣י שִׁלּוּחִ֔ים עַ֖ל מוֹרֶ֣שֶׁת גַּ֑ת בָּתֵּ֤י אַכְזִיב֙ לְאַכְזָ֔ב לְמַלְכֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ Truly, you must give a farewell gift
To Moresheth-gath.
The houses of Achzib arehThe houses of Achzib are Emendation yields “Fair Achzib is.”
To the kings of Israel
Like a spring that fails.
עֹ֗ד הַיֹּרֵשׁ֙ אָ֣בִי לָ֔ךְ יוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת מָֽרֵשָׁ֑ה עַד־עֲדֻלָּ֥ם יָב֖וֹא כְּב֥וֹד יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ A dispossessor will I bring to you
Who dwell in Mareshah;
At Adullam the glory
Of Israel shall set.
קׇרְחִ֣י וָגֹ֔זִּי עַל־בְּנֵ֖י תַּעֲנוּגָ֑יִךְ הַרְחִ֤בִי קׇרְחָתֵךְ֙ כַּנֶּ֔שֶׁר כִּ֥י גָל֖וּ מִמֵּֽךְ׃ {ס} Shear off your hair and make yourself baldimake yourself bald A common rite of mourning; cf. Jer. 7.29.
For the children you once delighted in;
Make yourself as bald as a vulture,
For they have been banished from you.
