1 This is Yahweh’s message that came to Micah (from Moreshet) in the days of Yehudah’s (Judah’s) kings Yotam (Jotham), Ahaz, and Hizkiyah (Hezekiah), that he saw concerning Shomron (Samaria) and Yerushalem (Jerusalem).[ref]

2 Listen, all you peoples.

≈Let the world and everything in it pay attention.

Let my master Yahweh be against you as a witness,

my master from his sacred temple

Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem

3 because wow, Yahweh comes out of his place.

He will come down and tread on the high places[fn] of the earth.

4 The mountains will melt under him.

≈The valleys will break apart,

like wax ≈that’s near a fire,

≈like waters that are poured out from a steep place.

5 All that is because of Yakob’s (Jacob’s) disobedience,

and because of the sins of the ≈Israeli people.

What was Yakob’s transgression? Isn’t it Shomron?

What is Yehudah’s (Judah’s) high place? Isn’t it Yerushalem?

6 “I will make Shomron a heap of ruins in the countryside—

≈a place for planting vineyards.

Then I’ll pour the stones from her buildings down into the valley

≈and I’ll uncover her foundations.

7 All her carved statues will be smashed into pieces,

and all her wages will be burnt.

Yes, I’ll totally destroy all her idols.

Since ≈she used prostitutes’ wages to pay for them,

≈the crushed pieces of idols will become prostitutes’ wages again.”

Weeping and Mourning; The Doom of the Cities of Judah

8 Because of that, I’ll mourn and wail.

I’ll go barefoot and undressed.

I’ll wail like the jackals

≈and mourn like owls

9 because her wound is incurable.

Yes, it’s come to Yehudah.

≈It’s reached the gate of my people—≡reached Jerusalem.

10 Don’t tell about it in Gat.

Don’t weep at all.

I roll myself in the dust at Beyt-Leafrah (the house of dust).

11 Pass by undressed and humiliated, inhabitants of Shafir.

≈Don’t come out, inhabitants of Tsa’anan.

Beyt-Haetsel mourns—its place to stand is taken from you

12 because the inhabitants of Marot wait anxiously for good,

because disaster has come down from Yahweh to Yerushalem’s gates.

13 Harness the chariot to the team of horses, inhabitants of Lakish.

She was the beginning of sin for the daughter of Tsiyyon (Zion),

because Yisrael’s transgressions were first found in you.

14 So you’ll give parting gifts to Moreshet-Gat.

The ≈town of Akzib will deceive Yisrael’s kings.

15 I will again bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of Mareshah.

Yisrael’s ≈best will come to Adullam.

16 Shave your head

≈and cut off your hair

for the children who you delight in.

Make yourselves as bald as eagles,

because they’ll be taken from you and into exile.

2 Woe to those who plan to do wicked things—

to those who do evil on their beds.

They do it in the morning light

because they ≈make use of their power.

2 They ≈see fields that they’d like and seize them,

≈and houses and they just take them.

They’ll oppress a man and his household—

≈even ≈taking property handed down in the family.

3 Therefore Yahweh says,

“Listen, I’m planning to bring disaster against this clan,

which you won’t ≈be able to avoid.

You won’t walk so proudly,

because it’ll be a ≈terrible time for you all.

4 In that day ≈someone will sing a song against you all.

≈and mourn with a song of wailing,

and say, ‘We’re completely ruined.

@Yahweh changes my people’s territory.

How can he remove @the land from me?

He divides our fields up ≈to give to traitors.’ ”

5 Therefore, there’ll be no one in Yahweh’s assembly

who’ll have authority ≈to measure you out any more land.

False Prophets; True and False Prophets

6 “Don’t ≈tell us that,”

≈they ≈tell us!

“They shouldn’t preach those things—

that sort of disgrace will never ≈happen to us.”

7 Do ≈Yakob’s descendants really ≈ask,

“Is the Yahweh’s spirit impatient?

≈Are these his actions?”

Don’t my words do good to anyone who ≈obeys them?

8 Lately my people have risen up against me like an enemy.

You strip the rich robe off those who are ≈innocently going past,

≈like a soldier on the battlefield might have done to his enemy.

9 You’ve driven our ≈widows out of their pleasant houses.

≈≈You’ve forever deprived their young children of what I’d blessed them with.

10 Get ready and leave because this isn’t a place for resting.

≈≈It’s about to be completely destroyed because of its disobedience.

11 If someone comes to you ≈full of talk and lies and says,

“I’ll prophesy to you about enjoying wine and strong drink,”

he’d be considered to be a prophet for this people.

Hope for Restoration; Deliverance Promised; A Promise for the Remnant of Israel

12 I will certainly gather all of you, Yakob.

≈I’ll definitely assemble the remnant of Yisrael.

I’ll bring them together like sheep in a pen—

≈like a flock in the middle of their pasture.

≈Noisy because there’ll be so many people.

13 Someone will go in front of them to break open the way.

≈They’ll force open the gate and go out.

Their king will pass on ahead of them.

≈Yahweh will be at their head.

3 Then I said, “Now listen,

you leaders of Yakob (Jacob),

≈and rulers of the house of Yisra’el (Israel):

Isn’t it ≈your responsibility to understand justice?

2 Those who hate good

≈and love evil,

those who tear their skin off them

≈and their flesh from their bones,

3 those who eat the flesh of my people,

≈and their skin that they’ve stripped off them,

they break their bones,

≈and chop them in pieces,

just like soup in a pot—

≈like meat in a cauldron.

4 Then they’ll call out to Yahweh for help,

but he won’t answer them.

≈He’ll hide ≈himself from them at that time,

because they’ve done evil ≈things.”

5 So Yahweh speaks out against the ‘prophets’ who lead ≈his people astray:

“They ≈lie through their teeth and proclaim, ‘Peace.’

They’re ≈fighting against the one who never put a single word into their mouths.

6 Therefore, it’ll be night for you prophets, without #any visions.

≈It will be dark for you all, without ≈any prophesying.

The sun will go down on the ‘prophets’,

≈and the day will be black for them.

7 The ≈tellers of the future will be put to shame,

≈and the diviners will be disgraced.

They will cover their lips, all of them,

≈because there’ll be no answer from God.”

8 But I’m full of power from Yahweh’s spirit,

≈and ≡full of justice and strength,

to declare to Yakob his disobedience,

≈and to Yisra’el his sin.

9 Now listen to this,

you leaders of the house of Yakob,

≈and rulers of the house of Yisra’el,

you all who detest justice,

≈and who take everything that’s right and make it crooked.

10 You build Tsiyyon (Zion) with blood

≈and Yerushalem with ≈evil.

11 Her leaders judge for a bribe,

≈her priests teach for a price,

≈and her prophets do divination for money.

Yet they claim to depend on Yahweh, ≈and they say,

“Isn’t Yahweh ≈right here with us?

≈Nothing bad can happen to us.”

12 Therefore, because of you all,

≈Tsiyyon will become a ploughed field,

≈Yerushalem will become a heap of rubble,

≈and the temple hill will become ≈covered with scrub.[ref]

4 In the last days it’ll come about

that the mountain ≈where Yahweh’s residence is

will ≈become more important than other mountains.

Then it’ll be lifted above the hills,

and peoples will stream to it.

2 Many nations will ≈go and say,

“Come, let’s go up to Yahweh’s mountain,

≈to the house of the Yakob’s God

so that he will teach us his ways,

≈and we will walk on his paths.”

For the law will go out from Tsiyyon,

≈and Yahweh’s message from Yerushalem.

3 He’ll judge among many peoples

≈and will arbitrate for strong countries far away.

They’ll beat their swords into plough blades

≈and their spears into pruning hooks.

#Nations won’t ≈attack other #nations,

≈nor will they train for war any longer.

4 Then every person will be able to sit under their grapevine

≈and under their fig tree.

No one will make them afraid,

because army commander Yahweh has spoken.[ref]

5 All ≈various people groups follow their own god,

≈≈but we will ≈obey our God Yahweh’s instructions

forever and ever.

6 Yahweh declares: “≈At that time, I’ll gather the lame >people

≈and assemble ≈those who were scattered—those who I’ve ≈done harm to.

7 And I will turn &those lame >people into a growing ≈group,

≈and &those scattered ones into a strong nation,

and Yahweh will reign over them on Mt. Tsiyyon (Zion),

from now and until forever.

8 And you, watchtower for the flock,

hill of the daughter of Tsiyyon—

to you it will come—your former dominion will arrive—

the kingdom that belongs to the daughter of Yerushalem.

9 Now, why do you shout so loudly?

Is ≈it because you don’t have a king?

≈Is it because your advisor ≈passed away

that pain’s gripping you like that of a woman in labour.

10 Be in pain and labour daughter of Tsiyyon,

≈like a woman giving birth.

For now you need to go out of the city

≈and live in the countryside.

Then you’ll go to Babylon and be rescued from there.

≈There Yahweh will redeem you from your enemies’ ≈control.

11 Now many nations have assembled against you.

They say, ‘Let her be ≈overrun.

Let our eyes gloat over Tsiyyon’s fall.’

12 ≈But @those enemies don’t know Yahweh’s thoughts,

≈and they don’t understand his plans,

because he’s gathered them up like bundles of grain ≈ready to be broken on the threshing floor.

13 ≈Get going and thresh, daughter of Tsiyyon,

because I’ll make your horn into iron,

≈and I’ll make your hooves into bronze.

And you’ll break many peoples into pieces

and you’ll confiscate their unjust earnings to devote to Yahweh—

≈their wealth ≈will be for the master of the whole world.”

A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem; A Ruler from Bethlehem

5 Now come together in battle ranks, daughter of soldiers.

A siege has been set up against us.

They strike Yisrael’s judge on the cheek with a rod.

2 But you, Beyt-Lekem (Bethlehem) Efratah,

even though you’re insignificant among Yehudah’s (Judah’s) clans,

out of you, one will come to me to rule in Yisrael,

whose beginning is from ancient times—

≈from everlasting.[ref]

3 Therefore God will ≈hand them over to their enemies,

until the time when @the woman in labour gives birth,

and the rest of his brothers return to the people of Yisrael.

4 He’ll stand and shepherd his flock with Yahweh’s strength,

in the majesty of the name of his God Yahweh.

They’ll remain, because then he will be famous to the ends of the earth.

5 That >one will be &our peace.

When the Assyrians come into our land

≈and when they march against our fortresses,

then we’ll raise seven shepherds against them

≈and eight leaders of men.

6 They’ll shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword—

≈≈that country founded by Nimrod in its entrances.

He’ll rescue us from the Assyrians,

when they come into our land,

≈when they march inside our borders.[ref]

The Remnant Purified; The Future Role of the Remnant

7 The remnant of Yakob will ≈end up among many peoples,

like dew from Yahweh,

≈like showers on the grass,

that don’t ≈need help from any person,

≈and they don’t ≈rely on human intervention.

8 The remnant of Yakob will be among the nations,

≈among many peoples,

like a lion among the animals of the forest,

≈like a young lion among the flocks of sheep.

As he passes through them,

he’ll trample over them and tear them to pieces,

and there’ll be no one to save them.

9 ≈You’ll use your power against your enemies,

and they’ll be destroyed.

10 Yahweh declares: “≈At that time,

I’ll ≈wipe out your horses

≈and demolish your chariots.

11 I’ll destroy the cities in your ≈country

≈and tear down all your fortresses.

12 I’ll destroy the witchcraft ≈that you practise,

≈and you’ll no longer have any diviners.

13 I’ll destroy your carved statues,

≈and the engraved stone pillars from among you.

You’ll no longer worship the workmanship of your hands.

14 I’ll ≈topple your Asherah poles ≈where you worship,

≈and I’ll destroy your cities.

15 In my anger, I’ll execute vengeance

on the nations that haven’t obeyed.

6 Now listen to what Yahweh says,

“≈Take action, present your case to the mountains.

≈and let the hills hear your voice.

2 Listen to Yahweh’s lawsuit, you mountains,

≈and you enduring foundations of the earth,

because Yahweh has a lawsuit with his people,

≈and he’ll ≈present evidence against Yisrael.”

3 “My people, what have I done to you?

How have I ≈worn you down?

≈Present your case against me.

4 I rescued you out of ≈slavery

≈and brought you out of Egypt (Heb. Mitsrayim).

I sent Mosheh, Aharon, and Miryam to you.[ref]

5 My people, remember what Moav’s King Balak devised,

and how Beor’s son Balaam answered @that king

as you went from Shittim to Gilgal.

≡Think about that so you can know Yahweh’s righteous actions.”[ref]

6 What should I bring to Yahweh,

≈as I bow down to the high God?

Should I come to him with burnt offerings,

≈with year-old calves?

7 Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams,

≈or with ten thousand rivers of oil?

Should I ≈sacrifice my oldest child to pay for my disobedience—

≈≈my biological offspring to pay for my own sin?

8 He has told ≈humanity what is good,

≈and what Yahweh requires from you:

Act justly,

love kindness,

and walk humbly with your God.

Cheating and Violence to Be Punished; Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

9 Yahweh is making a proclamation to the city—

even now wisdom ≈is calling out to you:

“Pay attention to the rod of punishment,

and to the one who has put it in place.

10 There’s dishonest wealth in wicked >people’s houses,

along with hated false weights and measures.

11 Should I consider #people to be innocent if #they use ≈fraudulent scales

or a bag of deceptive weights?

12 @The city’s rich men are full of violence,

the inhabitants have spoken lies,

and ≈you can’t believe a word that they say.

13 ≈Therefore I’ll strike you with a terrible blow,

and I’ll make you ≈into a desolate country because of your sins.

14 You’ll eat but not be satisfied—your emptiness will remain inside you.

≈You’ll store goods away but not ≈be able to save them, and what you do save I will ≈be taken by force.

15 You’ll sow, but not harvest.

≈You’ll tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with &their oil.

≈You’ll press grapes, but not drink the wine.

16 As a city, you’ve kept the regulations made by King Omri,

≈and ≈behaved similarly to Ahab’s evil ≈descendants.

You walk by their advice, so I’ll make you into a ruin.

≈People will hiss at your inhabitants,

and my people ≈will mock you.”[ref]

7 ≈I’m miserable because I’ve become like the gathering of ≈left-over fruit,

and like the grapes that have already been gleaned.

There’s no grape clusters to eat,

and none of the ripe early figs that ≈I really felt like.

2 The faithful >people have disappeared from the land.

There is no godly person among all mankind.

They all lie in wait to shed blood—

each one hunts his own ≈fellow countryman with a net.

3 They’re very good at doing harm:

the leader asks for money,

≈the judge is ready for bribes,

and the powerful man is telling others what he wants to obtain,

and so they scheme together.

4 The best of them is like a ≈thorn-bush.

≈The most upright is worse than a ≈prickly hedge.

It’s the day foretold by your watchmen—

the day of your punishment.

Now is the time of their confusion.

5 Don’t trust any neighbour.

≈Put no confidence in any friend.

≈Be careful about what you say

even to the woman who lies in your arms,

6 because #sons dishonour their fathers,

≈#daughters rise up against their mothers,

≈and #daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law.

A person’s enemies are the people in their own ≈household.[ref]

7 But as for me, I’ll look out for Yahweh.

≈I’ll wait for the God ≈who saves me.

My God will hear me.

8 Don’t ≈be happy about what happened to me, my enemy.

After I fall, I’ll ≈get up and stand again.

When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light for me.

9 Because I sinned against Yahweh, I’ll endure his rage

until he pleads my cause on my behalf, and executes judgement for me.

≈He’ll bring me to the light, and I’ll see him rescue me in his justice.

10 Then my enemy will see it,

and shame will cover the one who said to me,

“Where is Yahweh your God?”

My eyes will look at her;

she’ll be trampled down like the mud in the streets.

A Prophecy of Restoration

11 ≈The time will come for rebuilding your walls.

On that day &your boundaries will be ≈greatly expanded.

12 On that day your people will come to you,

from Assyria and the cities in Egypt (Heb. Mitsrayim),

≈from Egypt to the Euphrates River,

from sea to sea,

≈and from mountain to mountain.

13 But the land will be desolate

because of the people who are living there,

because of the fruit of their actions.

14 Shepherd your people with your staff—

the flock of your inheritance.

They live alone in a forest,

≈surrounded by pastureland.

Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the old days.

15 Just like in the days when you ≈were rescued out of Egypt,

I’ll display miracles to them.

16 The nations will see and be ashamed of all their power.

They’ll put their hands over their mouths—

and act like their ears are deaf.

17 They’ll lick the dust like a snake—

≈like creatures that crawl on the earth.

They’ll be trembling as they come out of their fortresses.

≈They’ll come with fear to you, our God Yahweh,

≈and they’ll be afraid because of you.

God’s Compassion and Steadfast Love

18 ≈What other God ≈is there like you, who takes away sin?

Who ≈forgives the ≈disobedience of the remnant of his inherited >people?

He doesn’t ≈stay angry forever,

because he ≈happily demonstrates his loyal commitment.

19 You’ll have compassion on us yet again.

You’ll ≈wipe away our disobedience.

≈You will throw all our sins into the ≈deepest parts of the sea.

20 You’ll give truth to Yakob (Jacob)

≈and loyal commitment to Abraham,

as you promised to our ancestors ≈long ago.