“1 The 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. 2 Hear, 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. 3 For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of his
place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.
4 And 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. 5 For 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? 6 Therefore 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. 7 And 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.”
“8 Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I
will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls. 9 For
her wound [is] incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he is come unto the
gate of my people, [even] to Jerusalem. 10 Declare ye [it] not at Gath,
weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust. 11
Pass 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. 12 For the inhabitant of Maroth
waited carefully for good: but evil came down from the LORD unto the
gate of Jerusalem. 13 O 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. 14 Therefore
shalt thou give presents to Moreshethgath: the houses of Achzib [shall
be] a lie to the kings of Israel. 15 Yet will I bring an heir unto thee,
O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of
Israel. 16 Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children;
enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from
thee.” (Micah 1:1-16 AV)