\NormalFont\ShortTitle{Micah}

{\MT Micah



\par }\ChapOne{1}{\SH Introduction
\par }
{\PP \VerseOne{1}This is the prophetic message that the
{\ND{Lord}} gave to Micah of Moresheth. He delivered this message during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. The prophecies pertain to Samaria


\par }{\SH The Judge is Coming
\par }
{\Q \VS{2}Listen, all you nations!

\par }{\Q Pay attention, all inhabitants of earth!

\par }{\Q The sovereign
{\ND{Lord}} will testify against you;

\par }{\Q the
{\ND{Lord}} will accuse you from his majestic palace.


\par }{\Q \VS{3}Look, the
{\ND{Lord}} is coming out of his dwelling place!

\par }{\Q He will descend and march on the earth’s mountaintops!


\par }{\Q \VS{4}The mountains will disintegrate beneath him,

\par }{\Q and the valleys will be split in two.

\par }{\Q The mountains will melt like wax in a fire,

\par }{\Q the rocks will slide down like water cascading down a steep slope.


\par }{\Q \VS{5}All this is because of Jacob’s rebellion

\par }{\Q and the sins of the nation of Israel.

\par }{\Q How has Jacob rebelled, you ask?

\par }{\Q Samaria epitomizes their rebellion!

\par }{\Q Where are Judah’s pagan worship centers, you ask?

\par }{\Q They are right in Jerusalem!


\par }{\Q \VS{6}“I will turn Samaria into a heap of ruins in an open field –

\par }{\Q vineyards will be planted there!

\par }{\Q I will tumble the rubble of her stone walls down into the valley,

\par }{\Q and tear down her fortifications to their foundations.


\par }{\Q \VS{7}All her carved idols will be smashed to pieces;

\par }{\Q all her metal cult statues will be destroyed by fire.

\par }{\Q I will make a waste heap of all her images.

\par }{\Q Since she gathered the metal as a prostitute collects her wages,

\par }{\Q the idols will become a prostitute’s wages again.”


\par }{\Q \VS{8}For this reason I will mourn and wail;

\par }{\Q I will walk around barefoot and without my outer garments.

\par }{\Q I will howl like a wild dog,

\par }{\Q and screech like an owl.


\par }{\Q \VS{9}For Samaria’s disease is incurable.

\par }{\Q It has infected Judah;

\par }{\Q it has spread to the leadership of my people

\par }{\Q and has even contaminated Jerusalem!


\par }{\Q \VS{10}Don’t spread the news in Gath!

\par }{\Q Don’t shed even a single tear!

\par }{\Q In Beth Leaphrah sit in the dust!


\par }{\Q \VS{11}Residents of Shaphir, pass by in nakedness and humiliation!

\par }{\Q The residents of Zaanan can’t leave their city.

\par }{\Q Beth Ezel mourns,

\par }{\Q “He takes from you what he desires.”


\par }{\Q \VS{12}Indeed, the residents of Maroth hope for something good to happen,

\par }{\Q though the
{\ND{Lord}} has sent disaster against the city of Jerusalem.


\par }{\Q \VS{13}Residents of Lachish, hitch the horses to the chariots!

\par }{\Q You influenced Daughter Zion to sin,

\par }{\Q for Israel’s rebellious deeds can be traced back to you!


\par }{\Q \VS{14}Therefore you will have to say farewell to Moresheth Gath.

\par }{\Q The residents of Achzib will be as disappointing

\par }{\Q as a dried up well to the kings of Israel.


\par }{\Q \VS{15}Residents of Mareshah, a conqueror will attack you,

\par }{\Q the leaders of Israel shall flee to Adullam.


\par }{\Q \VS{16}Shave your heads bald as you mourn for the children you love;

\par }{\Q shave your foreheads as bald as an eagle,

\par }{\Q for they are taken from you into exile.




\par }\Chap{2}{\PP \par }
{\Q \VerseOne{1}Those who devise sinful plans are as good as dead,

\par }{\Q those who dream about doing evil as they lie in bed.

\par }{\Q As soon as morning dawns they carry out their plans,

\par }{\Q because they have the power to do so.


\par }{\Q \VS{2}They confiscate the fields they desire,

\par }{\Q and seize the houses they want.

\par }{\Q They defraud people of their homes,

\par }{\Q and deprive people of the land they have inherited.


\par }{\Q \VS{3}Therefore the
{\ND{Lord}} says this: “Look, I am devising disaster for this nation!

\par }{\Q It will be like a yoke from which you cannot free your neck.

\par }{\Q You will no longer walk proudly,

\par }{\Q for it will be a time of catastrophe.


\par }{\Q \VS{4}In that day people will sing this taunt song to you –

\par }{\Q they will mock you with this lament:

\par }{\Q ‘We are completely destroyed;

\par }{\Q they sell off the property of my people.

\par }{\Q How they remove it from me!

\par }{\Q They assign our fields to the conqueror.’


\par }{\Q \VS{5}Therefore no one will assign you land in the
{\ND{Lord}}’s community.


\par }{\Q \VS{6}‘Don’t preach with such impassioned rhetoric,’ they say excitedly.

\par }{\Q ‘These prophets should not preach of such things;

\par }{\Q we will not be overtaken by humiliation.’


\par }{\Q \VS{7}Does the family of Jacob say,

\par }{\Q ‘The
{\ND{Lord}}’s patience can’t be exhausted –

\par }{\Q he would never do such things’?

\par }{\Q To be sure, my commands bring a reward

\par }{\Q for those who obey them,


\par }{\Q \VS{8}but you rise up as an enemy against my people.

\par }{\Q You steal a robe from a friend,

\par }{\Q from those who pass by peacefully as if returning from a war.


\par }{\Q \VS{9}You wrongly evict widows among my people from their cherished homes.

\par }{\Q You defraud their children of their prized inheritance.


\par }{\Q \VS{10}But you are the ones who will be forced to leave!

\par }{\Q For this land is not secure!

\par }{\Q Sin will thoroughly destroy it!


\par }{\Q \VS{11}If a lying windbag should come and say,

\par }{\Q ‘I’ll promise you blessings of wine and beer,’

\par }{\Q he would be just the right preacher for these people!


\par }{\SH The Lord Will Restore His People
\par }
{\Q \VS{12}I will certainly gather all of you, O Jacob,

\par }{\Q I will certainly assemble those Israelites who remain.

\par }{\Q I will bring them together like sheep in a fold,

\par }{\Q like a flock in the middle of a pasture;

\par }{\Q they will be so numerous that they will make a lot of noise.


\par }{\Q \VS{13}The one who can break through barriers will lead them out

\par }{\Q they will break out, pass through the gate, and leave.

\par }{\Q Their king will advance before them,

\par }{\Q The
{\ND{Lord}} himself will lead them.




\par }\Chap{3}{\PP \par }
{\Q \VerseOne{1}I said,

\par }{\Q “Listen, you leaders of Jacob,

\par }{\Q you rulers of the nation of Israel!

\par }{\Q You ought to know what is just,


\par }{\Q \VS{2}yet you hate what is good,

\par }{\Q and love what is evil.

\par }{\Q You flay my people’s skin

\par }{\Q and rip the flesh from their bones.


\par }{\Q \VS{3}You devour my people’s flesh,

\par }{\Q strip off their skin,

\par }{\Q and crush their bones.

\par }{\Q You chop them up like flesh in a pot –

\par }{\Q like meat in a kettle.


\par }{\PP \par }
{\Q \VS{4}Someday these sinners will cry to the
{\ND{Lord}} for help,

\par }{\Q but he will not answer them.

\par }{\Q He will hide his face from them at that time,

\par }{\Q because they have done such wicked deeds.”


\par }{\Q \VS{5}This is what the
{\ND{Lord}} says: “The prophets who mislead my people

\par }{\Q are as good as dead.

\par }{\Q If someone gives them enough to eat,

\par }{\Q they offer an oracle of peace.

\par }{\Q But if someone does not give them food,

\par }{\Q they are ready to declare war on him.


\par }{\Q \VS{6}Therefore night will fall, and you will receive no visions;

\par }{\Q it will grow dark, and you will no longer be able to read the omens.

\par }{\Q The sun will set on these prophets,

\par }{\Q and the daylight will turn to darkness over their heads.


\par }{\Q \VS{7}The prophets will be ashamed;

\par }{\Q the omen readers will be humiliated.

\par }{\Q All of them will cover their mouths,

\par }{\Q for they will receive no divine oracles.”


\par }{\Q \VS{8}But I am full of the courage that the
{\ND{Lord}}’s Spirit gives,

\par }{\Q and have a strong commitment to justice.

\par }{\Q This enables me to confront Jacob with its rebellion,

\par }{\Q and Israel with its sin.


\par }{\Q \VS{9}Listen to this, you leaders of the family of Jacob,

\par }{\Q you rulers of the nation of Israel!

\par }{\Q You hate justice

\par }{\Q and pervert all that is right.


\par }{\Q \VS{10}You build Zion through bloody crimes,

\par }{\Q Jerusalem through unjust violence.


\par }{\Q \VS{11}Her leaders take bribes when they decide legal cases,

\par }{\Q her priests proclaim rulings for profit,

\par }{\Q and her prophets read omens for pay.

\par }{\Q Yet they claim to trust the
{\ND{Lord}} and say,

\par }{\Q “The
{\ND{Lord}} is among us.

\par }{\Q Disaster will not overtake us!”


\par }{\Q \VS{12}Therefore, because of you, Zion will be plowed up like a field,

\par }{\Q Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,

\par }{\Q and the Temple Mount will become a hill overgrown with brush!




\par }\Chap{4}{\PP \par }
{\Q \VerseOne{1}In the future the
{\ND{Lord}}’s Temple Mount will be the most important mountain of all;

\par }{\Q it will be more prominent than other hills.

\par }{\Q People will stream to it.


\par }{\Q \VS{2}Many nations will come, saying,

\par }{\Q “Come on! Let’s go up to the
{\ND{Lord}}’s mountain,

\par }{\Q to the temple of Jacob’s God,

\par }{\Q so he can teach us his commands

\par }{\Q and we can live by his laws.”

\par }{\Q For Zion will be the source of instruction;

\par }{\Q the
{\ND{Lord}}’s teachings will proceed from Jerusalem.


\par }{\Q \VS{3}He will arbitrate between many peoples

\par }{\Q and settle disputes between many distant nations.

\par }{\Q They will beat their swords into plowshares,

\par }{\Q and their spears into pruning hooks.

\par }{\Q Nations will not use weapons against other nations,

\par }{\Q and they will no longer train for war.


\par }{\Q \VS{4}Each will sit under his own grapevine

\par }{\Q or under his own fig tree without any fear.

\par }{\Q The
{\ND{Lord}} who commands armies has decreed it.


\par }{\Q \VS{5}Though all the nations follow their respective gods,

\par }{\Q we will follow the
{\ND{Lord}} our God forever.


\par }{\SH Restoration Will Follow Crisis
\par }
{\Q \VS{6}“In that day,” says the
{\ND{Lord}}, “I will gather the lame,

\par }{\Q and assemble the outcasts whom I injured.


\par }{\Q \VS{7}I will transform the lame into the nucleus of a new nation,

\par }{\Q and those far off into a mighty nation.

\par }{\Q The
{\ND{Lord}} will reign over them on Mount Zion,

\par }{\Q from that day forward and forevermore.”


\par }{\Q \VS{8}As for you, watchtower for the flock,

\par }{\Q fortress of Daughter Zion –

\par }{\Q your former dominion will be restored,

\par }{\PP \par }
{\Q the sovereignty that belongs to Daughter Jerusalem.


\par }{\Q \VS{9}Jerusalem, why are you now shouting so loudly?

\par }{\Q Has your king disappeared?

\par }{\Q Has your wise leader been destroyed?

\par }{\Q Is this why pain grips you as if you were a woman in labor?


\par }{\Q \VS{10}Twist and strain, Daughter Zion, as if you were in labor!

\par }{\Q For you will leave the city

\par }{\Q and live in the open field.

\par }{\Q You will go to Babylon,

\par }{\Q but there you will be rescued.

\par }{\Q There the
{\ND{Lord}} will deliver you

\par }{\Q from the power of your enemies.


\par }{\Q \VS{11}Many nations have now assembled against you.

\par }{\Q They say, “Jerusalem must be desecrated,

\par }{\Q so we can gloat over Zion!”


\par }{\Q \VS{12}But they do not know what the
{\ND{Lord}} is planning;

\par }{\Q they do not understand his strategy.

\par }{\Q He has gathered them like stalks of grain to be threshed at the threshing floor.


\par }{\Q \VS{13}“Get up and thresh, Daughter Zion!

\par }{\Q For I will give you iron horns;

\par }{\Q I will give you bronze hooves,

\par }{\Q and you will crush many nations.”

\par }{\Q You will devote to the
{\ND{Lord}} the spoils you take from them,

\par }{\Q and dedicate their wealth to the sovereign Ruler of the whole earth.




\par }\Chap{5}{\PP \par }
{\Q \VerseOne{1}But now slash yourself, daughter surrounded by soldiers!

\par }{\Q We are besieged!

\par }{\Q With a scepter they strike Israel’s ruler

\par }{\Q on the side of his face.


\par }{\SH A King Will Come and a Remnant Will Prosper
\par }
{\Q \VS{2}As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

\par }{\Q seemingly insignificant among the clans of Judah –

\par }{\Q from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf,

\par }{\Q one whose origins are in the distant past.


\par }{\Q \VS{3}So the
{\ND{Lord}} will hand the people of Israel over to their enemies

\par }{\Q until the time when the woman in labor gives birth.

\par }{\Q Then the rest of the king’s countrymen will return

\par }{\Q to be reunited with the people of Israel.


\par }{\Q \VS{4}He will assume his post and shepherd the people by the
{\ND{Lord}}’s strength,

\par }{\Q by the sovereign authority of the
{\ND{Lord}} his God.

\par }{\Q They will live securely, for at that time he will be honored

\par }{\Q even in the distant regions of the earth.


\par }{\Q \VS{5}He will give us peace.

\par }{\Q Should the Assyrians try to invade our land

\par }{\Q and attempt to set foot in our fortresses,

\par }{\Q we will send against them seven shepherd-rulers,

\par }{\Q make that eight commanders.


\par }{\Q \VS{6}They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword,

\par }{\Q the land of Nimrod with a drawn sword.

\par }{\Q Our king will rescue us from the Assyrians

\par }{\Q should they attempt to invade our land

\par }{\Q and try to set foot in our territory.


\par }{\Q \VS{7}Those survivors from Jacob will live

\par }{\Q in the midst of many nations.

\par }{\Q They will be like the dew the
{\ND{Lord}} sends,

\par }{\Q like the rain on the grass,

\par }{\Q that does not hope for men to come

\par }{\Q or wait around for humans to arrive.


\par }{\Q \VS{8}Those survivors from Jacob will live among the nations,

\par }{\Q in the midst of many peoples.

\par }{\Q They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,

\par }{\Q like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,

\par }{\Q which attacks when it passes through;

\par }{\Q it rips its prey and there is no one to stop it.


\par }{\Q \VS{9}Lift your hand triumphantly against your adversaries;

\par }{\Q may all your enemies be destroyed!


\par }{\SH The Lord Will Purify His People
\par }
{\Q \VS{10}“In that day,” says the
{\ND{Lord}},

\par }{\Q “I will destroy your horses from your midst,

\par }{\Q and smash your chariots.


\par }{\Q \VS{11}I will destroy the cities of your land,

\par }{\Q and tear down all your fortresses.


\par }{\Q \VS{12}I will remove the sorcery that you practice,

\par }{\Q and you will no longer have omen readers living among you.


\par }{\Q \VS{13}I will remove your idols and sacred pillars from your midst;

\par }{\Q you will no longer worship what your own hands made.


\par }{\Q \VS{14}I will uproot your images of Asherah from your midst,

\par }{\Q and destroy your idols.


\par }{\Q \VS{15}I will angrily seek vengeance

\par }{\Q on the nations that do not obey me.”




\par }\Chap{6}{\PP \par }
{\Q \VerseOne{1}Listen to what the
{\ND{Lord}} says:

\par }{\Q “Get up! Defend yourself before the mountains!

\par }{\Q Present your case before the hills!”


\par }{\Q \VS{2}Hear the
{\ND{Lord}}’s accusation, you mountains,

\par }{\Q you enduring foundations of the earth!

\par }{\Q For the
{\ND{Lord}} has a case against his people;

\par }{\Q he has a dispute with Israel!


\par }{\Q \VS{3}“My people, how have I wronged you?

\par }{\Q How have I wearied you? Answer me!


\par }{\Q \VS{4}In fact, I brought you up from the land of Egypt,

\par }{\Q I delivered you from that place of slavery.

\par }{\Q I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead you.


\par }{\Q \VS{5}My people, recall how King Balak of Moab planned to harm you,

\par }{\Q how Balaam son of Beor responded to him.

\par }{\Q Recall how you journeyed from Shittim to Gilgal,

\par }{\Q so you might acknowledge that the
{\ND{Lord}} has treated you fairly.”


\par }{\Q \VS{6}With what should I enter the
{\ND{Lord}}’s presence?

\par }{\Q With what should I bow before the sovereign God?

\par }{\Q Should I enter his presence with burnt offerings,

\par }{\Q with year-old calves?


\par }{\Q \VS{7}Will the
{\ND{Lord}} accept a thousand rams,

\par }{\Q or ten thousand streams of olive oil?

\par }{\Q Should I give him my firstborn child as payment for my rebellion,

\par }{\Q my offspring – my own flesh and blood – for my sin?


\par }{\Q \VS{8}He has told you, O man, what is good,

\par }{\Q and what the
{\ND{Lord}} really wants from you:

\par }{\Q He wants you to promote justice, to be faithful,

\par }{\Q and to live obediently before your God.


\par }{\Q \VS{9}Listen! The
{\ND{Lord}} is calling to the city!

\par }{\Q It is wise to respect your authority, O
{\ND{Lord}}!

\par }{\Q Listen, O nation, and those assembled in the city!


\par }{\Q \VS{10}“I will not overlook, O sinful house, the dishonest gain you have hoarded away,

\par }{\Q or the smaller-than-standard measure I hate so much.


\par }{\Q \VS{11}I do not condone the use of rigged scales,

\par }{\Q or a bag of deceptive weights.


\par }{\Q \VS{12}The city’s rich men think nothing of resorting to violence;

\par }{\Q her inhabitants lie,

\par }{\Q their tongues speak deceptive words.


\par }{\Q \VS{13}I will strike you brutally

\par }{\Q and destroy you because of your sin.


\par }{\Q \VS{14}You will eat, but not be satisfied.

\par }{\Q Even if you have the strength to overtake some prey,

\par }{\Q you will not be able to carry it away;

\par }{\Q if you do happen to carry away something,

\par }{\Q I will deliver it over to the sword.


\par }{\Q \VS{15}You will plant crops, but will not harvest them;

\par }{\Q you will squeeze oil from the olives, but you will have no oil to rub on your bodies;

\par }{\Q you will squeeze juice from the grapes, but you will have no wine to drink.


\par }{\Q \VS{16}You implement the regulations of Omri,

\par }{\Q and all the practices of Ahab’s dynasty;

\par }{\Q you follow their policies.

\par }{\Q Therefore I will make you an appalling sight,

\par }{\Q the city’s inhabitants will be taunted derisively,

\par }{\Q and nations will mock all of you.”




\par }\Chap{7}{\PP \par }
{\Q \VerseOne{1}I am depressed!

\par }{\Q Indeed, it is as if the summer fruit has been gathered,

\par }{\Q and the grapes have been harvested.

\par }{\Q There is no grape cluster to eat,

\par }{\Q no fresh figs that I crave so much.


\par }{\Q \VS{2}Faithful men have disappeared from the land;

\par }{\Q there are no godly men left.

\par }{\Q They all wait in ambush so they can shed blood;

\par }{\Q they hunt their own brother with a net.


\par }{\Q \VS{3}They are determined to be experts at doing evil;

\par }{\Q government officials and judges take bribes,

\par }{\Q prominent men make demands,

\par }{\Q and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them.


\par }{\Q \VS{4}The best of them is like a thorn;

\par }{\Q the most godly among them are more dangerous than a row of thorn bushes.

\par }{\Q The day you try to avoid by posting watchmen –

\par }{\Q your appointed time of punishment – is on the way,

\par }{\Q and then you will experience confusion.


\par }{\Q \VS{5}Do not rely on a friend;

\par }{\Q do not trust a companion!

\par }{\Q Don’t even share secrets with the one who lies in your arms!


\par }{\Q \VS{6}For a son thinks his father is a fool,

\par }{\Q a daughter challenges her mother,

\par }{\Q and a daughter-in-law her mother-in-law;

\par }{\Q a man’s enemies are his own servants.


\par }{\Q \VS{7}But I will keep watching for the
{\ND{Lord}};

\par }{\Q I will wait for the God who delivers me.

\par }{\Q My God will hear my lament.


\par }{\SH Jerusalem Will Be Vindicated
\par }
{\Q \VS{8}My enemies, do not gloat over me!

\par }{\Q Though I have fallen, I will get up.

\par }{\Q Though I sit in darkness, the
{\ND{Lord}} will be my light.


\par }{\Q \VS{9}I must endure the
{\ND{Lord}}’s anger,

\par }{\Q for I have sinned against him.

\par }{\Q But then he will defend my cause,

\par }{\Q and accomplish justice on my behalf.

\par }{\Q He will lead me out into the light;

\par }{\Q I will experience firsthand his deliverance.


\par }{\Q \VS{10}When my enemies see this, they will be covered with shame.

\par }{\Q They say to me, “Where is the
{\ND{Lord}} your God?”

\par }{\Q I will gloat over them.

\par }{\Q Then they will be trampled down

\par }{\Q like mud in the streets.


\par }{\Q \VS{11}It will be a day for rebuilding your walls;

\par }{\Q in that day your boundary will be extended.


\par }{\SH A Closing Prayer
\par }
{\Q \VS{12}In that day people will come to you

\par }{\Q from Assyria as far as Egypt,

\par }{\Q from Egypt as far as the Euphrates River,

\par }{\Q from the seacoasts and the mountains.


\par }{\Q \VS{13}The earth will become desolate

\par }{\Q because of what its inhabitants have done.


\par }{\Q \VS{14}Shepherd your people with your shepherd’s rod,

\par }{\Q the flock that belongs to you,

\par }{\Q the one that lives alone in a thicket,

\par }{\Q in the midst of a pastureland.

\par }{\Q Allow them to graze in Bashan and Gilead,

\par }{\Q as they did in the old days.


\par }{\Q \VS{15}“As in the days when you departed from the land of Egypt,

\par }{\Q I will show you miraculous deeds.”


\par }{\Q \VS{16}Nations will see this and be disappointed by all their strength,

\par }{\Q they will put their hands over their mouths,

\par }{\Q and act as if they were deaf.


\par }{\Q \VS{17}They will lick the dust like a snake,

\par }{\Q like serpents crawling on the ground.

\par }{\Q They will come trembling from their strongholds

\par }{\Q to the
{\ND{Lord}} our God;

\par }{\Q they will be terrified of you.


\par }{\Q \VS{18}There is no other God like you!

\par }{\Q You forgive sin

\par }{\Q and pardon the rebellion

\par }{\Q of those who remain among your people.

\par }{\Q You do not remain angry forever,

\par }{\Q but delight in showing loyal love.


\par }{\Q \VS{19}You will once again have mercy on us;

\par }{\Q you will conquer our evil deeds;

\par }{\Q you will hurl our sins into the depths of the sea.


\par }{\Q \VS{20}You will be loyal to Jacob

\par }{\Q and extend your loyal love to Abraham,

\par }{\Q which you promised on oath to our ancestors

\par }{\PP in ancient times.


\par }