
{1}1{/}

{I}1_{/}This is the word 
of Yahweh which came to 
Micah of Moresheth during 
the reigns of Jotham, 
Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings 
of Judah. These are his 
visions concerning 
Samaria and Jerusalem.
AGAINST SAMARIA AND 
JERUSALEM{/}

{I}2_{/}Hear all you 
peoples, let the earth 
listen and all who are in 
it. For Yahweh is 
witnessing against you 
from his holy temple.
{I}3_{/}Yahweh has come 
forth from his place, he 
comes down and treads 
upon the heights of the 
earth. {I}4_{/}Beneath 
him mountains collapse 
and valleys melt like wax 
before the fire, as 
torrents pouring down the 
hillside.
{I}5_{/}All this for the 
crime of Jacob, for the 
sin of the nation of 
Judah. What is the crime 
of Jacob? Is it not 
Samaria? What is the sin 
of the nation of Judah? 
Is it not Jerusalem?
{I}6_{/}Therefore I will 
make Samaria a heap of 
ruins in the open 
country, a place for 
planting vineyards. I 
will scatter her stones 
down into the valley and 
lay her foundations bare.
{I}7_{/}All her carved 
images will be dashed to 
pieces and her filthy 
idols burnt by fire. I 
will make a waste heap of 
all her idols for they 
were made with harlot's 
wages, and to harlot's 
wages they will return.
{I}8_{/}For this reason I 
lament and wail, go 
barefoot and naked. I 
shall howl like a jackal 
and wail like an ostrich. 
{I}9_{/}For her wound 
cannot be healed; rather 
it has come to Judah. It 
has reached the capital 
of my people, Jerusalem.
{I}10_{/}Exult not in 
Gath; break down and weep 
in Acco. In Beth-leaphra 
roll in the dust. 
{I}11_{/}Sound the bugle, 
O people of Shaphir and 
do not let the dwellers 
in Zaanan come forth. 
Mourn greatly, Beth Ezel: 
your treasures are taken 
away.
{I}12_{/}Surely they 
trembled, the people in 
Maroth, when calamity 
came down from Yahweh to 
the gates of Jerusalem.
{I}13_{/}Hitch the horses 
to the chariot, citizens 
of Lachish. In you the 
rebellions of Israel were 
found and because of you 
Zion began to sin. 
{I}14_{/}Therefore you 
must give a redress to 
Moresheth-Gath. The 
houses of Achzib have 
become deceitful to the 
kings of Israel.
{I}15_{/}Again I will 
bring the conqueror to 
you, people of Maresha, 
and the elite of Israel 
will leave forever. 
{I}16_{/}Shave your hair 
for your delightful 
children. Make yourself 
bald as an eagle for they 
have been deported far 
from you.
AGAINST THE RICH{/}

{1}2{/}

{I}1_{/}Woe to those who 
plot wickedness and plan 
evil even on their beds! 
When morning comes they 
do it, as soon as it is 
within their reach.
{I}2_{/}If they covet 
fields, they seize them. 
Do they like houses? They 
take them. They seize the 
owner and his household, 
both the man and his 
property.
{I}3_{/}This is why 
Yahweh speaks, "I am 
plotting evil against 
this whole brood, from 
which your necks cannot 
escape. No more shall you 
walk with head held high 
for it will be an evil 
time."
{I}4_{/}On that day they 
will sing a taunting song 
against you and a bitter 
lamentation will be 
heard, "We have been 
stripped of our property 
in our homeland. Who will 
free us from the wicked 
who allots our fields." 
{I}5_{/}Truly, no one 
will be found in the 
assembly of Yahweh to 
keep a field for you.
{I}6_{/}What will you say 
to that? For there is no 
reply. Disgrace will not 
pass away; these words 
will strike the nation of 
Jacob.
{I}7_{/}They answer, "Is 
the might of Yahweh 
weakened? Is this his way 
of working things out? 
Has he not good words for 
his people of Israel?"
{I}8_{/}But it is you who 
oppress my people and are 
his enemies. You strip 
off the garments of those 
who pass by confidently; 
{I}9_{/}you drive the 
women of my people from 
the home they love; you 
rob my blessing from 
their children forever. 
{I}10_{/}Get up! Away 
with you! There is no 
resting place for you 
here! Because of this 
uncleanness of yours, you 
will go roped up.
{I}11_{/}If a deceiver 
were to come and say, "I 
will preach to you of 
wine and strong drink," 
he would be the prophet 
for this people.
A COMFORTING WORD{/}

{I}12_{/}I shall assemble 
you, nation of Jacob, and 
gather the remnant of 
Israel. I will bring them 
together like sheep in a 
fold, like a flock in its 
pasture. {I}13_{/}They 
have a leader in their 
midst. See: their king 
goes before them, Yahweh 
is heading them!
LEADERS AND PROPHETS 
OPPRESS THE PEOPLE{/}

{1}3{/}

{I}1_{/}Then I said, "You 
rulers of the house of 
Israel, is it not your 
duty to know what is 
right? {I}2_{/}Yet you 
hate good and love evil, 
you tear the skin from my 
people and the flesh from 
their bones.
{I}3_{/}Those who eat my 
people's flesh and break 
their bones to pieces, 
who chop them up like 
meat for the pan and 
share them like flesh for 
the pot, {I}4_{/}when 
they cry, Yahweh will not 
answer. He will hide his 
face from them because of 
their evil deeds."
{I}5_{/}This is what 
Yahweh says of the 
prophets who lead my 
people astray:
You cry: "Peace" when you 
have something to eat, 
but to anyone with 
nothing for your mouths, 
it is "War" that you 
declare. {I}6_{/}So night 
will come to you without 
vision, and darkness 
without divination. Then 
sun will set for the 
prophets and the day will 
be dark for them.
{I}7_{/}Then the seers 
will be disgraced and the 
diviners put to shame. 
They will all cover their 
faces because no answer 
will come from God. 
{I}8_{/}But as for me, I 
am filled with might, 
with the spirit of 
Yahweh, with justice and 
courage, to declare to 
Jacob his transgressions, 
to Israel his sins.
{I}9_{/}Hear this, 
leaders of the nation of 
Jacob, rulers of the 
house of Israel, you who 
despise justice and 
pervert what is right, 
{I}10_{/}you who build 
Zion with blood and 
Jerusalem with crime. 
{I}11_{/}Her leaders 
judge for a bribe, her 
priests prophesy for 
money, and yet they rely 
on Yahweh and say, "Is 
Yahweh not in our midst? 
No evil, then, will come 
upon us." 
{I}12_{/}Therefore, 
because of you, Zion will 
become a field, Jerusalem 
will be a heap of ruins 
and the temple mount a 
forest with sacred 
stones.
{1}4{/}

{I}1_{/}In the last days, 
the mountain of Yahweh's 
house shall be set over 
the highest mountains and 
will tower over the 
hills. {I}2_{/}All the 
nations will stream to 
it, saying, "Come, let us 
go to the mountain of 
Yahweh, to the house of 
the God of Jacob, so he 
may teach us his ways and 
we may walk in his paths. 
For the Teaching comes 
from Zion and from 
Jerusalem the word of 
Yahweh."
{I}3_{/}He will rule over 
the nations and settle 
disputes for many 
peoples. They will beat 
their swords into 
plowshares and their 
spears into pruning 
hooks. Nation will not 
raise sword against 
nation; neither will they 
train for war any more. 
{I}4_{/}But each one will 
sit in peace and freedom 
under a fig tree or a 
vine of his own, for the 
mouth of Yahweh of hosts 
has spoken.
{I}5_{/}While peoples 
walk, each in the name of 
his god, we shall walk in 
the name of Yahweh, our 
God, forever and ever.
{I}6_{/}Yahweh declares, 
"On that day I will 
assemble the lame and 
gather the banished, 
those whom I have 
afflicted. {I}7_{/}I will 
make the lame a remnant 
and those driven out a 
mighty nation. Yahweh 
will reign over them on 
Zion from now and 
forever.
{I}8_{/}As for you, O 
watchtower of the flock, 
O city of Zion, city of 
the king, your former 
dominion will be 
restored, the kingdom of 
the daughter of 
Jerusalem.
{I}9_{/}Now, why do you 
wail? Would it be that 
you have no king and your 
counselor has perished? 
Why are you in anguish 
like a woman in labor? 
{I}10_{/}Writhe and howl, 
O daughter of Zion, like 
a woman in labor, for now 
you must leave the city 
and camp in the open 
country. To Babylon you 
must go; there you shall 
be rescued and Yahweh 
will redeem you from the 
hand of your enemies.
{I}11_{/}But now many 
nations are massed 
against you; they say, 
"Let Jerusalem be 
defiled, let our eyes 
gloat over Zion." 
{I}12_{/}But they do not 
know Yahweh's thoughts, 
nor do they understand 
his purpose: that he has 
gathered them like 
sheaves on the threshing 
floor.
{I}13_{/}Arise and 
thresh, O Zion, for I 
will give you horns of 
iron and hooves of 
bronze, and you shall 
crush many peoples. You 
shall devote their 
plundered wealth to 
Yahweh, their treasures 
to the Lord of the whole 
earth.
{I}14_{/}Strengthen the 
walls of your fortress, 
for they have laid siege 
against us. With a rod 
they want to strike the 
cheek of Israel's ruler. 
BUT YOU, BETHLEHEM 
EPHRATHAH{/}

{1}5{/}

{I}1_{/}But you, 
Bethlehem Ephrathah, so 
small that you are hardly 
named among the clans of 
Judah, from you shall I 
raise the one who is to 
rule over Israel. For he 
comes forth from of old, 
from the ancient times.
{I}2_{/}Yahweh, 
therefore, will abandon 
Israel until such time as 
she who is to give birth 
has given birth. Then the 
rest of his deported 
brothers will return to 
the people of Israel.
{I}3_{/}He will stand and 
shepherd his flock with 
the strength of Yahweh, 
in the glorious Name of 
Yahweh, his God. They 
will live safely while he 
wins renown to the ends 
of the earth. {I}4_{/}He 
shall be peace.
When the Assyrian invades 
our land
and sets foot on our 
territory,
we will raise against him
not one but seven 
shepherds,
eight warlords.
{I}5_{/}They will rule 
Assyria with the sword,
and Babylonia with the 
bared blade.
He will deliver us from 
the Assyrians
when they come into our 
land,
when they set foot within 
our borders.
{I}6_{/}Then the remnant 
of Jacob will be
in the midst of many 
peoples,
like dew dropping down 
from Yahweh,
like showers falling upon 
the grass.
For they do not put their 
hope in man
or expect anything from 
mortals.
{I}7_{/}The remnant of 
Jacob will then be
in the midst of many 
peoples,
like a lion among the 
beasts of the forest,
like a young lion in a 
flock of sheep,
trampling down as it 
goes,
mangling its prey, and no 
rescuer in sight.
{I}8_{/}May your hand be 
raised high over your 
foes,
and all your enemies 
perish.
{I}9_{/}"On that day - 
Yahweh speaks -
I will drive away your 
horses;
I will wreck your 
chariots,
{I}10_{/}I will demolish 
your cities
and tear down your 
strongholds.

{I}11_{/}I will do away 
with your witchcraft
and rid you of 
soothsayers.
{I}12_{/}I will abolish 
your carved images,
the sacred stones from 
your midst,
so that you no longer 
worship the work of your 
hands.
{I}13_{/}I will pull down 
your sacred poles

and destroy all your 
idols.
{I}14_{/}In raging fury I 
will take vengeance
upon the nations that 
have not obeyed me."
O MY PEOPLE WHAT HAVE I 
DONE TO YOU?{/}

{1}6{/}

{I}1_{/}Listen to what 
Yahweh said to me, "Stand 
up, let the mountains 
hear your claim, and the 
hills listen to your 
plea."
{I}2_{/}Hear, O 
mountains, Yahweh's 
complaint! Foundations of 
the earth, pay attention! 
For Yahweh has a case 
against his people, and 
will argue it with 
Israel.
{I}3_{/}"O my people, 
what have I done to you? 
In what way have I been a 
burden to you? Answer me.
{I}4_{/}I brought you out 
of Egypt; I rescued you 
from the land of bondage; 
I sent Moses, Aaron and 
Miriam to lead you. 
{I}5_{/}O my people, 
remember what Balak, king 
of Moab, plotted, and 
what Balaam, son of Beor, 
answered him. Remember 
your journey from Shittim 
to Gilgal, how you have 
come to know Yahweh's 
righteous paths."
{I}6_{/}"What shall I 
bring when I come to 
Yahweh and bow down 
before God the most high? 
Shall I come with burnt 
offerings, with 
sacrifices of yearling 
calves? {I}7_{/}Will 
Yahweh be pleased with 
thousands of rams, with 
an overabundance of oil 
libations? Should I offer 
my firstborn for my sins, 
the fruit of my body for 
my wrongdoing?"
{I}8_{/}"You have been 
told, O man, what is good 
and what Yahweh requires 
of you: to do justice, to 
love mercy, and to walk 
humbly with your God.
{I}9_{/}The voice of 
Yahweh calls to the city, 
in order to save those 
who fear his Name."
{I}10_{/}"Is there still 
within you unjust wealth 
and accursed short 
measure? {I}11_{/}Shall I 
approve your false scales 
and your bags of false 
weights?
{I}12_{/}O city whose 
rich are full of 
violence, whose citizens 
speak falsehood, men of 
deceitful tongue! 
{I}13_{/}See, I am 
striking you a grievous 
blow, making you desolate 
because of your sins. 
{I}14_{/}You shall eat 
but not be satisfied and 
your insides will go on 
crying.
What you overtake, you 
will not carry off, and 
those who escape I will 
hand them over to the 
sword. {I}15_{/}You shall 
sow but not reap. You 
shall tread your olives, 
but not anoint yourselves 
with the oil. You shall 
tread the grapes but not 
drink the wine.
{I}16_{/}You keep the 
rules of Omri and follow 
the examples of Ahab's 
court. So I will give you 
up to devastation, so 
that your citizens become 
an object of derision. 
You shall bear the scorn 
of the peoples."
{1}7{/}

{I}1_{/}How I sorrow! For 
I am like the gatherer of 
summer fruit, like the 
gleaner of the vintage, 
when there are no grapes 
to eat, none of the early 
figs I crave.
{I}2_{/}The godly have 
vanished from the earth 
and not one upright man 
is to be found. All lie 
in ambush to shed blood, 
one hunts another with a 
net. {I}3_{/}Their hands 
are skilled at doing 
evil. The official 
demands a bribe, the 
judge judges for a price 
and the mighty decides as 
he pleases.
{I}4_{/}Their kindness is 
like a brier, their 
justice worse than a 
thorn hedge. But the time 
of punishment has come, 
and now is the time of 
confusion.
{I}5_{/}Do not rely on a 
friend nor trust an 
intimate companion. Be 
guarded in speech with 
the woman who shares your 
bed. {I}6_{/}For son 
treats father like a 
fool, daughter rebels 
against mother, daughter-
in-law against mother-in-
law. The enemies of each 
one are those of his 
household.
{I}7_{/}As for me, I will 
watch expectantly for 
Yahweh, waiting hopefully 
for the God who saves me. 
My God will hear me.
POEM OF EXILE - JERUSALEM 
WILL RISE{/}

{I}8_{/}Do not rejoice 
over me, my enemy; though 
I have fallen, I will 
rise again. Though I now 
dwell in darkness, Yahweh 
is my light.
{I}9_{/}I will bear the 
wrath of Yahweh - for I 
have sinned against him - 
while he examines my 
cause and defends my 
rights. Then he will 
bring me out to the light 
and I shall probe his 
justice.
{I}10_{/}Then my enemy 
shall also see and shame 
will cover her. Did she 
not say, "Where is 
Yahweh, your God?" My 
eyes, then, shall 
rejoice: See how she is 
trampled like mud in the 
street!
{I}11_{/}The day is 
coming when your walls 
will be rebuilt and your 
boundaries extended. 
{I}12_{/}On that day they 
will come to you from 
Assyria to Egypt, from 
Tyre to the Euphrates, 
from sea to sea and from 
mountain to mountain, 
{I}13_{/}while the earth 
will remain desolate 
because of its citizens 
and their deeds.
{I}14_{/}Shepherd your 
people with your staff, 
shepherd the flock of 
your inheritance that 
dwells alone in the 
scrub, in the midst of a 
fertile land. Let them 
feed in Bashan and Gilead 
{I}15_{/}as in the days 
of old, in the days when 
you went out of Egypt.
Show us your wonders. 
{I}16_{/}On seeing this 
the nations will be put 
to shame in the midst of 
all their might. People 
will lay their hands upon 
their mouths and they 
will not believe the 
news.
{I}17_{/}They shall lick 
the dust like snakes, 
like creatures that crawl 
upon the ground. They 
will come trembling out 
of their strongholds; 
they will be in fear of 
you.
{I}18_{/}Who is a god 
like you, who takes away 
guilt and pardons crime 
for the remnant of his 
inheritance?
Who is like you whose 
anger does not last? For 
you delight in merciful 
forgiveness.
{I}19_{/}Once again you 
will show us your loving 
kindness and trample on 
our wrongs, casting all 
our sins into the depths 
of the sea.
{I}20_{/}Show 
faithfulness to Jacob, 
mercy to Abraham, as you 
have sworn to our 
ancestors from the days 
of old.

