MIC 1:1 The word
of the Lord which came to Micah of Moresheth in the
days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah,
which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
MIC 1:2 Hear, O peoples, all of you; Listen,
O earth and all it contains, And let the Lord God be
a witness against you, The Lord from His holy
temple.
MIC 1:3 For behold, the Lord is coming forth
from His place. He will come down and tread on the
high places of the earth.
MIC 1:4 The mountains will melt under Him,
And the valleys will be split, Like wax before the
fire, Like water poured down a steep place.
MIC 1:5 All this is for the rebellion of
Jacob And for the sins of the house of Israel. What
is the rebellion of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? What
is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?
MIC 1:6 For I will make Samaria a heap of
ruins in the open country, Planting places for a
vineyard. I will pour her stones down into the
valley, And will lay bare her foundations.
MIC 1:7 All of her idols will be smashed, All
of her earnings will be burned with fire, And all of
her images I will make desolate, For she collected
them from a harlot's earnings, And to the earnings
of a harlot they will return.
MIC 1:8 Because of this I must lament and
wail, I must go barefoot and naked; I must make a
lament like the jackals And a mourning like the
ostriches.
MIC 1:9 For her wound is incurable, For it
has come to Judah; It has reached the gate of my
people, Even to Jerusalem.
MIC 1:10 Tell it not in Gath, Weep not at
all. At Beth-le-aphrah roll yourself in the dust.
MIC 1:11 Go on your way, inhabitant of
Shaphir, in shameful nakedness. The inhabitant of
Zaanan does not escape. The lamentation of Beth-ezel:
"He will take from you its support."
MIC 1:12 For the inhabitant of Maroth Becomes
weak waiting for good, Because a calamity has come
down from the Lord To the gate of Jerusalem.
MIC 1:13 Harness the chariot to the team of
horses, O inhabitant of Lachish - - She was the
beginning of sin To the daughter of Zion - - Because
in you were found The rebellious acts of Israel.
MIC 1:14 Therefore, you will give parting
gifts On behalf of Moresheth-gath; The houses of
Achzib will become a deception To the kings of
Israel.
MIC 1:15 Moreover, I will bring on you The
one who takes possession, O inhabitant of Mareshah.
The glory of Israel will enter Adullam.
MIC 1:16 Make yourself bald and cut off your
hair, Because of the children of your delight;
Extend your baldness like the eagle, For they will
go from you into exile.
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MIC 2:1 Woe to
those who scheme iniquity, Who work out evil on
their beds! When morning comes, they do it, For it
is in the power of their hands.
MIC 2:2 They covet fields and then seize
them, And houses, and take them away. They rob a man
and his house, A man and his inheritance.
MIC 2:3 Therefore, thus says the Lord,
"Behold, I am planning against this family a
calamity From which you cannot remove your necks;
And you will not walk haughtily, For it will be an
evil time.
MIC 2:4 "On that day they will take up
against you a taunt And utter a bitter lamentation
and say, 'We are completely destroyed! He exchanges
the portion of my people; How He removes it from me!
To the apostate He apportions our fields.'
MIC 2:5 "Therefore, you will have no one
stretching a measuring line For you by lot in the
assembly of the Lord.
MIC 2:6 ' Do not speak out,' so they speak
out. But if they do not speak out concerning these
things, Reproaches will not be turned back.
MIC 2:7 "Is it being said, O house of Jacob:
'Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient? Are these His
doings?' Do not My words do good To the one walking
uprightly?
MIC 2:8 "Recently My people have arisen as an
enemy - - You strip the robe off the garment, From
unsuspecting passers-by, From those returned from
war.
MIC 2:9 "The women of My people you evict,
Each one from her pleasant house. From her children
you take My splendor forever.
MIC 2:10 "Arise and go, For this is no place
of rest Because of the uncleanness that brings on
destruction, A painful destruction.
MIC 2:11 "If a man walking after wind and
falsehood Had told lies and said, 'I will speak out
to you concerning wine and liquor,' He would be
spokesman to this people.
MIC 2:12 "I will surely assemble all of you,
Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I
will put them together like sheep in the fold; Like
a flock in the midst of its pasture They will be
noisy with men.
MIC 2:13 "The breaker goes up before them;
They break out, pass through the gate, and go out by
it. So their king goes on before them, And the Lord
at their head."
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MIC 3:1 And I
said, "Hear now, heads of Jacob And rulers of the
house of Israel. Is it not for you to know justice?
MIC 3:2 "You who hate good and love evil, Who
tear off their skin from them And their flesh from
their bones,
MIC 3:3 And who eat the flesh of my people,
Strip off their skin from them, Break their bones,
And chop them up as for the pot And as meat in a
kettle."
MIC 3:4 Then they will cry out to the Lord,
But He will not answer them. Instead, He will hide
His face from them at that time, Because they have
practiced evil deeds.
MIC 3:5 Thus says the Lord concerning the
prophets Who lead my people astray; When they have
something to bite with their teeth, They cry,
"Peace," But against him who puts nothing in their
mouths, They declare holy war.
MIC 3:6 Therefore it will be night for you -
- without vision, And darkness for you - - without
divination. The sun will go down on the prophets,
And the day will become dark over them.
MIC 3:7 The seers will be ashamed And the
diviners will be embarrassed. Indeed, they will all
cover their mouths Because there is no answer from
God.
MIC 3:8 On the other hand I am filled with
power - - With the Spirit of the Lord - - And with
justice and courage To make known to Jacob his
rebellious act, Even to Israel his sin.
MIC 3:9 Now hear this, heads of the house of
Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel, Who abhor
justice And twist everything that is straight,
MIC 3:10 Who build Zion with bloodshed And
Jerusalem with violent injustice.
MIC 3:11 Her leaders pronounce judgment for a
bribe, Her priests instruct for a price, And her
prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the Lord
saying, "Is not the Lord in our midst? Calamity will
not come upon us."
MIC 3:12 Therefore, on account of you, Zion
will be plowed as a field, Jerusalem will become a
heap of ruins, And the mountain of the temple will
become high places of a forest.
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MIC 4:1 And it
will come about in the last days That the mountain
of the house of the Lord Will be established as the
chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the
hills, And the peoples will stream to it.
MIC 4:2 And many nations will come and say,
"Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord
And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may
teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His
paths." For from Zion will go forth the law, Even
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
MIC 4:3 And He will judge between many
peoples And render decisions for mighty, distant
nations. Then they will hammer their swords into
plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And
never again will they train for war.
MIC 4:4 And each of them will sit under his
vine And under his fig tree, With no one to make
them afraid, For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has
spoken.
MIC 4:5 Though all the peoples walk Each in
the name of his god, As for us, we will walk In the
name of the Lord our God forever and ever.
MIC 4:6 "In that day," declares the Lord, "I
will assemble the lame, And gather the outcasts,
Even those whom I have afflicted.
MIC 4:7 "I will make the lame a remnant, And
the outcasts a strong nation, And the Lord will
reign over them in Mount Zion From now on and
forever.
MIC 4:8 "And as for you, tower of the flock,
Hill of the daughter of Zion, To you it will come -
- Even the former dominion will come, The kingdom of
the daughter of Jerusalem.
MIC 4:9 "Now, why do you cry out loudly? Is
there no king among you, Or has your counselor
perished, That agony has gripped you like a woman in
childbirth?
MIC 4:10 "Writhe and labor to give birth,
Daughter of Zion, Like a woman in childbirth, For
now you will go out of the city, Dwell in the field,
And go to Babylon. There you will be rescued; There
the Lord will redeem you From the hand of your
enemies.
MIC 4:11 "And now many nations have been
assembled against you Who say, 'Let her be polluted,
And let our eyes gloat over Zion.'
MIC 4:12 "But they do not know the thoughts
of the Lord, And they do not understand His purpose;
For He has gathered them like sheaves to the
threshing floor.
MIC 4:13 "Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion,
For your horn I will make iron And your hoofs I will
make bronze, That you may pulverize many peoples,
That you may devote to the Lord their unjust gain
And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.
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MIC 5:1 "Now
muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops;
They have laid siege against us; With a rod they
will smite the judge of Israel on the cheek.
MIC 5:2 "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you
One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His
goings forth are from long ago, From the days of
eternity."
MIC 5:3 Therefore, He will give them up until
the time When she who is in labor has borne a child.
Then the remainder of His brethren Will return to
the sons of Israel.
MIC 5:4 And He will arise and shepherd His
flock In the strength of the Lord, In the majesty of
the name of the Lord His God. And they will remain,
Because at that time He will be great To the ends of
the earth.
MIC 5:5 And this One will be our peace. When
the Assyrian invades our land, When he tramples on
our citadels, Then we will raise against him Seven
shepherds and eight leaders of men.
MIC 5:6 And they will shepherd the land of
Assyria with the sword, The land of Nimrod at its
entrances; And He will deliver us from the Assyrian
When he attacks our land And when he tramples our
territory.
MIC 5:7 Then the remnant of Jacob Will be
among many peoples Like dew from the Lord, Like
showers on vegetation Which do not wait for man Or
delay for the sons of men.
MIC 5:8 And the remnant of Jacob Will be
among the nations, Among many peoples Like a lion
among the beasts of the forest, Like a young lion
among flocks of sheep, Which, if he passes through,
Tramples down and tears, And there is none to
rescue.
MIC 5:9 Your hand will be lifted up against
your adversaries, And all your enemies will be cut
off.
MIC 5:10 "And it will be in that day,"
declares the Lord, "That I will cut off your horses
from among you And destroy your chariots.
MIC 5:11 "I will also cut off the cities of
your land And tear down all your fortifications.
MIC 5:12 "I will cut off sorceries from your
hand, And you will have fortunetellers no more.
MIC 5:13 "I will cut off your carved images
And your sacred pillars from among you, So that you
will no longer bow down To the work of your hands.
MIC 5:14 "I will root out your Asherim from
among you And destroy your cities.
MIC 5:15 "And I will execute vengeance in
anger and wrath On the nations which have not
obeyed."
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MIC 6:1 Hear now
what the Lord is saying, "Arise, plead your case
before the mountains, And let the hills hear your
voice.
MIC 6:2 "Listen, you mountains, to the
indictment of the Lord, And you enduring foundations
of the earth, Because the Lord has a case against
His people; Even with Israel He will dispute.
MIC 6:3 "My people, what have I done to you,
And how have I wearied you? Answer Me.
MIC 6:4 "Indeed, I brought you up from the
land of Egypt And ransomed you from the house of
slavery, And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and
Miriam.
MIC 6:5 "My people, remember now What Balak
king of Moab counseled And what Balaam son of Beor
answered him, And from Shittim to Gilgal, In order
that you might know the righteous acts of the Lord."
MIC 6:6 With what shall I come to the Lord
And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come
to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves?
MIC 6:7 Does the Lord take delight in
thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I present my first-born for my rebellious
acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
MIC 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you But to do
justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with
your God?
MIC 6:9 The voice of the Lord will call to
the city - - And it is sound wisdom to fear Thy
name: "Hear, O tribe. Who has appointed its time?
MIC 6:10 "Is there yet a man in the wicked
house, Along with treasures of wickedness, And a
short measure that is cursed?
MIC 6:11 "Can I justify wicked scales And a
bag of deceptive weights?
MIC 6:12 "For the rich men of the city are
full of violence, Her residents speak lies, And
their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
MIC 6:13 "So also I will make you sick,
striking you down, Desolating you because of your
sins.
MIC 6:14 "You will eat, but you will not be
satisfied, And your vileness will be in your midst.
You will try to remove for safekeeping, But you will
not preserve anything, And what you do preserve I
will give to the sword.
MIC 6:15 "You will sow but you will not reap.
You will tread the olive but will not anoint
yourself with oil; And the grapes, but you will not
drink wine.
MIC 6:16 "The statutes of Omri And all the
works of the house of Ahab are observed; And in
their devices you walk. Therefore, I will give you
up for destruction And your inhabitants for
derision, And you will bear the reproach of My
people."
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MIC 7:1 Woe is
me! For I am Like the fruit pickers and the grape
gatherers. There is not a cluster of grapes to eat,
Or a first-ripe fig which I crave.
MIC 7:2 The godly person has perished from
the land, And there is no upright person among men.
All of them lie in wait for bloodshed; Each of them
hunts the other with a net.
MIC 7:3 Concerning evil, both hands do it
well. The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe,
And a great man speaks the desire of his soul; So
they weave it together.
MIC 7:4 The best of them is like a briar, The
most upright like a thorn hedge. The day when you
post a watchman, Your punishment will come. Then
their confusion will occur.
MIC 7:5 Do not trust in a neighbor; Do not
have confidence in a friend. From her who lies in
your bosom Guard your lips.
MIC 7:6 For son treats father contemptuously,
Daughter rises up against her mother,
Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man's
enemies are the men of his own household.
MIC 7:7 But as for me, I will watch
expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of
my salvation. My God will hear me.
MIC 7:8 Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy.
Though I fall I will rise; Though I dwell in
darkness, the Lord is a light for me.
MIC 7:9 I will bear the indignation of the
Lord Because I have sinned against Him, Until He
pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will
bring me out to the light, And I will see His
righteousness.
MIC 7:10 Then my enemy will see, And shame
will cover her who said to me, "Where is the Lord
your God?" My eyes will look on her; At that time
she will be trampled down, Like mire of the streets.
MIC 7:11 It will be a day for building your
walls. On that day will your boundary be extended.
MIC 7:12 It will be a day when they will come
to you From Assyria and the cities of Egypt, From
Egypt even to the Euphrates, Even from sea to sea
and mountain to mountain.
MIC 7:13 And the earth will become desolate
because of her inhabitants, On account of the fruit
of their deeds.
MIC 7:14 Shepherd Thy people with Thy
scepter, The flock of Thy possession Which dwells by
itself in the woodland, In the midst of a fruitful
field. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead As in the
days of old.
MIC 7:15 "As in the days when you came out
from the land of Egypt, I will show you miracles."
MIC 7:16 Nations will see and be ashamed Of
all their might. They will put their hand on their
mouth, Their ears will be deaf.
MIC 7:17 They will lick the dust like a
serpent, Like reptiles of the earth. They will come
trembling out of their fortresses; To the Lord our
God they will come in dread, And they will be afraid
before Thee.
MIC 7:18 Who is a God like Thee, who pardons
iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the
remnant of His possession? He does not retain His
anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging
love.
MIC 7:19 He will again have compassion on us;
He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, Thou
wilt cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea.
MIC 7:20 Thou wilt give truth to Jacob And
unchanging love to Abraham, Which Thou didst swear
to our forefathers From the days of old.