1 And the word of the Lord came to Micah the son of Moresheth, in the days of Jotham, and Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, concerning what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem. 2 Hear these words, you people; and let the earth give heed, and all that are in it: and the Lord shall be among you for a testimony, the Lord out of his holy habitation. 3 For, look, the Lord comes forth out of his place, and will come down, and will go upon the high places of the earth. 4 And the mountains shall be shaken under him, and the valleys shall melt like wax before the fire, and as water rushing down a declivity. 5 All these calamities are for the transgression of Jacob, and for the sin of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what is the sin of the house of Judah? is it not Jerusalem? 6 Therefore I will make Samaria as a store-house of the fruits of the field, and as a planting of a vineyard: and I will utterly demolish her stones, and I will expose her foundations. 7 And they shall cut in pieces all the carved images, and all that she has hired they shall burn with fire, and I will utterly destroy all her idols: because she has gathered of the hires of fornication, and she has amassed wealth from the earnings of prostitution. 8 Therefore she will lament and wail, she shall go barefooted, and being naked she shall make lamentation as that of serpents, and mourning as of the daughters of sirens.⁠a 9 For her plague has become severe; for it has come even to Judah; and has reached to the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem. 10 You that are in Gath, do not exalt yourselves, and you that are in Akim, do not rebuild from the ruins of the house in derision: sprinkle dust in the place of your laughter. 11 The inhabitant of Zaanan, fairly inhabiting her cities, did not come forth to mourn for the house next to her: she shall receive of you the stroke of grief. 12 Who has begun to act for good to her that dwells in sorrow? for calamities have come down from the Lord upon the gates of Jerusalem, 13 even a sound of chariots and horsemen: the inhabitant of Lachish, she is the leader of sin to the daughter of Zion: for in you were found the transgressions of Israel. 14 Therefore you shall cause men to be sent forth as far as the inheritance of Gath, even vain houses; they have become vanity to the kings of Israel; 15 until I bring the heirs to you, inhabitant of Lachish: the inheritance shall reach to Adullam, even the glory of the daughter of Israel. 16 Shave your hair, and make yourself bald for your delicate children; increase your widowhood as an eagle; for your people have gone into captivity from you.