Bible (Literal Standard Version)/Micah

Chapter 1
A word of YHWH that has been to Micah the Morashite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah, that he has seen concerning Samaria and Jerusalem: Hear, O peoples, all of them! Attend, O earth, and its fullness, || And Lord YHWH is against you for a witness, || The Lord from His holy temple. For behold, YHWH is going out from His place, || And He has come down, || And has trodden on high places of earth. The mountains have been melted under Him, || And the valleys split themselves, || As wax from the presence of fire, || As waters cast down by a slope. 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 the high places of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem? "And I have set Samaria for a heap of the field, || For plantations of a vineyard, || And poured out into a valley her stones, || And her foundations I uncover. And all her carved images are beaten down, || And all her wages are burned with fire, || And all her idols I make a desolation, || For from the wage of a harlot she gathered, and to the wage of a harlot they return." For this I lament and howl, || I go spoiled and naked, || I make a lamentation like dragons, || And a mourning like daughters of an ostrich. For mortal [are] her wounds, || For it has come to Judah, || It has come to a gate of My people—to Jerusalem. In Gath do not tell—in Acco do not weep, || In Beth-Aphrah, roll yourself in dust. Pass over for you, O inhabitant of Shaphir, || Naked one of shame. The inhabitant of Zaanan has not gone out, || The lamentation of Beth-Ezel takes from you its standing. For the inhabitant of Maroth has stayed for good, || For calamity has come down from YHWH to the gate of Jerusalem. Bind the chariot to a swift beast, O inhabitant of Lachish, || The beginning of sin [is] she to the daughter of Zion, || For in you have been found the transgressions of Israel. Therefore you give presents to Moresheth-Gath, || The houses of Achzib become a lying thing to the kings of Israel. Yet I bring the possessor to you, O inhabitant of Mareshah, || The glory of Israel comes to Adullam. Make bald and shave, for your delightful sons, || Enlarge your baldness as an eagle, || For they have removed from you!

Chapter 2
Woe [to] those devising iniquity, || And working evil on their beds, || In the morning light they do it, || For their hand is—to God. And they have desired fields, || And they have taken violently, || And houses, and they have taken away, || And have oppressed a man and his house, || Even a man and his inheritance. Therefore, thus said YHWH: "Behold, I am devising against this family calamity, || From which you do not remove your necks, || Nor walk loftily, for it [is] a time of evil. In that day [one] takes up for you an allegory, || And he has wailed a wailing of woe, || He has said, We have been utterly spoiled, || The portion of my people He changes, || How He moves toward me! To the backslider our fields He apportions. Therefore, you have no caster of a line by lot || In the assembly of YHWH. You do not prophesy—they prophesy, || They do not prophesy to these, || It does not remove shame. [Those] named the house of Jacob: Has the Spirit of YHWH been shortened? Are these His doings? Do My words not benefit the people that are walking uprightly? And recently My people raise up as an enemy, || You strip off the honorable ornament from the outer garment, || From the confident passers by, || You who are turning back from war. The women of My people you cast out from its delightful house, || From its sucklings you take away My honor for all time. Rise and go, for this [is] not the rest, || Because of uncleanness it corrupts, || And corruption is powerful. If one is going [with] the wind, || And [with] falsehood has lied: I prophesy to you of wine, and of strong drink, || He has been the prophet of this people! I surely gather you, O Jacob, all of you, || I surely bring together the remnant of Israel, || Together I set it as the flock of Bozrah, || As a drove in the midst of its pasture, || It makes a noise because of man. The breaker has gone up before them, || They have broken through, || Indeed, they pass through the gate, || Indeed, they go out through it, || And their king passes on before them, || And YHWH at their head!"

Chapter 3
And I say, "Now hear, O heads of Jacob, || And you judges of the house of Israel, || Is it not for you to know the judgment? You who are hating good, and loving evil, || Taking violently their skin from off them, || And their flesh from off their bones, And who have eaten the flesh of My people, || And their skin from off them have stripped, || And their bones they have broken, || And they have spread [them] out as in a pot, || And as flesh in the midst of a cauldron." Then they cry to YHWH, || And He does not answer them, || And hides His face from them at that time, || As they have made evil their doings. Thus said YHWH concerning the prophets || Who are causing My people to err, || Who are biting with their teeth, || And have cried "Peace," || And he who does not give to their mouth, || They have sanctified against him war: "Therefore you have a night without vision, || And you have darkness without divination, || And the sun has gone in on the prophets, || And the day has been black over them. And the seers have been ashamed, || And the diviners have been confounded, || And all of them have covered their lip, || For there is no answer, O God." And yet I have been full of power by the Spirit of YHWH, || And of judgment, and of might, || To declare to Jacob his transgression, || And to Israel his sin. Now hear this, O heads of the house of Jacob, || And you judges of the house of Israel, || Who are making judgment abominable, || And pervert all uprightness. Building up Zion with blood, || And Jerusalem with iniquity. Her heads judge for a bribe, || And her priests teach for hire, || And her prophets divine for silver, || And on YHWH they lean, saying, || "Is not YHWH in our midst? Evil does not come in on us." Therefore, for your sake, Zion is plowed a field, and Jerusalem is heaps, || And the mountain of the house [is] for high places of a forest!

Chapter 4
And it has come to pass, || In the latter end of the days, || The mountain of the house of YHWH || Is established above the top of the mountains, || And it has been lifted up above the hills, || And flowed to it have peoples. And gone have many nations and said, || "Come and we go up to the mountain of YHWH, || And to the house of the God of Jacob, || And He teaches us of His ways, || And we walk in His paths," || For a law goes forth from Zion, || And a word of YHWH from Jerusalem. And He has judged between many peoples, || And given a decision to mighty nations far off, || They have beaten their swords to plowshares, || And their spears to pruning-hooks, || Nation does not lift up sword to nation, || Nor do they learn war anymore. And they have sat each under his vine, || And under his fig tree, || And there is none troubling, || For the mouth of YHWH of Hosts has spoken. For all the peoples walk, || Each in the name of its god—and we, || We walk in the Name of our God YHWH, || For all time and forever. "In that day," a declaration of YHWH, || "I gather the halting one, || And the driven away one I bring together, || And she whom I have afflicted. And I have set the halting for a remnant, || And the far-off for a mighty nation, || And YHWH has reigned over them in Mount Zion, || From now on, and for all time. And you, O Tower of Eder, || Fort of the daughter of Zion, to you it comes, || Indeed, the former rule has come in, || The kingdom to the daughter of Jerusalem." Now why do you shout aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, || That pain as of a travailing woman has taken hold of you? Be pained, and bring forth, O daughter of Zion, || As a travailing woman, || For now you go forth from the city, || And you have dwelt in the field, || And you have gone to Babylon, || There you are delivered, || There YHWH redeems you from the hand of your enemies. And now, many nations have gathered against you, who are saying: "Let her be defiled, and our eyes look on Zion." They have not known the thoughts of YHWH, || Nor have they understood His counsel, || For He has gathered them as a sheaf [into] a threshing-floor. Arise, and thresh, O daughter of Zion, || For I make your horn iron, || And I make your hooves bronze, || And you have beaten small many peoples, || And I have devoted to YHWH their gain, || And their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth!

Chapter 5
Now gather yourself together, O daughter of troops, || He has laid a siege against us, || They strike [the] judge of Israel on the cheek with a rod. "And you, Beth-Lehem Ephratah, || Little to be among the chiefs of Judah! From you He comes forth to Me—to be ruler in Israel, || And His comings forth [are] of old, || From the days of antiquity." Therefore He gives them up until the time she who brings forth has brought forth, || And the remnant of His brothers return to the sons of Israel. And He has stood and delighted in the strength of YHWH, || In the excellence of the Name of His God YHWH, || And they have remained, || For now He is great to the ends of the earth. And this [One] has been peace. Asshur, when he comes into our land, || And when he treads in our palaces, || We have raised against him seven shepherds, || And eight anointed of man. And they have afflicted the land of Asshur with the sword, || And the land of Nimrod at its openings, || And He has delivered from Asshur when he comes into our land, || And when he treads in our borders. And the remnant of Jacob has been in the midst of many peoples, || As dew from YHWH—as showers on the herb, || That does not wait for man, nor stays for the sons of men. Indeed, the remnant of Jacob has been among nations, || In the midst of many peoples, || As a lion among beasts of a forest, || As a young lion among ranks of a flock, || Which if it has passed through, || Has both trodden down and has torn, || And there is no deliverer. High is your hand above your adversaries, || And all your enemies are cut off. "And it has come to pass in that day," || A declaration of YHWH, || "I have cut off your horses from your midst, || And I have destroyed your chariots, And I have cut off the cities of your land, || And I have thrown down all your fortresses, And have cut off sorcerers out of your hand, || And observers of clouds—you have none. And I have cut off your carved images, || And your standing-pillars out of your midst, || And you do not bow yourself anymore || To the work of your hands. And I have plucked up your Asherim out of your midst, || And I have destroyed your enemies. And I have done vengeance in anger and in fury, || With the nations who have not listened!"

Chapter 6
Now hear that which YHWH is saying: "Rise—strive with the mountains, || And cause the hills to hear your voice. Hear, O mountains, the strife of YHWH, || You strong ones—foundations of earth! For a strife [is] to YHWH, with His people, || And with Israel He reasons. O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me. For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, || And I have ransomed you from the house of servants, || And I send Moses, Aaron, and Miriam before you. O My people, please remember || What Balak king of Moab counseled, || What Balaam son of Beor answered him || (From Shittim to Gilgal), || In order to know the righteous acts of YHWH." With what do I come before YHWH? Do I bow to God Most High? Do I come before Him with burnt-offerings? With calves—sons of a year? Is YHWH pleased with thousands of rams? With myriads of streams of oil? Do I give my firstborn [for] my transgression? The fruit of my body [for] the sin of my soul? He has declared to you, O man, what [is] good; Indeed, what is YHWH requiring of you, || Except—to do judgment, and love kindness, || And to walk lowly with your God? A voice of YHWH calls to the city, || And wisdom fears Your Name, || "Hear the rod, and Him who appointed it. Are there yet [in] the house of the wicked || Treasures of wickedness, || And the abhorred meager ephah? Do I reckon [it] pure with balances of wickedness? And with a bag of deceitful stones? Whose rich ones have been full of violence, || And its inhabitants have spoken falsehood, || And their tongue [is] deceitful in their mouth. And I also, I have begun to strike you, || To make desolate, because of your sins. You eat, and you are not satisfied, || And your pit [is] in your midst, || And you remove, and do not deliver, || And that which you deliver, I give to a sword. You sow, and you do not reap, || You tread the olive, || And you do not pour out oil, || And new wine—and you do not drink wine. And the statutes of Omri are kept habitually, || And all the work of the house of Ahab, || And you walk in their counsels, || For My giving you for a desolation, || And its inhabitants for a hissing, || And you bear the reproach of My people!"

Chapter 7
My woe [is] to me, || For I have been as gatherings of summer-fruit, || As gleanings of harvest, || There is no cluster to eat, || The first-ripe fruit has my soul desired. The kind have perished out of the land, || And upright among men—there are none, || All of them lie in wait for blood, || They each hunt his brother [with] a net. On the evil [are] both hands to do [it] well, || The prince is asking—also the judge—for repayment, || And the great—he is speaking the mischief of his soul, || And they wrap it up. Their best one [is] as a brier, || The upright one—than a thorn-hedge, || The day of your watchmen—Your visitation—has come. Now is their perplexity. Do not believe in a friend, || Do not trust in a leader, || From her who is lying in your bosom keep the openings of your mouth. For a son is dishonoring a father, || A daughter has stood against her mother, || A daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, || The enemies of each [are] the men of his house. And I—in YHWH I watch, || I wait for the God of my salvation, || My God hears me. You do not rejoice over me, O my enemy, || When I have fallen, I have risen, || When I sit in darkness YHWH is a light to me. I bear the indignation of YHWH, || For I have sinned against Him, || Until He pleads my cause, || And has executed my judgment, || He brings me forth to the light, || I look on His righteousness. And my enemy sees, || And shame covers her, || Who says to me, "Where [is] your God YHWH?" My eyes look on her, || Now she is for a treading-place, || As mire of the out-places. The day to build your walls! That day—removed is the limit. That day—even to you it comes in, || From Asshur and the cities of the fortress, || And from the fortress even to the river, || And from sea to sea, and mountain to mountain. And the land has been for a desolation, || Because of its inhabitants, || Because of the fruit of their doings. Rule Your people with Your rod, || The flock of Your inheritance, || Dwelling alone [in] a forest in the midst of Carmel, || They enjoy Bashan and Gilead as in days of old. "According to the days of your coming forth out of the land of Egypt, || I show it wonderful things." Nations see, and they are ashamed of all their might, || They lay a hand on the mouth, their ears are deaf. They lick dust as a serpent, as fearful things of earth, || They tremble from their enclosures, || They are afraid of our God YHWH, || Indeed, they are afraid of You. Who [is] a God like You? Taking away iniquity, || And passing by the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance, || He has not retained His anger forever, || Because He delights [in] kindness. He turns back, He pities us, || He subdues our iniquities, || And You cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. You give truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham, || That You have sworn to our fathers, from the days of antiquity!