1 I am Micah from Moresheth. And this is the message about Samaria and Jerusalem that the Lord gave to me when Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were the kings of Judah.
2 Listen, all of you!Earth and everything on it,pay close attention.The Lord God accuses youfrom his holy temple.
3 And he will come downto crush underfootevery pagan altar.
4 Mountains will meltbeneath his feetlike wax beside a fire.Valleys will vanish like waterrushing down a ravine.
5 This will happen because ofthe terrible sins of Israel,the descendants of Jacob.Samaria has led Israel to sin,and pagan altars at Jerusalemhave made Judah sin.
6 So the Lord will leave Samariain ruins—merely an empty fieldwhere vineyards are planted.He will scatter its stonesand destroy its foundations.
7 Samaria's idols will be smashed,and the wagesof temple prostituteswill be destroyed by fire.Silver and gold from those idolswill then be used by foreignersas payment for prostitutes.
8 Because of this tragedy,I go barefoot and naked.My crying and weepingsound like howling wolvesor ostriches.
9 The nation is fatally wounded.Judah is doomed.Jerusalem will fall.
10 Don't tell it in Gath!Don't even cry.Instead, roll in the dustat Beth-Leaphrah.
11 Depart naked and ashamed,you people of Shaphir.The town of Bethezel mournsbecause no one from Zaananwent out to help.
12 Everyone in Marothhoped for the best,but the Lord sent disasterdown on Jerusalem.
13 Get the war chariots ready,you people of Lachish.You led Jerusalem into sin,just as Israel did.
14 Now you will have to givea going-away giftto Moresheth.Israel's kings will discoverthat they cannot trustthe town of Achzib.
15 People of Mareshah,the Lord will send someoneto capture your town.Then Israel's glorious kingwill be forced to hidein Adullam Cave.
16 Judah, shave your headas bald as a vultureand start mourning.Your precious childrenwill be dragged offto a foreign country.