Category: Micah

The prophet Micah speaks to the southern kingdom of Judah during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah (late 8

th

century BC). He foresees that Samaria and Jerusalem, the capital cities of Israel and Judah, will be destroyed because of their injustice and corrupt religion. The people have abandoned the covenant God made with them, taking up the pagan religious practices of the Canaanites. The rich and powerful are ruthlessly exploiting the poor, ignoring the law of Moses. Micah warns that in punishment for their unfaithfulness and injustice, both kingdoms will be invaded, conquered and exiled. As he predicts, Samaria falls to the Assyrians in 722 BC and Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians in 587/6 BC.

Micah’s prophecies alternate between warnings of destruction and promises of restoration. Each of Micah’s three groups of oracles begins with a series of judgments, and then concludes with promises of restoration. Micah proclaims that in compassion and covenant faithfulness God will save a remnant of the people and bring them back to their own land. There they will be ruled by a righteous king and become a light to the whole world, pointing all nations to the ways of the

Lord

. God will help Israel find its place in the biblical drama.

1 The word of theLordthat came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—the vision he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

2 Hear, you peoples, all of you,

listen, earth and all who live in it,

that the SovereignLordmay bear witness against you,

the Lord from his holy temple.

Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem

3 Look! TheLordis coming from his dwelling place;

he comes down and treads on the heights of the earth.

4 The mountains melt beneath him

and the valleys split apart,

like wax before the fire,

like water rushing down a slope.

5 All this is because of Jacob’s transgression,

because of the sins of the people of Israel.

What is Jacob’s transgression?

Is it not Samaria?

What is Judah’s high place?

Is it not Jerusalem?

6 “Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble,

a place for planting vineyards.

I will pour her stones into the valley

and lay bare her foundations.

7 All her idols will be broken to pieces;

all her temple gifts will be burned with fire;

I will destroy all her images.

Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes,

as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used.”

Weeping and Mourning

8 Because of this I will weep and wail;

I will go about barefoot and naked.

I will howl like a jackal

and moan like an owl.

9 For Samaria’s plague is incurable;

it has spread to Judah.

It has reached the very gate of my people,

even to Jerusalem itself.

10 Tell it not in Gath;

weep not at all.

In Beth Ophrah

roll in the dust.

11 Pass by naked and in shame,

you who live in Shaphir.

Those who live in Zaanan

will not come out.

Beth Ezel is in mourning;

it no longer protects you.

12 Those who live in Marothwrithe in pain,

waiting for relief,

because disaster has come from theLord,

even to the gate of Jerusalem.

13 You who live in Lachish,

harness fast horses to the chariot.

You are where the sin of Daughter Zion began,

for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.

14 Therefore you will give parting gifts

to Moresheth Gath.

The town of Akzibwill prove deceptive

to the kings of Israel.

15 I will bring a conqueror against you

who live in Mareshah.

The nobles of Israel

will flee to Adullam.

16 Shave your head in mourning

for the children in whom you delight;

make yourself as bald as the vulture,

for they will go from you into exile.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/MIC/1-1be2302801a417f9caf76563786b31f8.mp3?version_id=111—

Human Plans and God’s Plans

1 Woe to those who plan iniquity,

to those who plot evil on their beds!

At morning’s light they carry it out

because it is in their power to do it.

2 They covet fields and seize them,

and houses, and take them.

They defraud people of their homes,

they rob them of their inheritance.

3 Therefore, theLordsays:

“I am planning disaster against this people,

from which you cannot save yourselves.

You will no longer walk proudly,

for it will be a time of calamity.

4 In that day people will ridicule you;

they will taunt you with this mournful song:

‘We are utterly ruined;

my people’s possession is divided up.

He takes it from me!

He assigns our fields to traitors.’ ”

5 Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of theLord

to divide the land by lot.

False Prophets

6 “Do not prophesy,” their prophets say.

“Do not prophesy about these things;

disgrace will not overtake us.”

7 You descendants of Jacob, should it be said,

“Does theLordbecomeimpatient?

Does he do such things?”

“Do not my words do good

to the one whose ways are upright?

8 Lately my people have risen up

like an enemy.

You strip off the rich robe

from those who pass by without a care,

like men returning from battle.

9 You drive the women of my people

from their pleasant homes.

You take away my blessing

from their children forever.

10 Get up, go away!

For this is not your resting place,

because it is defiled,

it is ruined, beyond all remedy.

11 If a liar and deceiver comes and says,

‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’

that would be just the prophet for this people!

Deliverance Promised

12 “I will surely gather all of you, Jacob;

I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel.

I will bring them together like sheep in a pen,

like a flock in its pasture;

the place will throng with people.

13 The One who breaks open the way will go up before them;

they will break through the gate and go out.

Their King will pass through before them,

theLordat their head.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/MIC/2-ca44f9f0f1bc3d8a85c0c770fc7d4fbe.mp3?version_id=111—

Leaders and Prophets Rebuked

1 Then I said,

“Listen, you leaders of Jacob,

you rulers of Israel.

Should you not embrace justice,

2 you who hate good and love evil;

who tear the skin from my people

and the flesh from their bones;

3 who eat my people’s flesh,

strip off their skin

and break their bones in pieces;

who chop them up like meat for the pan,

like flesh for the pot?”

4 Then they will cry out to theLord,

but he will not answer them.

At that time he will hide his face from them

because of the evil they have done.

5 This is what theLordsays:

“As for the prophets

who lead my people astray,

they proclaim ‘peace’

if they have something to eat,

but prepare to wage war against anyone

who refuses to feed them.

6 Therefore night will come over you, without visions,

and darkness, without divination.

The sun will set for the prophets,

and the day will go dark for them.

7 The seers will be ashamed

and the diviners disgraced.

They will all cover their faces

because there is no answer from God.”

8 But as for me, I am filled with power,

with the Spirit of theLord,

and with justice and might,

to declare to Jacob his transgression,

to Israel his sin.

9 Hear this, you leaders of Jacob,

you rulers of Israel,

who despise justice

and distort all that is right;

10 who build Zion with bloodshed,

and Jerusalem with wickedness.

11 Her leaders judge for a bribe,

her priests teach for a price,

and her prophets tell fortunes for money.

Yet they look for theLord’s support and say,

“Is not theLordamong us?

No disaster will come upon us.”

12 Therefore because of you,

Zion will be plowed like a field,

Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,

the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/MIC/3-78f4f3b580f1818ca45f1ee72387bcdb.mp3?version_id=111—

The Mountain of the Lord

1 In the last days

the mountain of theLord’s temple will be established

as the highest of the mountains;

it will be exalted above the hills,

and peoples will stream to it.

2 Many nations will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of theLord,

to the temple of the God of Jacob.

He will teach us his ways,

so that we may walk in his paths.”

The law will go out from Zion,

the word of theLordfrom Jerusalem.

3 He will judge between many peoples

and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.

They will beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation,

nor will they train for war anymore.

4 Everyone will sit under their own vine

and under their own fig tree,

and no one will make them afraid,

for theLordAlmighty has spoken.

5 All the nations may walk

in the name of their gods,

but we will walk in the name of theLord

our God for ever and ever.

The Lord’s Plan

6 “In that day,” declares theLord,

“I will gather the lame;

I will assemble the exiles

and those I have brought to grief.

7 I will make the lame my remnant,

those driven away a strong nation.

TheLordwill rule over them in Mount Zion

from that day and forever.

8 As for you, watchtower of the flock,

strongholdof Daughter Zion,

the former dominion will be restored to you;

kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.”

9 Why do you now cry aloud—

have you no king?

Has your rulerperished,

that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?

10 Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion,

like a woman in labor,

for now you must leave the city

to camp in the open field.

You will go to Babylon;

there you will be rescued.

There theLordwill redeem you

out of the hand of your enemies.

11 But now many nations

are gathered against you.

They say, “Let her be defiled,

let our eyes gloat over Zion!”

12 But they do not know

the thoughts of theLord;

they do not understand his plan,

that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.

13 “Rise and thresh, Daughter Zion,

for I will give you horns of iron;

I will give you hooves of bronze,

and you will break to pieces many nations.”

You will devote their ill-gotten gains to theLord,

their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/MIC/4-f5a6210ae709765241cddcacf94e9f9b.mp3?version_id=111—

A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem

1 Marshal your troops now, city of troops,

for a siege is laid against us.

They will strike Israel’s ruler

on the cheek with a rod.

2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

though you are small among the clansof Judah,

out of you will come for me

one who will be ruler over Israel,

whose origins are from of old,

from ancient times.”

3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned

until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,

and the rest of his brothers return

to join the Israelites.

4 He will stand and shepherd his flock

in the strength of theLord,

in the majesty of the name of theLordhis God.

And they will live securely, for then his greatness

will reach to the ends of the earth.

5 And he will be our peace

when the Assyrians invade our land

and march through our fortresses.

We will raise against them seven shepherds,

even eight commanders,

6 who will rulethe land of Assyria with the sword,

the land of Nimrod with drawn sword.

He will deliver us from the Assyrians

when they invade our land

and march across our borders.

7 The remnant of Jacob will be

in the midst of many peoples

like dew from theLord,

like showers on the grass,

which do not wait for anyone

or depend on man.

8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,

in the midst of many peoples,

like a lion among the beasts of the forest,

like a young lion among flocks of sheep,

which mauls and mangles as it goes,

and no one can rescue.

9 Your hand will be lifted up in triumph over your enemies,

and all your foes will be destroyed.

10 “In that day,” declares theLord,

“I will destroy your horses from among you

and demolish your chariots.

11 I will destroy the cities of your land

and tear down all your strongholds.

12 I will destroy your witchcraft

and you will no longer cast spells.

13 I will destroy your idols

and your sacred stones from among you;

you will no longer bow down

to the work of your hands.

14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles

when I demolish your cities.

15 I will take vengeance in anger and wrath

on the nations that have not obeyed me.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/MIC/5-07c0bed6233bc33ba1a38f8559db8629.mp3?version_id=111—

The Lord’s Case Against Israel

1 Listen to what theLordsays:

“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;

let the hills hear what you have to say.

2 “Hear, you mountains, theLord’s accusation;

listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.

For theLordhas a case against his people;

he is lodging a charge against Israel.

3 “My people, what have I done to you?

How have I burdened you? Answer me.

4 I brought you up out of Egypt

and redeemed you from the land of slavery.

I sent Moses to lead you,

also Aaron and Miriam.

5 My people, remember

what Balak king of Moab plotted

and what Balaam son of Beor answered.

Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal,

that you may know the righteous acts of theLord.”

6 With what shall I come before theLord

and bow down before the exalted God?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

with calves a year old?

7 Will theLordbe pleased with thousands of rams,

with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?

Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does theLordrequire of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humblywith your God.

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

9 Listen! TheLordis calling to the city—

and to fear your name is wisdom—

“Heed the rod and the One who appointed it.

10 Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house,

and the short ephah,which is accursed?

11 Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales,

with a bag of false weights?

12 Your rich people are violent;

your inhabitants are liars

and their tongues speak deceitfully.

13 Therefore, I have begun to destroy you,

to ruinyou because of your sins.

14 You will eat but not be satisfied;

your stomach will still be empty.

You will store up but save nothing,

because what you saveI will give to the sword.

15 You will plant but not harvest;

you will press olives but not use the oil,

you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.

16 You have observed the statutes of Omri

and all the practices of Ahab’s house;

you have followed their traditions.

Therefore I will give you over to ruin

and your people to derision;

you will bear the scorn of the nations.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/MIC/6-3db37bbc25a3a360e39f94765836ca22.mp3?version_id=111—

Israel’s Misery

1 What misery is mine!

I am like one who gathers summer fruit

at the gleaning of the vineyard;

there is no cluster of grapes to eat,

none of the early figs that I crave.

2 The faithful have been swept from the land;

not one upright person remains.

Everyone lies in wait to shed blood;

they hunt each other with nets.

3 Both hands are skilled in doing evil;

the ruler demands gifts,

the judge accepts bribes,

the powerful dictate what they desire—

they all conspire together.

4 The best of them is like a brier,

the most upright worse than a thorn hedge.

The day God visits you has come,

the day your watchmen sound the alarm.

Now is the time of your confusion.

5 Do not trust a neighbor;

put no confidence in a friend.

Even with the woman who lies in your embrace

guard the words of your lips.

6 For a son dishonors his father,

a daughter rises up against her mother,

a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—

a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.

7 But as for me, I watch in hope for theLord,

I wait for God my Savior;

my God will hear me.

Israel Will Rise

8 Do not gloat over me, my enemy!

Though I have fallen, I will rise.

Though I sit in darkness,

theLordwill be my light.

9 Because I have sinned against him,

I will bear theLord’s wrath,

until he pleads my case

and upholds my cause.

He will bring me out into the light;

I will see his righteousness.

10 Then my enemy will see it

and will be covered with shame,

she who said to me,

“Where is theLordyour God?”

My eyes will see her downfall;

even now she will be trampled underfoot

like mire in the streets.

11 The day for building your walls will come,

the day for extending your boundaries.

12 In that day people will come to you

from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,

even from Egypt to the Euphrates

and from sea to sea

and from mountain to mountain.

13 The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,

as the result of their deeds.

Prayer and Praise

14 Shepherd your people with your staff,

the flock of your inheritance,

which lives by itself in a forest,

in fertile pasturelands.

Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead

as in days long ago.

15 “As in the days when you came out of Egypt,

I will show them my wonders.”

16 Nations will see and be ashamed,

deprived of all their power.

They will put their hands over their mouths

and their ears will become deaf.

17 They will lick dust like a snake,

like creatures that crawl on the ground.

They will come trembling out of their dens;

they will turn in fear to theLordour God

and will be afraid of you.

18 Who is a God like you,

who pardons sin and forgives the transgression

of the remnant of his inheritance?

You do not stay angry forever

but delight to show mercy.

19 You will again have compassion on us;

you will tread our sins underfoot

and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

20 You will be faithful to Jacob,

and show love to Abraham,

as you pledged on oath to our ancestors

in days long ago.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/MIC/7-94a6c798a230fbb9ebcf049df9368b0b.mp3?version_id=111—