TORAH
NEVI'IM
KETUVIM
Micah - Chapter 1
Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:
- Commentary
- Buy E-book
- Buy the Israel Bible
1The word of Hashem that came to Micha the Morashtite, who prophesied concerning Shomron and Yerushalayim in the reigns of Kings Yotam, Achaz, and Chizkiyahu of Yehuda.
אדְּבַר־יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶל־מִיכָה הַמֹּרַשְׁתִּי בִּימֵי יוֹתָם אָחָז יְחִזְקִיָּה מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר־חָזָה עַל־שֹׁמְרוֹן וִירוּשָׁלָ ִם׃
2Listen, all you peoples, Give heed, O earth, and all it holds; And let my God be your accuser— My Lord from His holy abode.
בשִׁמְעוּ עַמִּים כֻּלָּם הַקְשִׁיבִי אֶרֶץ וּמְלֹאָהּ וִיהִי אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה בָּכֶם לְעֵד אֲדֹנָי מֵהֵיכַל קָדְשׁוֹ׃
3For lo! Hashem Is coming forth from His dwelling-place, He will come down and stride Upon the heights of the earth.
גכִּי־הִנֵּה יְהֹוָה יֹצֵא מִמְּקוֹמוֹ וְיָרַד וְדָרַךְ עַל־במותי [בָּמֳתֵי] אָרֶץ׃
4The mountains shall melt under Him And the valleys burst open— Like wax before fire, Like water cascading down a slope.
דוְנָמַסּוּ הֶהָרִים תַּחְתָּיו וְהָעֲמָקִים יִתְבַּקָּעוּ כַּדּוֹנַג מִפְּנֵי הָאֵשׁ כְּמַיִם מֻגָּרִים בְּמוֹרָד׃
5All this is for the transgression of Yaakov, And for the sins of the House of Yisrael. What is the transgression of Yaakov But Shomron, And what the shrines of Yehuda But Yerushalayim?
הבְּפֶשַׁע יַעֲקֹב כָּל־זֹאת וּבְחַטֹּאות בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל מִי־פֶשַׁע יַעֲקֹב הֲלוֹא שֹׁמְרוֹן וּמִי בָּמוֹת יְהוּדָה הֲלוֹא יְרוּשָׁלָ ִם׃
6So I will turn Shomron Into a ruin in open country, Into ground for planting vineyards; For I will tumble her stones into the valley And lay her foundations bare.
ווְשַׂמְתִּי שֹׁמְרוֹן לְעִי הַשָּׂדֶה לְמַטָּעֵי כָרֶם וְהִגַּרְתִּי לַגַּי אֲבָנֶיהָ וִיסֹדֶיהָ אֲגַלֶּה׃
7All her sculptured images shall be smashed, And all her harlot's wealth be burned, And I will make a waste heap of all her idols, For they were amassed from fees for harlotry, And they shall become harlots' fees again.
זוְכָל־פְּסִילֶיהָ יֻכַּתּוּ וְכָל־אֶתְנַנֶּיהָ יִשָּׂרְפוּ בָאֵשׁ וְכָל־עֲצַבֶּיהָ אָשִׂים שְׁמָמָה כִּי מֵאֶתְנַן זוֹנָה קִבָּצָה וְעַד־אֶתְנַן זוֹנָה יָשׁוּבוּ׃
8Because of this I will lament and wail; I will go stripped and naked! I will lament as sadly as the jackals, As mournfully as the ostriches.
חעַל־זֹאת אֶסְפְּדָה וְאֵילִילָה אֵילְכָה שילל [שׁוֹלָל] וְעָרוֹם אֶעֱשֶׂה מִסְפֵּד כַּתַּנִּים וְאֵבֶל כִּבְנוֹת יַעֲנָה׃
9For her wound is incurable, It has reached Yehuda, It has spread to the gate of my people, To Yerushalayim.
טכִּי אֲנוּשָׁה מַכּוֹתֶיהָ כִּי־בָאָה עַד־יְהוּדָה נָגַע עַד־שַׁעַר עַמִּי עַד־יְרוּשָׁלָ ִם׃
10Tell it not in Gath, Refrain from weeping; In Beth-leaphrah, Strew dust over your [head].
יבְּגַת אַל־תַּגִּידוּ בָּכוֹ אַל־תִּבְכּוּ בְּבֵית לְעַפְרָה עָפָר התפלשתי [הִתְפַּלָּשִׁי׃]
11Pass on, inhabitants of Shaphir! Did not the inhabitants of Zaanan Have to go forth naked in shame? There is lamentation in Beth-ezel— It will withdraw its support from you.
יאעִבְרִי לָכֶם יוֹשֶׁבֶת שָׁפִיר עֶרְיָה־בֹשֶׁת לֹא יָצְאָה יוֹשֶׁבֶת צַאֲנָן מִסְפַּד בֵּית הָאֵצֶל יִקַּח מִכֶּם עֶמְדָּתוֹ׃
12Though the inhabitants of Maroth Hoped for good, Yet disaster from Hashem descended Upon the gate of Yerushalayim.
יבכִּי־חָלָה לְטוֹב יוֹשֶׁבֶת מָרוֹת כִּי־יָרַד רָע מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה לְשַׁעַר יְרוּשָׁלָ ִם׃
13Hitch the steeds to the chariot, Inhabitant of Lachish! It is the beginning Of Fair Tzion's guilt; Yisrael's transgressions Can be traced to you!
r'-TOM ha-mer-ka-VAH la-RE-khesh yo-SHE-vet la-KHEESH ray-SHEET kha-TAT HEE l'-vat tzi-YON kee VAKH nim-tz'-U pish-AY yis-ra-AYL
יגרְתֹם הַמֶּרְכָּבָה לָרֶכֶשׁ יוֹשֶׁבֶת לָכִישׁ רֵאשִׁית חַטָּאת הִיא לְבַת־צִיּוֹן כִּי־בָךְ נִמְצְאוּ פִּשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
1:13 Inhabitant of Lachish
Micha tells the inhabitants of Lachish to prepare to flee the oncoming enemy, and states that this onslaught will be the beginning of Yehuda’s downfall. Lachish, located thirty miles southwest of Yerushalayim, was fortified by Rechovam (II Chronicles 11:5-12), and was the southern kingdom’s second largest city. Its location was strategic, as it guarded the mountain pass from the southern coastal plain to Yerushalayim and the interior of the kingdom of Yehuda. Lachish was captured and demolished by Sennacherib, king of the Assyrians, during his campaign to capture Yerushalayim and conquer the entire kingdom during the reign of King Chizkiyahu. Today, excavations at Lachish have revealed the largest siege ramp discovered in the Middle East, as well as the largest Iron Age structure discovered in the Land of Israel. Predicting the destruction of this large and powerful city, Micha mocks the Israelites’ trust in their horses and military prowess instead of Hashem’s protection.
Archaeological excavations at ancient Lachish.
Assyrian siege ramp at Tel Lachish
14Truly, you must give a farewell gift To Moresheth-gath. The houses of Achzib are To the kings of Yisrael Like a spring that fails.
ידלָכֵן תִּתְּנִי שִׁלּוּחִים עַל מוֹרֶשֶׁת גַּת בָּתֵּי אַכְזִיב לְאַכְזָב לְמַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
15A dispossessor will I bring to you Who dwell in Mareshah; At Adulam the glory Of Yisrael shall set.
טועֹד הַיֹּרֵשׁ אָבִי לָךְ יוֹשֶׁבֶת מָרֵשָׁה עַד־עֲדֻּלָּם יָבוֹא כְּבוֹד יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
16Shear off your hair and make yourself bald For the children you once delighted in; Make yourself as bald as a vulture, For they have been banished from you.
טזקָרְחִי וָגֹזִּי עַל־בְּנֵי תַּעֲנוּגָיִךְ הַרְחִבִי קָרְחָתֵךְ כַּנֶּשֶׁר כִּי גָלוּ מִמֵּךְ׃