From the Greek Septuagint text as used by First Century Christians.
This is a prophecy that was written around 750-BCE, which foretold the destruction of Samaria and the northern ten-tribe kingdom of IsraEl,
and which also foretold what would happen to Jerusalem before SenNacherIb the king of Assyria invaded their lands in the time of JudahÕs King HezekiAh.
The prophecy then goes on to tell of JeruSalemÕs destruction by Babylon and of how its people would thereafter be returned.

Is it poetry or isnÕt it poetry?
Something that only a Bible translator would notice is that whenever God or His spokesperson are quoted, the words were in the form of Hebrew poetry,
since there is a definite cadence that can be noted in the original language. Therefore, because this is the chosen style of God, we have rendered it as it should be, in poetic verse.
Why did God and His spokesperson communicate through poetry?
Because poetic words provide memory aids that can be easily recalled to mind, so that the messages could be spread throughout the population via the most common medium of communication at the time, song.

The curious case of the changing personal pronouns:
Another thing that all translators notice when translating the words of the Prophets is the constant changing of the personal pronouns from the first to the third person in many of the pronouncements.
And what we have come to realize is that God didnÕt personally speak to the Prophets. Rather, He sent His messages through a mediator, who appears to have been referred to as ÔThe WordÕ throughout the text.

Who Was Actually Talking?
You will notice herein that the text often changes to a quotation and then even to italics. WHY?
Understand that there are actually THREE voices being represented hereÉ that of the Prophet, that of the angel who is bring the message from God, and the words of God Himself (which is usually overlooked in other Bibles).
How can we tell the difference? From the TENSES in which each verse is written.
If it is the Prophet speaking, he is talking about what was happing or what will be happening to his people.
If it is the angel (the Word) speaking, he is speaking of God in the third person.
And if it is God speaking, He is talking in the first person about what He will do.
Did we get it all right? Probably not, but it has been an honest attempt at doing so.

Chapter 1

1 The Word of Jehovah came to MicAh the Morasthite in the days of JoTham, Ahaz, and HezekiAh (kings of Judah) and said this about the things he saw going on in Samaria and in JeruSalem.

2 ÔHear these words, O you peoples;
Also pay attention, you lands
And those that are dwelling within you!
For, from His Most Holy [Place],
Jehovah will now testify.

3 Ô{Look!} Jehovah will come from His place
And go down upon your high places,
Then seat Himself in the heights.

4 ÔThe mountains will shake underneath Him,
And like beeswax in fire, the valleys will melt,
Then flow like water that rolls down a slope.

5 ÔYes, He will do all these things
Because of JacobÕs irreverent ways
And because of the sins of the house of IsraEl.

ÔIsnÕt Samaria the irreverence of Jacob
And isnÕt JudahÕs sin, JeruSalem?

6 ÔSo IÕll turn Samaria into a barn
Where the fruits of the fields can be stored
Along with the [grapes] of the vineyards.
IÕll tear down her stones in great chaos,
And her foundations, I will expose.

7 ÔIÕll cut her carved idols to pieces;
Her temple whores, IÕll burn in a fire;
And IÕll appoint her idols to extinction.
For she hired whores and gathered them thereÉ
So the wages of whores are what IÕll destroy.

8 ÔFor this, sheÕll wail and beat on her breastsÉ
She will go barefoot and nakedÉ
SheÕll beat on her chest like a dragon,
And mourn like chained demonÕs daughters.

9 ÔThis calamity upon her will surely arrive;
For she went to Judah and JeruSalem
And touched the gates of my people.

10 ÔNow, those in Gath shouldnÕt feel special,
Nor should those that are living in BakaImÉ
And donÕt laugh as you try to rebuild your homes,
For the land will be strewn with your laughter,
11 And nothing good will come to your towns.

ÔThen, those in ZaAnan will beat on their breasts
On behalf of the houses next doorÉ
TheyÕll be grieved by the things that will happen to you.

12 ÔFor then, whoÕll console her when she is sad
Over the bad things Jehovah will send,
Which will reach all the way to JeruSalemÕs gates?

13 ÔTheyÕll hear the sounds of chariots and riders
[Attacking the City] of LachIsh.
For, theyÕre the ones whoÕve been taking the lead
In the sins of the daughters of ZionÉ
All of IsraElÕs godless deeds can be found there!

14 ÔBecause of this, theyÕll be carried away
And become the inheritance of GathÉ
Yes, even their poorest of homes.

15 ÔThere, IsraElÕs kings wonÕt be valuedÉ
The inheritance of Gath, theyÕll become.
The people of LachIsh will then be their [slaves].
And off to AdulLam, they will carry
The glory of IsraElÕs daughters.

16 ÔSo, shave [the heads of] your beloved youngÉ
Make them as bald as the vultures;
For, they will all be carried away.

Chapter 2

1 ÔWhen they came here, they were looking for trouble
And doing whatÕs bad in their beds.
They did it all during the daytime,
And they wouldnÕt raise a hand to Jehovah.

2 ÔThen, because they desired more fields,
They plundered orphans and tyrannized homesÉ
They plundered the people along with their homesÉ
Both the men and the things theyÕd inherit.

3 ÔItÕs because of this, that thus says Jehovah:
{Look!} Against their tribe, IÕm bringing whatÕs bad,
And thereafter, they wonÕt lift their necks
Or in any way walk erectÉ
Yes for them, it will be a very bad time!

4 ÔIn that day, theyÕll be saying these wordsÉ
TheyÕll raise this lament in a song:
In our miserable condition, we knew misery;
For our people were [led off in] lines,
And no one [came here] to stop it
Or to bargain for their return;
So their fields were thereafter divided [as loot].

5 ÔNow, no one will measure allotments
For those in the LordÕs congregation.
6 YouÕll weep and cry for these things;
But I wonÕt remove all your scorn.

7 ÔThen, this is what theyÕll say about you:
Because the house of Jacob provoked
JehovahÕs Spirit to rage,
These are the things that He did;
For His words and His ways are all straight and good!

8 Ô[Through the years], my people have shown
A hatred and resistance to peace.
So theyÕve flayed the skin [of those passing by],
[And brought on themselves] the conflict of war.

9 ÔNow the leaders of my people will be driven from their homesÉ
TheyÕll be pushed away, because theyÕre so bad!
So, flee to the mountains of the ages,
10 Since for you, there will be no rest,
Because youÕre corrupt and unclean!

11 ÔSo youÕll run when no one is chasing,
Because of your lying spirit,
Which trickles upon you like the wine and strong drink
That youÕve gained from the sweat of your people.

12 ÔBut, after some time, theyÕll returnÉ
IÕll gather Jacob along with the rest,
And IÕll search for IsraElÕs remnantsÉ
IÕll collect them and I will return them
Like sheep that have gone through hard timesÉ
They will jump away from those people,
And in their own pastures, theyÕll live as one flock.

13 ÔTheyÕll [run] though the breach thatÕs before them,
For the gate will be cut so they can escape.
And before them, will travel their kingÉ
Yes, they will be led by their Lord.

Chapter 3

1 ÔSo listen, you head ones of Jacob,
And the rest that are left of IsraElÕs house!

ÔWhen will you learn to do what is fair?
2 Since youÕve hated whatÕs good and searched for whatÕs bad;
TheyÕll reach out for you and tear off your skin,
Then rip the flesh from your bones,
3 The same as youÕve eaten the flesh of my people
And flayed off all of their skinÉ
Then you broke their bones as flesh for the pot,
And as meat for the cauldron.

4 ÔSo, you will cry out to Jehovah,
But He wonÕt listen to youÉ
HeÕll just turn His face at that time,
Because of the wicked things that youÕve done.

5 ÔSo, to the prophets, Jehovah declares
(To those misleading His peopleÉ
Those clenching their teeth as they proclaim peace
When [God hasnÕt put] any [words] in their mouths):
A holy war, IÕll be sending to you
6 Because [you have told them] such things.

ÔThen youÕll see no more visions during the nightsÉ
YouÕll just see darkness (not light).
For the sun will not rise on you prophets,
And the days will darken before you.

7 ÔDisgrace will then come to those that dream dreams,
And those telling the future will be ridiculed.
About them, all will speak badly,
And no one will listen to the things that they say.

8 ÔHowever, I will be filled
With the strength and the Breath of Jehovah,
As well as with His justice and might,
So I can report the irreverence of Jacob
And speak to IsraEl about all their sins.

9 ÔTherefore, listen to this, O leaders of Jacob,
And you remnants of the house of IsraElÉ
You who hate what is fair and twist what is straightÉ
10 You whoÕve built Zion on blood
And filled JeruSalem with injustice!

11 ÔFor your leaders take bribes when they judge;
Your priests require a wage for replies;
And your prophets ask for silver when they prophesy.
Yet they still rest upon Jehovah and say:
IsnÕt Jehovah among us?
No way will He bring bad things on us!

12 And it is for all of these reasons
That Zion will be plowed like a field;
JeruSalem will become empty barns;
And the Temple Mount, just a place in the woods.

Chapter 4

1 ÔBut, in the last days,
They will see the Mountain of Jehovah
Sitting above the rest of the mountains,
Raised higher than all of the hills,
And to it, all the peoples will run.

2 ÔMany nations will go there and say:
LetÕs ascend the Mountain of Jehovah
And enter the [Temple] of JacobÕs God.
For there, He will show us His ways,
And we will thereafter walk in His paths!

ÔFor, Laws will come out of ZionÉ
And from JeruSalem, the Word of Jehovah
3 Will serve as judge between peoples,
And make decisions among distant tribes.

ÔThen theyÕll cut their swords into plows,
And [theyÕll beat] their spears into sickles.
Nation wonÕt rise against nation again,
Nor will they learn war anymore.

4 ÔUnder their own grapevines, each person will sit,
And theyÕll rest beneath their own fig treesÉ
For, none will make them afraid anymore.

(This was said by the mouth of Jehovah the Almighty).

5 ÔAnd though other people may go their own way;
You will walk in the Name of your God
From the present and into the ages.

6 ÔAnd in that day, says Jehovah;
IÕll regather all those that were broken
(The ones that I once had discarded),
And IÕll welcome back those that IÕve pushed away.

7 ÔYes, those that are broken, IÕll welcome,
And IÕll make a great nation of them once againÉ
Of those that I once pushed away!
And thereafter, and into the ages,
Their Lord will rule from Mount Zion.

8 ÔBut now, upon you, O tower of the flockÉ
Yes you, O JeruSalemÕs daughter
(You austere offspring of Zion);
The foremost of BabylonÕs kings
Will come here and enter your [gates]!

9 ÔFor, why did you learn to do such bad thingsÉ
WasnÕt there a king here among you,
And has all good council now perished?

ÔSo, pangs are what youÕll have to endure
Like a woman thatÕs about to give birth.
10 But hang on and take courage, O daughter of Zion,
As [a woman] that is giving birth!

ÔFor whatÕs coming to you is a city
That will set up its camps in your plainsÉ
And then, to Babylon, theyÕll take you.
But your God, Jehovah, will save you from there,
And ransom you from your enemiesÕ hands.

11 ÔNow, many nations have come against you,
And this is what they are saying:
Our eyes will rejoice as we gaze on Zion!

12 ÔBut they donÕt know the ways of Jehovah,
And His council, they donÕt comprehend.
For like sheaves [of grain], theyÕll be gathered,
And on a threshing floor, theyÕll be piled,
13 So that you can thresh them, O daughter of Zion!

ÔFor IÕll turn your horns into iron,
And IÕll turn your hoofs into brass.
Then, I will dissolve many peoples,
And you will carry all their abundance
As well as their strength to the Lord of the earth.

Chapter 5

1 ÔNow the daughter of Zion has a reason to fear,
For upon her, He has decreed war,
And theyÕll strike IsraElÕs tribes on the jaw!

2 ÔThen from you, O BethLehem of EphRatha
(The few among the thousands of Judah),
Will come a man whoÕll be IsraElÕs kingÉ
One whose [roots] are from the most ancient times
And from the days of the ages.

3 ÔAnd because of this, heÕll appoint her
A time that will be [like the giving] of birth.
For thereafter, sheÕll [really] give birth
To the remnant of those who are brothers,
And to the sons of IsraEl, they will return.

4 ÔYes, by the strength of Jehovah,
A shepherd will rise to [watch over] them,
And theyÕll bask in the glory of the Name of their God,
Which will then become known to the ends of the earth.

5 ÔAnd this is [the sign that there will be] peace:
When the Assyrians arrive in your land
And they climb onto your place.
But seven shepherds will then rise against them
[And whip them] with the eight strokes of men.

6 ÔTheyÕll shepherd Assyria with a broadsword,
And the land of Nimrod [will serve as] her grave.
For, from the Assyrians, HeÕll save you,
When against your land, theyÕve ascended,
And when theyÕve crossed over your borders.

7 ÔThereafter, the few of Jacob that remain
Will [be scattered] among many peoples.
But, like the dew that falls from the Lord,
And like the lambs [that are fed] on wild grass;
They will be gathered by no one,
Nor before sons of men, will they stand.

8 ÔAnd though the remnant of Jacob
Will be [scattered] among all the nations
And dwell among many peoples;
They will be like lions among cattle É
As bear cubs among flocks of sheep.

ÔThen they will go through and scatter their preyÉ
None of which will be saved.
9 Then theyÕll lift their hands against their opponents,
And their enemies will all be destroyed.

10 ÔBut [before] that day, says Jehovah;
IÕll destroy all your horses and chariotsÉ
11 All the cities in your land will wiped away,
And I will remove all your forts.

12 ÔFrom your hands, IÕll wipe out your potions,
And thereÕll be no fortune tellers among you.
13 IÕll also destroy all the idols youÕve carved
And remove the sacred stones from your midstÉ
YouÕll [no longer] bow to the works of your hands.

14 ÔIÕll cut down all of your sacred poles
And wipe away all of your cities.
15 Then, in My anger and rage,
IÕll send My vengeance to the rest of the nations,
Because they too failed to listen!

Chapter 6

1 ÔSo, hear indeed, what Jehovah has said!
Arise and plead with the mountainsÉ
Let all the hills hear what HeÕs said!

2 ÔYes, listen, O mountains, to the judgments of GodÉ
You foundations of the earth and its valleys!
For between Jehovah and His people
There is a case to be triedÉ
And with IsraEl, HeÕs going to war!

3 ÔO My people, what did I doÉ
Tell Me what trouble IÕve caused you!
4 From the land of Egypt, I led youÉ
From the house of slaves, I ransomed you back,
And before your face, I had sent you
Miriam, Aaron, and Moses!

5 ÔRemember the plans that MoabÕs King Balak
Had once made against you,
And the answers that BalaAm (the son of BeOr)
Was given from Shittim to GilGal,
So heÕd know the righteous ways of the Lord.

6 ÔYes, how can you conquer Jehovah?
Can you snatch Him down from the heights?
With your whole burnt-offerings, can you beat Him,
Or with [the blood of] one-year-old calves? No!

7 ÔWill Jehovah [be swayed] by a thousand male sheep
Or ten thousand one-year-old calves? No!
For your sins, can you offer your first-born? No!
Can you offer the first fruits that come from your bellies
To cover [the sins] in your lives? No!

8 ÔTo you, HeÕs explained it, O manÉ
All the things that are righteous.
And all that Jehovah requires
Is for you to be fair and love mercy,
And to be ready to walk with your God!

9 ÔSo the voice of Jehovah is calling to you,
And those fearing His Name will be saved.
So, listen to this, O you tribes:
Who will be the adornment of your cities?
10 WonÕt the homes of Law breakers be burned
Along with [the houses] of those loving crimesÉ
All the insolent and the unrighteous?

11 ÔWill I overlook all of your wicked scales
And your bags of deceptive weights?
12 Will your irreverent ways be covered by wealth?
And all you liars that live there;
Will your [wicked] tongues [bring praise] from your mouths? No!

13 ÔFor your sins, IÕll torment you to extinction,
14 Then youÕll eat and never be filled.
IÕll banish you, and you will be lost
(No way will you be preserved);
And the survivors, IÕll hand to the broadsword.

15 ÔThen, though you may plant, you wonÕt reap;
And though youÕll press olives, you will not anoint,
Nor will you drink any wineÉ
Since the Laws of My people will be wiped away.

16 ÔFor the rules of Omri, are what you have chosen,
As well as the deeds of the house of Ahab.
Yes, you have chosen their plans
So you wouldnÕt be laughed at by othersÉ
Thus, IÕm bringing extinction upon you.

Chapter 7

1 ÔIÕm like a man that gleans stubble in the harvest,
Or one who gleans grapes after theyÕre goneÉ
Those ripe ones for which my soul craves (woe is me)!

2 ÔFor the upright have all been wiped from the landÉ
Those that walk straight, no longer exist,
And all righteous blood has been squeezed
By the oppression of their neighbors,
3 Whose hands are doing whatever is bad.

ÔYour rulers now ask you for gifts
And your judges [give rulings] for bribesÉ
Yet, this is what your souls have desired!

4 ÔSo HeÕll take away all your good things
Like a moth chewing through woolen clothes
[On behalf of those] found walking straight lines
In the day that theyÕre being inspected.

ÔYes, woe to you, for your punishment is due,
And soon you all will be weeping.

5 ÔSo, donÕt confide in your friends,
And put no hope in your leaders!
Watch out for the one who sleeps in your bedÉ
To her, show nothing at all!

6 ÔFor, sons will dishonor their fathers,
And daughters will oppose their own mothersÉ
It is daughters-in-law against mothers-in-law,
And your enemies will be those in your own homes.Õ

7 But, I will look to my LordÉ
On my Savior, Jehovah, IÕll wait,
And my God will listen to me.

8 So, enemies of mine, do not rejoice,
For though IÕve fallen, I will rise again.
And if I must sit in the darkness,
Jehovah will provide me with light.

9 Yes, IÕll endure the rage of Jehovah;
For against Him, IÕm also a sinner.
But IÕll wait until He sends justiceÉ
Until He shows me His judgments
And leads me into the light,
Where IÕll look to His righteous ways.

10 Then, upon my enemies, IÕll gaze,
For then, they must bear all their shame;
Since theyÕre the ones that once asked me,
So, where is Jehovah, your God?

[For Jehovah says]:
ÔMy eyes have noticed these things,
So IÕll trample on her like mud in the streetsÉ
11 Like mortar on bricks, sheÕll be wiped away,
And her rules will be gone in that day.

12 ÔYour cities will then all be leveled
And by the Assyrians, theyÕll be subdivided.
Yes your fortified cities will be given away
From Tyre down to the [Nile] riverÉ
From mountain to mountain and sea to sea!

13 ÔFor the land will all be destroyed,
Along with [the people] who live thereÉ
ItÕs the fruitage of the things that theyÕve done.Õ

14 [O God;]
Tend Your people with Your mighty rod;
For, they are Your inherited sheepÉ
May they camp all alone in the woods
And [on the sides] of [Mount] Carmel!

In BaShan and GileAd, please feed them
As You did for them back in that age
15 When [You led] them from Egypt.

16 ÔYes, wonderful things, I will show them,
Which the nations will see in disgrace.
For [the nations will lose] all their strengthÉ
TheyÕll place their hands over their mouths
And they will cover their ears.
17 Then theyÕll lick the dust just like snakes
That slither along on the ground.
And because of this, theyÕll then be confused.Õ

Yes by God, they will be amazedÉ
But, they must learn how to fear Him!
18 For, to what other god can He be compared?

[O Lord];
As You remove the unrighteous,
[Please overlook] the irreverence
Of Your inherited ones that are leftÉ
Hold back Your rage for the things that YouÕve seen,
And please show mercy upon us!

19 Please turn around and show pity on us,
But, sink our unrighteous waysÉ
Cast our sins into the depths of the seas.

20 Then to Jacob, please send what is true,
And on AbraHamÕs [seed], please show mercy,
As You swore in Your oath to our fathers.

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