When the Mountains Melt.

דְּבַר־יְהוָ֣ה׀ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָ֗ה אֶל־מִיכָה֙ הַמֹּ֣רַשְׁתִּ֔י בִּימֵ֥י יוֹתָ֛ם אָחָ֥ז יְחִזְקִיָּ֖ה מַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר־חָזָ֥ה עַל־שֹׁמְר֖וֹן וִירֽוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

שִׁמְעוּ֙ עַמִּ֣ים כֻּלָּ֔ם הַקְשִׁ֖יבִי אֶ֣רֶץ וּמְלֹאָ֑הּ וִיהִי֩ אֲדֹנָ֨י יְהוִ֤ה בָּכֶם֙ לְעֵ֔ד אֲדֹנָ֖י מֵהֵיכַ֥ל קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃

[2] Hear, you peoples, all of you; pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it, and let the Lord God be a witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.

כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה יֹצֵ֣א מִמְּקוֹמ֑וֹ וְיָרַ֥ד וְדָרַ֖ךְ ׳עַל־בָּמוֹתֵי׳ ״עַל־בָּ֥מֳתֵי״ אָֽרֶץ׃

[3] For behold, the Lord is coming out of his place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth.

וְנָמַ֤סּוּ הֶֽהָרִים֙ תַּחְתָּ֔יו וְהָעֲמָקִ֖ים יִתְבַּקָּ֑עוּ כַּדּוֹנַג֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י הָאֵ֔שׁ כְּמַ֖יִם מֻגָּרִ֥ים בְּמוֹרָֽד׃

[4] And the mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will split open, like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place.

בְּפֶ֤שַׁע יַֽעֲקֹב֙ כָּל־זֹ֔את וּבְחַטֹּ֖אות בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מִֽי־פֶ֣שַׁע יַעֲקֹ֗ב הֲלוֹא֙ שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן וּמִי֙ בָּמ֣וֹת יְהוּדָ֔ה הֲל֖וֹא יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

[5] All this is for the transgression of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?

וְשַׂמְתִּ֥י שֹׁמְר֛וֹן לְעִ֥י הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה לְמַטָּ֣עֵי כָ֑רֶם וְהִגַּרְתִּ֤י לַגַּי֙ אֲבָנֶ֔יהָ וִיסֹדֶ֖יהָ אֲגַלֶּֽה׃

[6] Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the open country, a place for planting vineyards, and I will pour down her stones into the valley and uncover her foundations.

וְכָל־פְּסִילֶ֣יהָ יֻכַּ֗תּוּ וְכָל־אֶתְנַנֶּ֙יהָ֙ יִשָּׂרְפ֣וּ בָאֵ֔שׁ וְכָל־עֲצַבֶּ֖יהָ אָשִׂ֣ים שְׁמָמָ֑ה כִּ֠י מֵאֶתְנַ֤ן זוֹנָה֙ קִבָּ֔צָה וְעַד־אֶתְנַ֥ן זוֹנָ֖ה יָשֽׁוּבוּ׃

[7] All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, all her wages shall be burned with fire, and all her idols I will lay waste, for from the fee of a prostitute she gathered them, and to the fee of a prostitute they shall return.

עַל־זֹאת֙ אֶסְפְּדָ֣ה וְאֵילִ֔ילָה אֵילְכָ֥ה ׳שֵׁילָל׳ ״שׁוֹלָ֖ל״ וְעָר֑וֹם אֶעֱשֶׂ֤ה מִסְפֵּד֙ כַּתַּנִּ֔ים וְאֵ֖בֶל כִּבְנ֥וֹת יַעֲנָֽה׃

[8] For this I will lament and wail; I will go stripped and naked; I will make lamentation like the jackals, and mourning like the ostriches.

כִּ֥י אֲנוּשָׁ֖ה מַכּוֹתֶ֑יהָ כִּי־בָ֙אָה֙ עַד־יְהוּדָ֔ה נָגַ֛ע עַד־שַׁ֥עַר עַמִּ֖י עַד־יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

[9] For her wound is incurable, and it has come to Judah; it has reached to the gate of my people, to Jerusalem.

בְּגַת֙ אַל־תַּגִּ֔ידוּ בָּכ֖וֹ אַל־תִּבְכּ֑וּ בְּבֵ֣ית לְעַפְרָ֔ה עָפָ֖ר ׳הִתְפַּלָּשְׁתִּי׳ ״הִתְפַּלָּֽשִׁי׃״

[10] Tell it not in Gath; weep not at all; in Beth-le-aphrah roll yourselves in the dust.

עִבְרִ֥י לָכֶ֛ם יוֹשֶׁ֥בֶת שָׁפִ֖יר עֶרְיָה־בֹ֑שֶׁת לֹ֤א יָֽצְאָה֙ יוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת צַֽאֲנָ֔ן מִסְפַּד֙ בֵּ֣ית הָאֵ֔צֶל יִקַּ֥ח מִכֶּ֖ם עֶמְדָּתֽוֹ׃

[11] Pass on your way, inhabitants of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame; the inhabitants of Zaanan do not come out; the lamentation of Beth-ezel shall take away from you its standing place.

כִּֽי־חָ֥לָֽה לְט֖וֹב יוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת מָר֑וֹת כִּֽי־יָ֤רַד רָע֙ מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה לְשַׁ֖עַר יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

[12] For the inhabitants of Maroth wait anxiously for good, because disaster has come down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem.

רְתֹ֧ם הַמֶּרְכָּבָ֛ה לָרֶ֖כֶשׁ יוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת לָכִ֑ישׁ רֵאשִׁ֨ית חַטָּ֥את הִיא֙ לְבַת־צִיּ֔וֹן כִּי־בָ֥ךְ נִמְצְא֖וּ פִּשְׁעֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

[13] Harness the steeds to the chariots, inhabitants of Lachish; it was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion, for in you were found the transgressions of Israel.

לָכֵן֙ תִּתְּנִ֣י שִׁלּוּחִ֔ים עַ֖ל מוֹרֶ֣שֶׁת גַּ֑ת בָּתֵּ֤י אַכְזִיב֙ לְאַכְזָ֔ב לְמַלְכֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

[14] Therefore you shall give parting gifts to Moresheth-gath; the houses of Achzib shall be a deceitful thing to the kings of Israel.

עֹ֗ד הַיֹּרֵשׁ֙ אָ֣בִי לָ֔ךְ יוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת מָֽרֵשָׁ֑ה עַד־עֲדֻלָּ֥ם יָב֖וֹא כְּב֥וֹד יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

[15] I will again bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of Mareshah; the glory of Israel shall come to Adullam.

קָרְחִ֣י וָגֹ֔זִּי עַל־בְּנֵ֖י תַּעֲנוּגָ֑יִךְ הַרְחִ֤בִי קָרְחָתֵךְ֙ כַּנֶּ֔שֶׁר כִּ֥י גָל֖וּ מִמֵּֽךְ׃ ס

[16] Make yourselves bald and cut off your hair, for the children of your delight; make yourselves as bald as the eagle, for they shall go from you into exile.