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Micah 1 (Michah) in Hebrew and English

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Tenakh Study · Read Micah in Hebrew and English, one chapter per page. Our Tenakh study meets every Wednesday at 7 pm (Central Time) on Zoom. Text us for the Zoom link.

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Tenakh Study · Micah 1:1–16

Micah, Chapter 1

מיכה א

The word of Hashem to Michah the Morashti concerning Shomron and Yerushalayim: Hashem comes down out of His place, Shomron is made a heap and her idols are laid desolate, and the prophet wails as the wound reaches Yehudah and the gate of Yerushalayim, calling on Gat, Lachish, Mareshah and the other towns.

1:1The word of Hashem that came to Michah (Micah) the Morashti (Morasthite) in the days of Yotam (Jotham), Achaz (Ahaz), and Yechizkiyah (Hezekiah), kings of Yehudah (Judah), which he saw concerning Shomron (Samaria) and Yerushalayim (Jerusalem).

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

Hashem comes forth out of His place

1:2Hear, all you people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord Hashem be witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple.

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

1:3For, behold, Hashem comes forth out of His place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.

גכִּֽי־הִנֵּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה יֹצֵ֣א מִמְּקוֹמ֑וֹ וְיָרַ֥ד וְדָרַ֖ךְ עַל־בָּ֥מֳתֵי (כתיב במותי) אָֽרֶץ׃

1:4And the mountains shall be molten under Him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place.

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

1:5For the transgression of Ya’akov (Jacob) is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Ya’akov? is it not Shomron? and what are the high places of Yehudah? are they not Yerushalayim?

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

Shomron made a heap

1:6Therefore I will make Shomron as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof.

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

1:7And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot.

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

The prophet’s lament

1:8Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.

חעַל־זֹאת֙ אֶסְפְּדָ֣ה וְאֵילִ֔ילָה אֵילְכָ֥ה שׁוֹלָ֖ל (כתיב שילל) וְעָר֑וֹם אֶעֱשֶׂ֤ה מִסְפֵּד֙ כַּתַּנִּ֔ים וְאֵ֖בֶל כִּבְנ֥וֹת יַעֲנָֽה׃

1:9For her wound is incurable; for it is come unto Yehudah; he is come unto the gate of my people, even to Yerushalayim.

טכִּ֥י אֲנוּשָׁ֖ה מַכּוֹתֶ֑יהָ כִּי־בָ֨אָה֙ עַד־יְהוּדָ֔ה נָגַ֛ע עַד־שַׁ֥עַר עַמִּ֖י עַד־יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

1:10Declare you it not at Gat (Gath), weep you not at all: in Beit Le’afrah (Aphrah) roll yourself in the dust.

יבְּגַת֙ אַל־תַּגִּ֔ידוּ בָּכ֖וֹ אַל־תִּבְכּ֑וּ בְּבֵ֣ית לְעַפְרָ֔ה עָפָ֖ר הִתְפַּלָּֽשִׁי (כתיב התפלשתי)׃

1:11Pass you away, you inhabitant of Shafir (Saphir), having your shame naked: the inhabitant of Tza’anan (Zaanan) came not forth in the mourning of Beit Ha’etzel (Beth-ezel); he shall receive of you his standing.

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

1:12For the inhabitant of Marot (Maroth) waited carefully for good: but evil came down from Hashem unto the gate of Yerushalayim.

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

1:13O you inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast: she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Tziyon (Zion): for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.

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

1:14Therefore shall you give presents to Moreshet Gat (Moresheth-gath): the houses of Achziv (Achzib) shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.

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

1:15Yet will I bring an heir unto you, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel.

טועֹ֗ד הַיֹּרֵשׁ֙ אָ֣בִי לָ֔ךְ יוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת מָֽרֵשָׁ֑ה עַד־עֲדֻּלָּ֥ם יָב֖וֹא כְּב֥וֹד יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

1:16Make you bald, and poll you for your delicate children; enlarge your baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from you.

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

Sources & method

Hebrew text
The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. A paragraph mark (ס or פ) inside a verse is shown in small type.
English translation
The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the King James spelling in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Yehudah (Judah)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem”; “God” (Elohim) is unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
Verse numbers
Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. In Micah they differ from most English Bibles, or a verse is divided differently, in chapters 4 and 5; a note under the summary on those pages explains how.
Hebrew font
SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.