Micah
Chapter 1
1
The word/'doctrinal communication' {dabar} of Jehovah/God
that
came to Micah, the Morasthite,
in
the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah,
kings
of Judah,
which
he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
2 Hear, all you people.
Hearken,
O earth,
and
all who are there.
And
let the Lord/'Adonay Jehovah/God
be
witness against you,
the
Lord/'Adonay from His holy temple.
3
For, behold, Jehovah/God comes forth out of His place,
and
will come down,
and
tread upon the high places of the earth.
4
And the mountains shall be molten under Him,
and
the valleys shall be burst open,
as
wax before the fire,
and
as the waters that are poured down a steep place.
5
For the transgression of Jacob is all this,
and
for the sins of the house of Israel.
What is the transgression of Jacob?
Is it not Samaria?
And what are the high places of Judah?
Are they not Jerusalem?
6
Therefore I will make Samaria 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.
7
And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces,
and
all the 'wages/hires/reward of prostitutes' {'ethnan}
thereof
shall be burned with the fire,
and
all the idols thereof will I lay desolate . . .
for
she gathered it of the hire of a prostitute,
and
they shall return to the hire of a prostitute.
8
Therefore I will wail and howl,
I
will go stripped and naked.
I
will make a wailing like the crocodile {tanniyn},
and
mourning as the owls.
9 For her wound is incurable.
For it is come unto Judah.
He has come unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.
10
Declare you all it not at Gath,
weep
you all not at all.
In
the 'house of Aphrah'
{ Beyth l@-`Aphrah - literally the house of dust - a Philistine city}
roll
yourself in the dust {`aphar}.
11
Pass you all away,
you
inhabitant of Saphir,
having
your shame naked.
The
inhabitant of Zaanan
came
not forth in the mourning of Bethezel.
He shall receive of you his standing.
{Practice
of Evil Weakens a Nation}
12a~~For
the citizens of Maroth
{Marowth - means 'bitterness' - city near Samaria}
became
weak . . . waiting for good {towb}.
{Note. An example. the United States is doing this today with its welfare program - it is taking its resources and 'giving subsistence payments' to those who can work but won't - that makes a nation weak. God cleans up a nation when those who will not work are eliminated - in that way, a nation retains its vigor. Socialism neutralizes the individual genius in a nation - mediocrity reigns and a nation's vigor and greatness is destroyed.}
12b~~But
evil {ra`} came down from Jehovah/God
to
the gate of Jerusalem.
{Note. In the Northern Kingdom of Samaria, they thought 'Evil Policies' (socialism, minimal military, etc.) were 'Good' and - Boom! - the 5th Cycle of Discipline Came from God.}
13
O you inhabitant of Lachish,
bind
the chariot to the swift animal/beast.
She is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion.
For the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
14 Therefore shall you give presents to Moreshethgath.
The houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.
15
Yet will I bring an heir unto you,
O
inhabitant of Mareshah.
He shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel.
16
Make you bald,
and
poll/'cut your hair'
you
for your delicate children.
Enlarge
your baldness as the eagle . . .
for
they are gone into captivity from you.
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