Episode 225: Another naked prophet

Micah 1-7

God will destroy Samaria

1 ¹ This is the word of God that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah:

² Let everyone on earth hear God's witness against Samaria and Jerusalem.

³ God will come down and walk upon the earth's high places.

⁴ The mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will split.

⁶ I [God] will destroy Samaria by smashing it with stones.

⁷ I'll beat her graven images to pieces, burn her prostitutes, and destroy her idols. The money she paid harlots will be paid to harlots again.

Micah will howl and go stripped naked

⁸ Therefore I will howl and go barefoot and naked.

I'll wail like a dragon and mourn like an owl.

¹⁰ Don’t cry. Roll yourself in the dust instead.

¹¹ Your nakedness has been exposed.

¹² You hoped for good things from God but got evil instead.

¹⁶ Make yourself bald for your children, who will be enslaved in another country.

God devises evil against a family

2 ¹ Woe to those who devise evil on their beds!

³ This is what God says:

Against this family I devise evil.

Because these are evil times.

Don't prophesy

⁶ Don't prophesy, and tell those who prophesy not to prophesy.

¹¹ If a man lies, saying, "Drink wine and strong drink," he'll be the prophet of these people.

God will hide his face from them

3 ¹ Leaders of Israel, you know right from wrong.

² Yet you hate good, love evil, and pluck off people's skin and flesh from their bones.

³ You eat their flesh, break their bones, chop them in pieces, and cook them in pot.

⁴ They cry out to God, but he won't hear them. He hides his face from them because they have misbehaved.

⁵ This is what God says about prophets that mislead the people and bite with their teeth: "You won't have visions anymore."

^9-10 So hear this, rulers of Israel, you perverters of justice, who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity. And whose prophets divine for money.

¹² Because of you, Zion and Jerusalem with be destroyed.

The good last days

4 ¹ In the last days, God's house will be built on the top of the mountains and people will travel to it.

² Many nations will say, "Let's go to God's house on God's mountain."

³ And they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks. Nations will no longer fight wars against other nations.

⁴ People will sit, without fear, under their vines and fig trees, for the mouth of God has said so.

⁵ And they will all be free to worship whatever god they choose.

Smash them in pieces

^6-7 God says,

In that day, I'll gather the people that I have afflicted, and I'll reign over them on mount Zion forever.

¹¹ Many nations are now fighting against you.

¹³ But I'll make you strong, so you'll smash them into pieces.

A ruler from Bethlehem

5 ¹ Israel will be attacked and humiliated.

² But a ruler will be born in Bethlehem.

⁵ When the Assyrians attack our land, we will provide him seven shepherds and eight principal men.

⁶ They will destroy the Assyrians when they attack.

^8-9 They will tear their enemies into pieces, like a lion among a flock of sheep.

God's vengeance

^10-13 God says,

In that day, I'll cut off your horses, cities, witches, soothsayers, and graven images. You'll no longer worship the work of your hands.

¹⁴ I'll destroy your groves and cities.

¹⁵ And in my anger and fury, I'll take vengeance on the heathen like they've never heard of before.

God doesn't want animal sacrifices (anymore)

6 ¹ Hear what God says, you hills and mountains.

² Listen, you mountains, to God's controversy. Hear, you strong foundations of the earth.

⁶ God doesn't want animal sacrifices anymore.

⁸ All that God wants from you is this: to be good, just, merciful, and humble.

God will make you sick

⁹ God's voice cries out in the city, saying,

¹³ I'll make you sick because of your sins.

¹⁴ You'll eat, but not be satisfied. I'll take away whatever you have with the sword.

¹⁵ You'll sow but won't reap. Tread olives but won't get any oil. Plant vineyards but won't drink wine.

¹⁶ I'll make you desolate, and everyone will hiss at you.

Woe is me!

7 ¹ Woe is me!

² There are no good men on earth. They're all liars and murderers.

³ They do evil with both hands.

⁵ Don't trust a friend or talk to your wife.

⁶ Sons dishonor their fathers, daughters rise up against mothers, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. Family members are enemies to each other.

¹⁶ Nations will be confounded. They won't be able to speak or hear.

¹⁷ They'll lick dust like a serpent, crawl out of their holes like worms, and fear God.

¹⁸ God won't be angry forever, because he delights in mercy.

¹⁹ He'll cast all sins into the sea.