1 During the time that Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah, the Lord gave this message to Micah, who was from the town of Moresheth. The Lord revealed to Micah all these things about Samaria and Jerusalem.
A Lament for Samaria and Jerusalem
2 Hear this, all you nations;
listen to this, all who live on earth!
The Sovereign Lord will testify against you.
Listen! He speaks from his heavenly temple.
3 The Lord is coming from his holy place;
he will come down and walk on the tops of the mountains.
4 Then the mountains will melt under him
like wax in a fire;
they will pour down into the valleys
like water pouring down a hill.
5 All this will happen because the people of Israel have sinned and rebelled against God. Who is to blame for Israel's rebellion? Samaria, the capital city itself! Who is guilty of idolatry in Judah? Jerusalem itself! 6 So the Lord says, “I will make Samaria a pile of ruins in the open country, a place for planting grapevines. I will pour the rubble of the city down into the valley, and will lay bare the city's foundations. 7 All its precious idols will be smashed to pieces, everything given to its temple prostitutes will be destroyed by fire, and all its images will become a desolate heap. Samaria acquired these things for its fertility rites, and now her enemies will carry them off for temple prostitutes elsewhere.”
8 Then Micah said, “Because of this I will mourn and lament. To show my sorrow, I will walk around barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and wail like an ostrich. 9 Samaria's wounds cannot be healed, and Judah is about to suffer in the same way; destruction has reached the gates of Jerusalem itself, where my people live.”
The Enemy Approaches Jerusalem
10 Don't tell our enemies in Gath about our defeat; don't let them see you weeping. People of Beth Leaphrah, show your despair by rolling in the dust! 11 You people of Shaphir, go into exile, naked and ashamed. Those who live in Zaanan do not dare to come out of their city. When you hear the people of Bethezel mourn, you will know that there is no refuge there. 12 The people of Maroth anxiously wait for relief, because the Lord has brought disaster close to Jerusalem. 13 You that live in Lachish, hitch the horses to the chariots. You imitated the sins of Israel and so caused Jerusalem to sin. 14 And now, people of Judah, say good-bye to the town of Moresheth Gath. The kings of Israel will get no help from the town of Achzib.
15 People of Mareshah, the Lord will hand you over to an enemy, who is going to capture your town. The leaders of Israel will go and hide in the cave at Adullam. 16 People of Judah, cut off your hair in mourning for the children you love. Make yourselves as bald as vultures, because your children will be taken away from you into exile.
1 Dama la Yahwe lakazha kuna Mika we Moresheti mu mazhuba e kubusa kwa Jothamu ne muna a Ahazi ne a Hezekiya bomambo be Juda, ili mbono yaakabona ngekwe Samariya ne Jerusalema.
Kulilila Samariya ne Jerusalema
2 Ihwani imwi bathu, imwi mose
teedzani, shango nakose ku muili,
muletje She Yahwe batendeke nge kwenyu,
She betendeka kudwa mu ng'umba yabo yakayengemala.
3 Ngoti bonani, Yahwe banozha bedwa mu magalo abo,
banodeluka bebe betshamba magalo apezhugwi e shango.
4 Ipapo matombo anowonyawuka kusi kwabo,
mikuku iyo ikakwamuka
se phola ipejo ne moto
ikanga vula inowunga pakakunguluka.
5 Kose ikoku kodang'wa nge kutjuluka nlayo kwa Jakubo,
ne ngekwe zwibi zwe nsha wa Iziraela.
Kutjuluka nlayo kwa Jakubo ini kene?
Apa ate ili Samariya kene?
Magalo akamilika e Juda ini kene?
Apa ate ili Jerusalema kene?
6 Ndizo wali ndowothama Samariya duluthulu le malala,
unowobe pathu panolimiwa mizhambi.
Ndowotebulila mabgwe awe mu nkuku
ngono asiya thiwa iye ili patjena.
7 Midzimu iye ye zwifano inowovunanyiwa ikabe zwitibhutibhu,
mibhayilo iye yose inowopisiwa nge moto,
midzimu iye yose ye zwifano ndowoyipkhwanya.
Se akakubunganya zwipo zwizwe kudwa mu mibhayilo ye fukula,
zowoshingisiwa koga se mibhayilo ye fukula.
Kulilila Juda
8 Ngekwa ikoku ndowolila abokolela,
ndowoyenda ndisakaambala shangu ndakati piti.
Ndowolila se phungubgwe,
abubula se fukumudzi.
9 Ngoti banga lile ate linopodziwa,
kwakazha ku Juda,
kwakaswika ku nkoba we bathu bangu,
ku Jerusalema.
10 Musitongo kuleba mu Gati,
musilile tjoselele.
Mu Beti Leafura mubumbuluke mu hwuluba.
11 Pindani muyende muli mbujo makabhakhwa nge shoni
imwi bagali be Shafiri,
bagali be Zaanani
ibo abatowobhuda mu nzi wabo.
Beti Ezele iyo imu tjililo,
mbakililo yayo yadusiwa mu muli.
12 Ngoti bagali be Maroti bakalindila
tjakanaka nge moyo nlefu,
ngoti mbatsha dzabawila dzidwa kuna Yahwe,
dzikaswika ku nkoba we Jerusalema.
13 Sungililani mbizi mu koloyi dze ngwa
imwi bagali be Lakhishi.
Ndimwi batangisi be tjibi,
ku nkololokadzi we Ziyoni,
ngoti bupanduki gwe Iziraela
gwakawang'wa mu muli.
14 Ndizo mowodusila Moresheti Gati zwipo
zwe kuwonekana ikoko.
Bathu be Akizibu banowobe mapitipiti
kuna bomambo be Iziraela.
15 Ndowozhisa nkundi kakale ku muli
imwi bagali be Maresha.
Iye gudzo le Iziraela
unowozha ku Adulamu.
16 Teselani misholo mu tjililo,
mulilila bana benyu bamunoshathila,
muzwithame mapalo musale munga gola
nge kuti banowotapiwa kudwa mu muli.