1:2 Listen, all you nations! 1
Pay attention, all inhabitants of earth! 2
The sovereign Lord will testify 3 against you;
the Lord will accuse you 4 from his majestic palace. 5
1:3 Look, 6 the Lord is coming out of his dwelling place!
He will descend and march on the earth’s mountaintops! 7
1:4 The mountains will disintegrate 8 beneath him,
and the valleys will be split in two. 9
The mountains will melt 10 like wax in a fire,
the rocks will slide down like water cascading down a steep slope. 11
1:5 All this is because of Jacob’s rebellion
and 12 the sins of the nation 13 of Israel.
How has Jacob rebelled, you ask? 14
Samaria epitomizes their rebellion! 15
Where are Judah’s pagan worship centers, you ask? 16
They are right in Jerusalem! 17
1:6 “I will turn Samaria 18 into a heap of ruins in an open field –
vineyards will be planted there! 19
I will tumble 20 the rubble of her stone walls 21 down into the valley,
and tear down her fortifications to their foundations. 22
1:7 All her carved idols will be smashed to pieces;
all her metal cult statues will be destroyed by fire. 23
I will make a waste heap 24 of all her images.
Since 25 she gathered the metal 26 as a prostitute collects her wages,
the idols will become a prostitute’s wages again.” 27
1:8 For this reason I 28 will mourn and wail;
I will walk around barefoot 29 and without my outer garments. 30
I will howl 31 like a wild dog, 32
and screech 33 like an owl. 34
1:9 For Samaria’s 35 disease 36 is incurable.
It has infected 37 Judah;
it has spread to 38 the leadership 39 of my people
and has even contaminated Jerusalem! 40
1:10 Don’t spread the news in Gath! 41
Don’t shed even a single tear! 42
In Beth Leaphrah sit in the dust! 43
1:11 Residents 44 of Shaphir, 45 pass by in nakedness and humiliation! 46
The residents of Zaanan can’t leave their city. 47
Beth Ezel 48 mourns, 49
“He takes from you what he desires.” 50
1:12 Indeed, the residents of Maroth 51 hope for something good to happen, 52
though the Lord has sent disaster against the city of Jerusalem. 53
1:13 Residents of Lachish, 54 hitch the horses to the chariots!
You 55 influenced Daughter Zion 56 to sin, 57
for Israel’s rebellious deeds can be traced back 58 to you!
1:14 Therefore you 59 will have to say farewell 60 to Moresheth Gath.
The residents 61 of Achzib 62 will be as disappointing
as a dried up well 63 to the kings of Israel. 64
1:15 Residents of Mareshah, 65 a conqueror will attack you, 66
the leaders of Israel shall flee to Adullam. 67
1:16 Shave your heads bald as you mourn for the children you love; 68
shave your foreheads as bald 69 as an eagle, 70
for they are taken from you into exile.