Micah 1:12-14

Contemporary English Version

¹²Everyone in Maroth^[a]
hoped for the best,
but the Lord sent disaster
down on Jerusalem.

¹³Get the war chariots ready,
    you people of Lachish.^[b]
You led Jerusalem into sin,
    just as Israel did.^[c]
¹⁴Now you will have to give
a going-away gift^[d]
    to Moresheth.^[e]
Israel's kings will discover
that they cannot trust
    the town of Achzib.^[f]

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Footnotes

1.12 Maroth: Mentioned only here in the Old Testament; in Hebrew “Maroth” means “bitter.”
1.13 Lachish: The chief city of southwest Judah, about 48 kilometers from Jerusalem.
1.13 led … sin … did: Or “You led Jerusalem and Israel into sin.” In Hebrew “Lachish” sounds like “a team of horses (that pulls a war chariot).” And the sin may be that Lachish led the nation to trust the power of war chariots instead of the Lord. But the sin could be idolatry or some false teachings that were brought in from Egypt by way of Lachish.
1.14 going-away gift: The gift (dowry) that a bride's father gave her when she left the home of her parents to live with the family of her husband. In Hebrew the word for “bride” or “fiancee” sounds like “Moresheth.”
1.14 Moresheth: Hebrew “Moresheth-Gath”; the home of Micah (see verse 1).
1.14 Achzib: Meaning “lie” or “deception” was near Adullam Cave (verse 15), where David hid from King Saul (see 1 Samuel 22.1,2). Micah probably means that the people of Israel (including their king) will have to run for their lives, but will find that all hope for escape is merely a “lie” (see verse 15).