The Book of Micah ORACLES OF SALVATION

Opera, Masculine Vocals, Drone folk, avant-garde jazz, guttural chants, bowed cymbals, distorted harmonium, overtone singing, theremin swells, polyrhythmic drumming, melancholic guitar feedback

[Instrumental]

[Prologue]
The word of the LORD
which came to Micah
of Moresheth
in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah,
kings of Judah,
which he saw
concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
ORACLES OF SALVATION

[Instrumental]

[Verse]
In days to come
the mount of the LORD’s house
Shall be established as the highest mountain;
it shall be raised above the hills,
And peoples shall stream to it:
Many nations shall come, and say,
“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways,
that we may walk in his paths.”
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between many peoples
and set terms for strong and distant nations;
They shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
One nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
They shall all sit under their own vines,
under their own fig trees, undisturbed;
for the LORD of hosts has spoken.
Though all the peoples walk,
each in the name of its god,
We will walk in the name of the LORD,
our God, forever and ever.

[Chorus]
On that day—oracle of the LORD—
I will destroy your carved figures
and the sacred stones from your midst;
And you shall no longer worship
the works of your hands.
I will tear out the asherahs from your midst,
and destroy your cities.
[Instrumental]

[Verse]
On that day—oracle of the LORD—
I will gather the lame,
And I will assemble the outcasts,
and those whom I have afflicted.
I will make of the lame a remnant,
and of the weak a strong nation;
The LORD shall be king over them on Mount Zion,
from now on and forever.
And you, O tower of the flock,
hill of daughter Zion!
To you it shall come:
the former dominion shall be restored,
the reign of daughter Jerusalem.
Now why do you cry out so?
Are you without a king?
Or has your adviser perished,
That you are seized with pains
like a woman in labor?

[Verse]
Writhe, go into labor,
O daughter Zion,
like a woman giving birth;
For now you shall leave the city
and camp in the fields;
To Babylon you shall go,
there you shall be rescued.
There the LORD shall redeem you
from the hand of your enemies.
[Instrumental]

[Chorus]
On that day—oracle of the LORD—
I will destroy your carved figures
and the sacred stones from your midst;
And you shall no longer worship
the works of your hands.
[Instrumental]

[Verse]
And now many nations are gathered against you!
They say, “Let her be profaned,
let our eyes see Zion’s downfall!”
But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD,
nor understand his plan:
He has gathered them
like sheaves to the threshing floor.
Arise and thresh, O daughter Zion;
your horn I will make iron
And your hoofs I will make bronze,
that you may crush many peoples;
You shall devote their spoils to the LORD,
their riches to the Lord of the whole earth.
Now grieve, O grieving daughter!
“They have laid siege against us!”
With the rod they strike on the cheek
the ruler of Israel.

[Chorus]
On that day—oracle of the LORD—
I will destroy the horses from your midst
and ruin your chariots;
I will destroy the cities of your land
and tear down all your fortresses.
I will tear out the asherahs from your midst,
and destroy your cities.
I will wreak vengeance in anger and wrath
upon the nations that have not listened.
[Instrumental]

[Verse]
But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah
least among the clans of Judah,
From you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
Whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
Then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the children of Israel.
He shall take his place as shepherd
by the strength of the LORD,
by the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
And they shall dwell securely, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth:
he shall be peace.
If Assyria invades our country
and treads upon our land,
We shall raise against it seven shepherds,
eight of royal standing;
They shall tend the land of Assyria with the sword,
and the land of Nimrod with the drawn sword;
They will deliver us from Assyria,
when it invades our land,
when it treads upon our borders.
The remnant of Jacob shall be
in the midst of many peoples,
Like dew coming from the LORD,
like showers on the grass,
Which wait for no one,
delay for no human being.
And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations,
in the midst of many peoples,
Like a lion among beasts of the forest,
like a young lion among flocks of sheep;
When it passes through it tramples;
it tears and no one can rescue.
Your hand shall be lifted above your foes,
and all your enemies shall be cut down.
[Instrumental]

[Chorus]
On that day—oracle of the LORD—
I will destroy the horses from your midst
and ruin your chariots;
I will destroy the cities of your land
and tear down all your fortresses.
I will destroy the sorcery you practice,
and there shall no longer be soothsayers among you.
I will destroy your carved figures
and the sacred stones from your midst;
And you shall no longer worship
the works of your hands.
I will tear out the asherahs from your midst,
and destroy your cities.
I will wreak vengeance in anger and wrath
upon the nations that have not listened.
[Instrumental]

[End]

[Silence]

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[Instrumental] [Prologue] The word of the LORD which came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. ORACLES OF SALVATION [Instrumental] [Verse] In days to come the mount of the LORD’s house Shall be established as the highest mountain; it shall be raised above the hills, And peoples shall stream to it: Many nations shall come, and say, “Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, That he may instruct us in his ways, that we may walk in his paths.” For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples and set terms for strong and distant nations; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. They shall all sit under their own vines, under their own fig trees, undisturbed; for the LORD of hosts has spoken. Though all the peoples walk, each in the name of its god, We will walk in the name of the LORD, our God, forever and ever. [Chorus] On that day—oracle of the LORD— I will destroy your carved figures and the sacred stones from your midst; And you shall no longer worship the works of your hands. I will tear out the asherahs from your midst, and destroy your cities. [Instrumental] [Verse] On that day—oracle of the LORD— I will gather the lame, And I will assemble the outcasts, and those whom I have afflicted. I will make of the lame a remnant, and of the weak a strong nation; The LORD shall be king over them on Mount Zion, from now on and forever. And you, O tower of the flock, hill of daughter Zion! To you it shall come: the former dominion shall be restored, the reign of daughter Jerusalem. Now why do you cry out so? Are you without a king? Or has your adviser perished, That you are seized with pains like a woman in labor? [Chorus] On that day—oracle of the LORD— I will destroy the horses from your midst and ruin your chariots; I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your fortresses. I will destroy the sorcery you practice, and there shall no longer be soothsayers among you. [Instrumental] [Verse] Writhe, go into labor, O daughter Zion, like a woman giving birth; For now you shall leave the city and camp in the fields; To Babylon you shall go, there you shall be rescued. There the LORD shall redeem you from the hand of your enemies. [Instrumental] [Chorus] On that day—oracle of the LORD— I will destroy your carved figures and the sacred stones from your midst; And you shall no longer worship the works of your hands. [Instrumental] [Verse] And now many nations are gathered against you! They say, “Let her be profaned, let our eyes see Zion’s downfall!” But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD, nor understand his plan: He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor. Arise and thresh, O daughter Zion; your horn I will make iron And your hoofs I will make bronze, that you may crush many peoples; You shall devote their spoils to the LORD, their riches to the Lord of the whole earth. Now grieve, O grieving daughter! “They have laid siege against us!” With the rod they strike on the cheek the ruler of Israel. [Chorus] On that day—oracle of the LORD— I will destroy the horses from your midst and ruin your chariots; I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your fortresses. I will tear out the asherahs from your midst, and destroy your cities. I will wreak vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations that have not listened. [Instrumental] [Verse] But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah least among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, Then the rest of his kindred shall return to the children of Israel. He shall take his place as shepherd by the strength of the LORD, by the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall dwell securely, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth: he shall be peace. If Assyria invades our country and treads upon our land, We shall raise against it seven shepherds, eight of royal standing; They shall tend the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the drawn sword; They will deliver us from Assyria, when it invades our land, when it treads upon our borders. The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, Like dew coming from the LORD, like showers on the grass, Which wait for no one, delay for no human being. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, Like a lion among beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep; When it passes through it tramples; it tears and no one can rescue. Your hand shall be lifted above your foes, and all your enemies shall be cut down. [Instrumental] [Chorus] On that day—oracle of the LORD— I will destroy the horses from your midst and ruin your chariots; I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your fortresses. I will destroy the sorcery you practice, and there shall no longer be soothsayers among you. I will destroy your carved figures and the sacred stones from your midst; And you shall no longer worship the works of your hands. I will tear out the asherahs from your midst, and destroy your cities. I will wreak vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations that have not listened. [Instrumental] [End] [Silence]

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