Capitulum I. The word of þe Lord, whiche is maad to Mycheas Moraſtites, in þe days of Joaþan, Achas, Ezechie, kyngys of Juda; whiche he ſawȝ on Samarie, and Jeruſalem. Heere ȝe, alle peplis, and þe erþe perceyue, and þe plente þerof; and be þe Lord God to ȝou in to a witneſſe, þe Lord of hys holy temple. For loo! þe Lord ſhal gon out of his place, and ſhal cumme doun, and ſhal trede on heeȝ þingus of erþe. And mounteyns ſhuln be waaſtid vndir hym, and valeys ſhuln be kitt, as wex fro face of fijre, as waters þat rennen in to a pitt. In þe grete treſpas of Jacob al þis þing, and in þe ſynnes of þe hous of Yrael. Whiche þe grete treſpas of Jacob, wher not Samarie? and whiche þe heeȝ þingis of Juda, wher not Jeruſalem? And Y ſhal putte Samarie as an heep of ſtoons in þe feeld, whanne a vyne ȝerd is plauntid; and Y ſhal drawe awey þe ſtoons þerof into a valey, and ſhal ſhewe þe foundementis þerof. And alle ſculptilis, or grauen ymagis, þerof ſhuln be beten to gidre, and alle hijres þerof ſhuln be brent in fijr; and Y ſhal putte al ydolis þerof in to perdicioun; for of hijris of an hoore þei ben gadrid, and vn to hijre of an hoore þei ſhuln be turned aȝein. On þis þing Y ſhal weile and ȝoule, Y ſhal go ſpuylid and nakid; and Y ſhal make weyling as of dragouns, and mournyng as of ſtruciouns. For plage, or wounde, þerof is diſpeirid; for it came vn to Juda, it touchide þe ȝate of my peple, vn to Jeruſalem. In Geþ nyl ȝe telle, in teris weepe ȝe not; in þe hous of duſt wiþ duſt togydre ſprenge ȝou. And a faire dwellyng ſhal paſſe fro ȝou, confoundid wiþ yuel fame; it is not gon out, whiche dwelliþ in þe goynge out; a niȝ hous ſhal take of ȝou weylyng, whiche ſtode to it ſelf. For it is maad ſeeke in to good, whiche dwelliþ in bitterneſſis. For yuel came doun fro þe Lord in to þe ȝate of Jeruſalem, noyſe of a four horſid cart, of dreed to þe dwellynge at Lachis. It is þe bygynnyng of ſynne of þe douȝter of Syon, for in þee þe grete treſpaſſis of Yrael ben founden. Þerfore he ſhal ȝeue vnnoble men on þe heritage of Geþ, an hous of leſyng in to diſceyte to þe kyngis of Yrael. Ȝit Y ſhal brenge an eir to þee, þat dwelliſt in Mareſa; vnto Odolla of glorie of Yrael ſhal cum. Be þou maad ballid, and be þou clippid on þe ſonys of ydolis; alarge þi baldneſſe as an egle, for þei ben led caityf fro þee.
Capitulum II. Woo to ȝou, þat þenken vnprofitable þing, and wirchen yuel in ȝoure couchis; in þe morew liȝt þei don it, for þe hond of hem is aȝeinus God. Þei couetiden feeldis, and violently token; and rauyſhiden houſis, and falſly chalengiden a man and his hous, and a man and his eritage. Þerfore þeſe þingis ſaiþ þe Lord, Loo! Y þenke on þis meynee yuel, of whom ȝe ſhuln not take awey ȝour neckis; and ȝe ſhuln not walke proude, for þe warſt tyme is. In þat daye a parable ſhal be taken on ȝou, and a ſonge ſhal be ſungen wiþ ſwetneſſe of men, ſayinge, By robbyng we ben diſtruyed; a part of my peple is chaungid to gidre; hou ſhal he go awey fro me, whanne he turneþ aȝein þat ſhal departe ȝoure cuntrees? For þis þing þere ſhal not be to þee þe ſendyng a litil coorde of ſort in cumpanye of þe Lord. Þou Yrael, ſpeke ȝe not ſpekynge; it ſhal not droppe on þeſe, confuſioun ſhal not cacche, ſaiþ þe Lord to Jacob. Wher þe Spirit of þe Lord is abreggid, or ſiche ben þe þouȝtus of hym? Wher my wordis ben not goode, wiþ hym þat riȝtli goþ? And aȝeinward my peple ros to gidre in to an aduerſarie; ȝe toke awey þe mantil aboue þe coote, and ȝe turnyden hem in to bataile, hem þat wenten ſymply. Ȝe caſtiden out þe wymmen of my peple, of þe hous of her delices; fro þe litil childre of hem ȝe token awey my herying in to wiþ outen eende. Ryſe ȝe, and go, for here ȝe han not reſte; for þe vnclenneſſe þerof it ſhal be corrupt wiþ þe warſt rott. Y wolde Y were not a man hauynge ſpirit, and raþer Y ſpake leſyng. Y ſhal droppe to þee in to wyn, and in to drunkeneſſe; and þis peple ſhal be, on whom it is droppid. Wiþ gadryng Y ſhal gadre Jacob; Y ſhal leede to gydre þee al in to oon, þe relikis of Yrael. Y ſhal putte hym to gydre, as a flok in folde; as ſheep in þe mydil of foldis þei ſhuln make noyſe, of multitude of men. Forſoþe he ſhal ſtye ſhewynge waye byfore hem; þei ſhuln departe, and paſſe þe ȝate, and ſhuln go out þerby; and þe kyng of hem ſhal paſſe byfore hem, and þe Lord in þe hed of hem.