1:11a

Depart in shameful nakedness, O dwellers of Shaphir: Grammatically, Micah’s words Depart in shameful nakedness… are a command. However, his intention is not to command them to do something, but to predict what will happen to them. The people of Shaphir will be forced to leave their city in shame. In some languages, it may be clearer to express this as a future event. For example:

You inhabitants of Shaphir! You will depart naked and ashamed.

There is implied information in this verse. An enemy army will capture the people in Shaphir and take them away as slaves or as prisoners of war.

Here are some ways to make this implied information explicit:

You people of Shaphir, go into exile, naked and ashamed. (Good News Translation)
-or-
You people of Shaphir, go as captives into exile —naked and ashamed. (New Living Translation (2004))

Depart:
In Hebrew, the verb phrase used here means that the people in Shaphir will leave their city. Here are some other ways to translate it:

Pass on your way (English Standard Version)
-or-
Take to the road (Revised English Bible)

in shameful nakedness: In Hebrew, both these words are nouns (“nakedness and shame” (New Revised Standard Version)). In many languages, it may be clearer to translate these nouns as adjectives or verbs. The Berean Standard Bible took a mixed approach. For example:

naked and ashamed (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Your captors will strip off your clothes and humiliate you.

When the enemy army captures the people in Shaphir, they will strip off the people’s clothes and lead the people away as captives. That is why the people will be naked and ashamed.

Shaphir: This name means “beautiful” or “pleasant” in Hebrew. But what will happen there will not be pleasant. It will be horrible. You may want to use a footnote to explain the implied information in 1:11a. For example:

1:11a Shaphir means “pleasant.” (New Living Translation (2004) footnote)
-or-
The place name Shaphir means “pleasant” in Hebrew. (NET Bible footnote)

See the third meaning line in the Display for a way to explain the meaning of the pun in the translation itself.

1:11b

The dwellers of Zaanan will not come out: In 1:11a, Micah talked to the people in Shaphir. But here in 1:11b, he talked about the people in Zaanan.

Zaanan: The name Zaanan sounds like the Hebrew word that means “come out” or “come forth.” But even though the name of their town sounds like “come out,” the people there will not come out. They will remain inside their town.

You may want to use a footnote to make explicit the pun in 1:11b. For example:

[Zanaan] This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “come out.” (New Century Version footnote)

In some languages, it may be better to make this meaning explicit in the translation itself. For example:

As for the people in Zaanan, ⌊the name of their town sounds like “come out,” but⌋ they will not go out of their town.

will not come out: Zaanan probably had a wall around the town. The phrase will not come out means that the people will not go outside the wall. Hebrew and most English versions do not supply a reason for their staying inside. The implied reason is that an enemy army will be outside, so the people will be unable or unwilling to face them. In some languages, it may be helpful to make a reason explicit. For example:

Those who live in Zaanan do not dare to come out of their city. (Good News Translation)
-or-
The residents of Zaanan can’t leave their city. (NET Bible)

1:11c

Beth-ezel is in mourning; its support is taken from you: There are at least three ways to interpret this sentence:

(1) Beth-ezel will no longer help protect the people of Judah. It will withdraw its support, because it is in mourning. For example:

Beth Ezel is in mourning; it no longer protects you. (New International Version (2011))
-or-
When you hear the people of Bethezel mourn, you will know that there is no refuge there. (Good News Translation)

(2) Beth-ezel’s foundations will be destroyed. For example:

Beth-Ezel is torn from its foundations, from its strong supports. (New Jerusalem Bible)

(New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation (2004))

(3) Verse 1:11c is a direct quote. It is what the people in Beth-ezel will say :

The lamentation of Beth-ezel: “He will take from you its support.” (New American Standard Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions and commentaries.

Beth-ezel: The name of this town is spelled in several ways in different versions. For example:

Beth-ezel (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

Beth Ezel (New International Version)

Beth-Ezel (New Jerusalem Bible)

Bethezel (Good News Translation)

You may want to use a spelling that fits the phonetic rules of your language or a spelling that is used in a language of wider communication in your country.

The literal meaning of Beth-ezel in Hebrew is probably “house of nearness,” meaning “nearby house” or “house next door.” We do not know for sure whether Micah used a pun here. If he did, the probable meaning is that people in nearby towns hoped that the inhabitants of Beth-ezel would help them if an enemy attacked.

It may be helpful to use a footnote to help your readers understand the meaning of the possible pun. For example:

[Beth Ezel] This name means “house by the side of another,” suggesting help or support. (New Century Version footnote)
-or-
The place name Beth Ezel means “house of nearness” or “house of proximity” in Hebrew. (NET Bible footnote)

If you do not use footnotes, you may decide to include the meaning of the place and possible pun in your translation. For example:

The people in Beth-ezel will wail. ⌊The name of their city means “nearby house,” but⌋ they will no longer be nearby to protect/help you.

its support is taken from you:
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

its protection is taken from you (New International Version)
-or-
they will not give you any support (New Century Version)
-or-
you will know that there is no refuge there (Good News Translation)

Notice that the Berean Standard Bible and the New International Version use a present tense verb. Remember that Micah spoke about a disaster that would happen to these cities in the future. When Micah spoke these words, this disaster had not yet happened. You should translate all the verses in 1:10–16 in a way that makes this meaning clear.

from you: The pronoun you is plural in Hebrew. It probably refers to the people of Judah in general.

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