Micah 2
1 Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds! When the morning is light they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand.
A curse on the designers of evil, working on their beds! in the morning light they do it, because it is in their power.
2 And they covet fields, and seize them, and houses, and take them away. And they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.
They have a desire for fields and take them by force; and for houses and take them away: they are cruel to a man and his family, even to a man and his heritage.
3 Therefore thus says Jehovah: Behold, I devise an evil against this family, from which ye shall not remove your necks, nor shall ye walk haughtily, for it is an evil time.
For this cause the Lord has said, See, against this family I am purposing an evil from which you will not be able to take your necks away, and you will be weighted down by it; for it is an evil time.
4 In that day they shall take up a taunt against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation. And say, We are utterly ruined. He changes the portion of my people. How he removes it from me! He divides our fields to the rebellious.
In that day this saying will be said about you, and this song of grief will be made: The heritage of my people is measured out, and there is no one to give it back; those who have made us prisoners have taken our fields from us, and complete destruction has come to us.
5 Therefore thou shall have nobody to cast the line by lot in the assembly of Jehovah.
For this cause you will have no one to make the decision by the measuring line in the meeting of the Lord.
6 Prophesy ye not, they prophesy. They shall not prophesy to these, so reproaches shall not depart.
Let not words like these be dropped, they say: Shame and the curse will not come to the family of Jacob!
7 Shall it be said, O house of Jacob, Is the Spirit of Jehovah restricted? Are these his doings? Do not my words do good to him who walks uprightly?
Is the Lord quickly made angry? are these his doings? do not his words do good to his people Israel?
8 But of late my people have risen up as an enemy. Ye strip off the robe with the garment from those who pass by securely as men turning back from war.
As for you, you have become haters of those who were at peace with you: you take the clothing of those who go by without fear, and make them prisoners of war.
9 Ye cast out the women of my people from their pleasant houses. Ye take away my glory from their young sons forever.
The women of my people you have been driving away from their dearly loved children; from their young ones you are taking my glory for ever.
10 Arise ye, and depart, for this is not your resting-place, because of uncleanness that destroys, even with a grievous destruction.
Up! and go; for this is not your rest: because it has been made unclean, the destruction ordered will come on you.
11 If a man walking in a spirit of falsehood lies, saying, I will prophesy to thee of wine and of strong drink, he shall even be the prophet of this people.
If a man came with a false spirit of deceit, saying, I will be a prophet to you of wine and strong drink: he would be the sort of prophet for this people.
12 I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee. I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as a flock in the midst of their pasture. They shall make great noise because of the multitude of men.
I will certainly make all of you, O Jacob, come together; I will get together the rest of Israel; I will put them together like the sheep in their circle: like a flock in their green field; they will be full of the noise of men.
13 The breaker has gone up before them. They have broken forth and passed on to the gate, and have gone out there. And their king has passed on before them, and Jehovah at the head of them.
The opener of the way will go up before them: forcing their way out they will go on to the doorway and out through it: their king will go on before them, and the Lord at their head.
