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.

They meditated troubles, and wrought wickedness on their beds, and they put it in execution with the daylight; for they have not lifted up their hands to God.

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.

And they desired fields, and plundered orphans, and oppressed families, and spoiled a man and his house, even a man and his inheritance.

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.

Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I devise evils against this family, out of which ye shall not lift up your necks, neither shall ye walk upright speedily: for the time is evil.

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 shall a parable be taken up against you, and a plaintive lamentation shall be uttered, saying, We are thoroughly miserable: the portion of my people has been measured out with a line, and there was none to hinder him so as to turn him back; your fields have been divided.

5 Therefore thou shall have nobody to cast the line by lot in the assembly of Jehovah.

Therefore thou shalt have no one to cast a line for the lot.

6 Prophesy ye not, they prophesy. They shall not prophesy to these, so reproaches shall not depart.

Weep not with tears in the assembly of the Lord, neither let [any] weep for these things; for he shall not remove the reproaches,

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?

who says, The house of Jacob has provoked the Spirit of the Lord; are not these his practices? Are not the Lord's words right with him? and have they not proceeded correctly?

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.

Even beforetime my people withstood [him] as an enemy against his peace; they have stripped off his skin to remove hope [in] the conflict 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 leaders of my people shall be cast forth from their luxurious houses; they are rejected because of their evil practices; draw ye near to the everlasting mountains.

10 Arise ye, and depart, for this is not your resting-place, because of uncleanness that destroys, even with a grievous destruction.

Arise thou, and depart; for this is not thy rest because of uncleanness: ye have been utterly destroyed;

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.

ye have fled, no one pursuing [you: thy] spirit has framed falsehood, it has dropped on thee for wine and strong drink. But it shall come to pass, [that] out of the dropping of 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.

Jacob shall be completely gathered with all [his people: ] I will surely receive the remnant of Israel; I will cause them to return together, as sheep in trouble, as a flock in the midst of their fold: they shall rush forth from among men through the breach made before them:

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.

they have broken through, and passed the gate, and gone out by it: and their king has gone out before them, and the Lord shall lead them.