< 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.
Woe [to] those devising iniquity, And working evil on their beds, In the light of the morning they do it, For their hand is — 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 have desired fields, And they have taken violently, And houses, and they have taken away, And have oppressed 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 said Jehovah: Lo, I am devising against this family evil, From which ye do not remove your necks, Nor walk loftily, for a time of evil it [is].
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 doth [one] take up for you a simile, And he hath wailed a wailing of woe, He hath said, We have been utterly spoiled, The portion of my people He doth change, How doth He move toward me! To the backslider our fields He apportioneth.
5 Therefore thou shall have nobody to cast the line by lot in the assembly of Jehovah.
Therefore, thou hast no caster of a line by lot In the assembly of Jehovah.
6 Prophesy ye not, they prophesy. They shall not prophesy to these, so reproaches shall not depart.
Ye do not prophesy — they do prophesy, They do not prophesy to these, It doth not remove shame.
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?
Doth the house of Jacob say, 'Hath the Spirit of Jehovah been shortened? Are these His doings?' Do not My words benefit the people that is walking uprightly?
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.
And yesterday My people for an enemy doth raise himself up, From the outer garment the honourable ornament ye strip off, From the confident passers by, Ye who are turning back from 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 ye cast out from its delightful house, From its sucklings ye take away My honour to the age.
10 Arise ye, and depart, for this is not your resting-place, because of uncleanness that destroys, even with a grievous destruction.
Rise and go, for this [is] not the rest, Because of uncleanness it doth corrupt, And corruption is powerful.
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 one is going [with] the wind, And [with] falsehood hath lied: 'I prophesy to thee of wine, and of strong drink,' He hath been the prophet 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.
I do surely gather thee, O Jacob, all of thee, I surely bring together the remnant of Israel, Together I do set it as the flock of Bozrah, As a drove in the midst of its pasture, It maketh a noise because of man.
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.
Gone up hath the breaker before them, They have broken through, Yea, they pass through the gate, Yea, they go out through it, And pass on doth their king before them, And Jehovah at their head!