< Micah 2 >

1 Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil on 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 They covet fields and seize them, and houses, then take them away. 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 the LORD says: “Behold, I am planning against these people a disaster, from which you will not remove your necks, neither will you 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 will take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, saying, ‘We are utterly ruined! My people’s possession is divided up. Indeed he takes it from me and assigns our fields to traitors!’”
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 you will have no one who divides the land by lot in the LORD’s assembly.
Therefore, thou hast no caster of a line by lot In the assembly of Jehovah.
6 “Do not prophesy!”—they prophesy— “Do not prophesy about these things. Disgrace will not overtake us.”
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 LORD’s Spirit angry? Are these his doings? Do not my words do good to him who walks blamelessly?”
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 lately my people have risen up as an enemy. You strip the robe and clothing from those who pass by without a care, returning from battle.
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 You drive the women of my people out from their pleasant houses; from their young children you take away my blessing 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, 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 you of wine and of strong drink,” he would 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 all of you, Jacob. I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as a flock in the middle of their pasture. They will swarm with people.
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 He who breaks open the way goes up before them. They break through the gate, and go out. Their king passes on before them, with the LORD at their head.
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!

< Micah 2 >