Micah 2
1 A curse on the designers of evil, working on their beds! in the morning light they do it, because it is in their power.
Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands.
2 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.
They covet fields and seize them; they take away houses. They deprive a man of his home, a fellow man of his inheritance.
3 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.
Therefore this is what the LORD says: “I am planning against this nation a disaster from which you cannot free your necks. Then you will not walk so proudly, for it will be a time of calamity.
4 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.
In that day they will take up a proverb against you and taunt you with this bitter lamentation: ‘We are utterly ruined! He has changed the portion of my people. How He has removed it from me! He has allotted our fields to traitors.’”
5 For this cause you will have no one to make the decision by the measuring line in the meeting of the Lord.
Therefore, you will have no one in the assembly of the LORD to divide the land by lot.
6 Let not words like these be dropped, they say: Shame and the curse will not come to the family of Jacob!
“Do not preach,” they preach. “Do not preach these things; disgrace will not overtake us.”
7 Is the Lord quickly made angry? are these his doings? do not his words do good to his people Israel?
Should it be said, O house of Jacob, “Is the Spirit of the LORD impatient? Are these the things He does?” Do not My words bring good to him who walks uprightly?
8 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.
But of late My people have risen up like an enemy: You strip off the splendid robe from unsuspecting passersby like men returning from battle.
9 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.
You drive the women of My people from their pleasant homes. You take away My blessing from their children forever.
10 Up! and go; for this is not your rest: because it has been made unclean, the destruction ordered will come on you.
Arise and depart, for this is not your place of rest, because its defilement brings destruction— a grievous destruction!
11 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.
If a man of wind were to come and say falsely, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be just the preacher for this people!
12 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.
I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will collect the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in the midst of its pasture— a noisy throng.
13 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.
One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate, and go out by it. Their King will pass through before them, the LORD as their leader.
