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 you who devise useless things and who work evil in your beds. In the morning light, they undertake it, because their hand is against God.
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.
And they have desired fields and have taken them by violence, and they have stolen houses. And they have made false accusations against a man and his house, a man and 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.
For this reason, thus says the Lord: Behold, I devise an evil against this family, from which you will not steal away your necks. And you will not walk in arrogance, because this is a most wicked time.
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, a parable will be taken up about you, and a song will be sung with sweetness, saying: “We have been devastated by depopulation.” The fate of my people has been altered. How can he withdraw from me, when he might be turned back, he who might tear apart our country?
5 For this cause you will have no one to make the decision by the measuring line in the meeting of the Lord.
Because of this, there will be for you no casting of the cord of fate in the assembly of the Lord.
6 Let not words like these be dropped, they say: Shame and the curse will not come to the family of Jacob!
Do not speak by saying, “It will not drop on these ones; shame will not embrace them.”
7 Is the Lord quickly made angry? are these his doings? do not his words do good to his people Israel?
The house of Jacob says, “Has the Spirit of the Lord been weakened, or are such things his thoughts?” Are not my words good for 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, to the contrary, my people have risen up in opposition. You have lifted the cover from the undergarment, and those who passed by harmlessly, you have converted into war.
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 have evicted the women among my people from their delicate houses. You have taken my praise forever from their little ones.
10 Up! and go; for this is not your rest: because it has been made unclean, the destruction ordered will come on you.
Rise and depart, for there is no relief for you here. Because of its uncleanness, it will be corrupted with a most wicked decay.
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.
I wish that I were not a man who has breath, and that I rather spoke a lie. I will drop it down to you in wine and in drunkenness. And it will be this people on whom it will rain down.
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 gather together in a congregation all of you, Jacob. I will lead together as one, the remnant of Israel. I will set them together like a flock in the fold, like a sheep in the midst of the sheep pen. They will cause a tumult before the multitude of men.
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.
For he will ascend, opening the way before them. They will separate, and they will cross the gate and enter through it. And their king will pass by, before their very eyes, and the Lord will be at their head.
