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 them that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds! When the morning is light they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.
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 covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away; and they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.
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 thus saith Jehovah: Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye walk haughtily: for it is an evil 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 shall they take up a proverb concerning you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, [and] say, We are utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! He hath distributed our fields to the rebellious.
5 For this cause you will have no one to make the decision by the measuring line in the meeting of the Lord.
Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast the measuring line upon a lot, in the congregation of Jehovah.
6 Let not words like these be dropped, they say: Shame and the curse will not come to the family of Jacob!
Prophesy ye not, they prophesy. If they do not prophesy to these, the ignominy will not depart.
7 Is the Lord quickly made angry? are these his doings? do not his words do good to his people Israel?
O thou [that art] named the house of Jacob, Is Jehovah impatient? are these his doings? Do not my words do good to him that walketh 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 is risen up as an enemy: ye strip off the mantle with the garment from them that pass by securely, that are averse from 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.
The women of my people do ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their young children do ye take away my magnificence for ever.
10 Up! and go; for this is not your rest: because it has been made unclean, the destruction ordered will come on you.
Arise ye, and depart; for this is not the resting-place, because of defilement that bringeth destruction, even 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 walking in wind and falsehood do lie, [saying, ] I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink, he shall be the prophet of 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 assemble, O Jacob, the whole of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as sheep of Bozrah, as a flock in the midst of their pasture: they shall make great noise by reason of [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.
One that breaketh through is gone up before them: they have broken forth, and have passed on to the gate, and are gone out by it; and their king passeth on before them, and Jehovah at the head of them.
