Michaeas 2

1 They meditated troubles, and wrought wickedness on their beds, and they put it in execution with the daylight; for they have not lifted up their hands to God.

Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plan on their beds to do evil. In the morning light they do it because they have power.

2 And they desired fields, and plundered orphans, and oppressed families, and spoiled a man and his house, even a man and his inheritance.

They desire fields and seize them; they desire houses and take them. They oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.

3 Therefore thus says the Lord; Behold, I devise evils against this family, out of which you shall not lift up your necks, neither shall you walk upright speedily: for the time is evil.

Therefore Yahweh says this, “Look, I am about to bring disaster against this clan, from which you will not remove your necks. You will not walk arrogantly, for it will be an evil time.

4 In that day shall a parable be taken up against you, and a plaintive lamentation shall be uttered, saying, We are thoroughly miserable: the portion of my people has been measured out with a line, and there was none to hinder him so as to turn him back; your fields have been divided.

In that day men will sing a song about you, and lament with a wailing lamentation. They will sing, 'We Israelites are completely ruined; Yahweh changes the territory of my people. How can he remove it from me? He portions out our fields to traitors!'”

5 Therefore you shall have no one to cast a line for the lot.

Therefore, you rich people will have no descendants to divide up the territory by lot in the assembly of Yahweh.

6 Weep not with tears in the assembly of the Lord, neither let [any] weep for these things; for he shall not remove the reproaches,

“Do not prophesy,” they say. “They must not prophesy these things; reproaches must not come.”

7 who says, The house of Jacob has provoked the Spirit of the Lord; are not these his practices? Are not the Lord's words right with him? and have they not proceeded correctly?

Should it really be said, house of Jacob, “Is the Spirit of Yahweh angry? Are these really his deeds?” Do not my words do good to anyone who walks uprightly?

8 Even beforetime my people withstood [him] as an enemy against his peace; they have stripped off his skin to remove hope [in] the conflict of war.

Lately my people have risen up like an enemy. You strip the robe, the garment, from those who pass by unsuspectingly, as soldiers return from war to what they think is safety.

9 The leaders of my people shall be cast forth from their luxurious houses; they are rejected because of their evil practices; draw you near to the everlasting mountains.

You drive the women belonging to my people from their pleasant houses; you take my blessing from their young children forever.

10 Arise you, and depart; for this is not your rest because of uncleanness: you have been utterly destroyed;

Get up and leave, for this is not a place where you can stay, because of its uncleanness; it is destroyed with complete destruction.

11 you have fled, no one pursuing [you: your] spirit has framed falsehood, it has dropped on you for wine and strong drink. But it shall come to pass, [that] out of the dropping of this people,

If someone comes to you in a spirit of falsehood and lies and says, “I will prophesy to you about wine and strong drink,” he would be considered to be a prophet for this people.

12 Jacob shall be completely gathered with all [his people: ] I will surely receive the remnant of Israel; I will cause them to return together, as sheep in trouble, as a flock in the midst of their fold: they shall rush forth from amongst men through the breach made before them:

I will surely assemble all of you, Jacob. I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in the midst of their pasture. There will be a loud noise because of the multitude of people.

13 they have broken through, and passed the gate, and gone out by it: and their king has gone out before them, and the Lord shall lead them.

Someone who breaks open their way for them will go ahead of them. They break through the gate and go out; their king will pass on before them. Yahweh will be at their head.