Micah 2
1 How disastrous it will be for those who devise evil plans as they lie awake at night. They get up in the morning to carry them out, because they have the power to do just that.
Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds! When the morning is light they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand.
2 They seize any fields they want. They take any houses they want. They cheat people of their houses, and steal their inheritance.
And they covet fields, and seize them, and houses, and take them away. And they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.
3 So this is what the Lord says. Watch out! I am planning to bring disaster on such families. They won't be able to escape. You will no longer walk around arrogantly, for this will be a time of disaster.
Therefore thus says Jehovah: Behold, I devise an evil against this family, from which ye shall not remove your necks, nor shall ye walk haughtily, for it is an evil time.
4 On that day they will make up a saying to taunt you. With a mocking lament they will say, “We are totally ruined! Our possessions are being sold off. They've taken everything away, and given our fields to your conquerors.”
In that day they shall take up a taunt against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation. And say, We are utterly ruined. He changes the portion of my people. How he removes it from me! He divides our fields to the rebellious.
5 Consequently at that time there will be none of you in the assembly of the Lord responsible for the division of the land.
Therefore thou shall have nobody to cast the line by lot in the assembly of Jehovah.
6 But you preach at me, saying, “Don't preach such things. Don't prophesy like this. Such a humiliation won't happen to us!”
Prophesy ye not, they prophesy. They shall not prophesy to these, so reproaches shall not depart.
7 Should you talk like that, descendants of Jacob? You ask, “Can the Lord run out of patience? Is this what he does?” Are not my words good to those who do what is right? asks the Lord.
Shall it be said, O house of Jacob, Is the Spirit of Jehovah restricted? Are these his doings? Do not my words do good to him who walks uprightly?
8 Lately my people have risen up against me like an enemy. You steal the coats off the backs of those passing by, men returning from war who expect to be safe in their homeland.
But of late my people have risen up as an enemy. Ye strip off the robe with the garment from those who pass by securely as men turning back from war.
9 You drive the women of my people from their comfortable homes; you have robbed their children of my blessings forever.
Ye cast out the women of my people from their pleasant houses. Ye take away my glory from their young sons forever.
10 Get up! Leave! For this is not a place for you to stay. It is defiled and totally ruined.
Arise ye, and depart, for this is not your resting-place, because of uncleanness that destroys, even with a grievous destruction.
11 If a false prophet should come to you and lie, saying, “I'll preach to you about the virtues of wine and alcohol,” he would be the perfect prophet for your kind of people.
If a man walking in a spirit of falsehood lies, saying, I will prophesy to thee of wine and of strong drink, he shall even be the prophet of this people.
12 I will certainly gather all of you, descendants of Jacob, I will certainly bring back together those who are left, Israel. I will place them like sheep in the fold, like a flock in its pasture. The land will be filled with people celebrating.
I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee. I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as a flock in the midst of their pasture. They shall make great noise because of the multitude of men.
13 The One who opens the way for them will lead them, breaking through the gate and going out. Their King will lead them; the Lord himself will be at their head.
The breaker has gone up before them. They have broken forth and passed on to the gate, and have gone out there. And their king has passed on before them, and Jehovah at the head of them.
