Micah 2
1 Woe to them that 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.
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 And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even 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 Therefore thus says the LORD; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which all of you shall not remove your necks; neither shall all of you go haughtily: for this time is evil.
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 shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We be utterly spoiled: he has changed the portion of my people: how has he removed it from me! turning away he has divided our fields.
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 Therefore you shall have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the LORD.
Therefore, you will have no one in the assembly of the LORD to divide the land by lot.
6 Prophesy all of you not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.
“Do not preach,” they preach. “Do not preach these things; disgrace will not overtake us.”
7 O you that are named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walks uprightly?
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 Even of late my people has risen up as an enemy: all of you pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from 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 have all of you cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have all of you taken away 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 Arise all of you, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.
Arise and depart, for this is not your place of rest, because its defilement brings destruction— a grievous destruction!
11 If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto you of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of 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 surely assemble, O Jacob, all of you; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude 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 breaker has come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the LORD on the head of them.
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.
