Micah 2
1 Woe [to] those devising iniquity, And working evil on their beds, In the morning light they do it, For their hand is—to God.
Woe to them that devise iniquity, And contrive evil upon their beds; When the morning is light, they practise it, Because it is in the power of their hand.
2 And they have desired fields, And they have taken violently, And houses, and they have taken away, And have oppressed a man and his house, Even a man and his inheritance.
They covet fields, and take them by violence; Houses, and take them from their owners. They defraud a man of his house; Yea, a man of his inheritance.
3 Therefore, thus said YHWH: “Behold, I am devising against this family calamity, From which you do not remove your necks, Nor walk loftily, for it [is] a time of evil.
Therefore, thus saith Jehovah: Behold, against this race do I meditate evil. From which ye shall not remove your necks, nor lift up your heads; For it shall be a time of evil.
4 In that day [one] takes up for you an allegory, And he has wailed a wailing of woe, He has said, We have been utterly spoiled, The portion of my people He changes, How He moves toward me! To the backslider our fields He apportions.
In that day shall this song be uttered concerning thee. And this sad lamentation be made: “We are utterly laid waste; He hath changed the portion of my people; How hath he torn it from me! He hath taken away and distributed our fields.”
5 Therefore, you have no caster of a line by lot In the assembly of YHWH.
Behold, thou shalt have no one henceforth Who shall draw out a line for a portion, In the congregation of Jehovah.
6 You do not prophesy—they prophesy, They do not prophesy to these, It does not remove shame.
“Prophesy not,” [[say they, ]] “O ye that prophesy!” If they prophesy not concerning these things, The shame will not depart.
7 [Those] named the house of Jacob: Has the Spirit of YHWH been shortened? Are these His doings? Do My words not benefit the people that are walking uprightly?
O ye that are called the house of Jacob, Is the spirit of Jehovah impatient? Are these his doings? Are not my words kind to him that walketh uprightly?
8 And recently My people raise up as an enemy, You strip off the honorable ornament from the outer garment, From the confident passers by, You who are turning back from war.
But long since hath my people risen against me, as an enemy; Ye strip the mantle from the garment of those that pass by securely, as men returning from war.
9 The women of My people you cast out from its delightful house, From its sucklings you take away My honor for all time.
The women of my people ye cast out from their pleasant abodes; Ye deprive their children forever of the glory which I gave them.
10 Rise and go, for this [is] not the rest, Because of uncleanness it corrupts, And corruption is powerful.
Arise and depart; This land is not your rest! On account of its pollution shall it be wasted, And given to utter destruction.
11 If one is going [with] the wind, And [with] falsehood has lied: I prophesy to you of wine, and of strong drink, He has been the prophet of this people!
If a man follow wind, and invent falsehood, and say, “I will prophesy to thee of wine and strong drink!” He will be the prophet for this people.
12 I surely gather you, O Jacob, all of you, I surely bring together the remnant of Israel, Together I set it as the flock of Bozrah, As a drove in the midst of its pasture, It makes a noise because of man.
Yet will I fully gather thee, O Jacob, I will surely assemble the residue of Israel! I will put them together like sheep in a fold; Like a flock in their fold shall they be in a tumult on account of the multitude of men.
13 The breaker has gone up before them, They have broken through, Indeed, they pass through the gate, Indeed, they go out through it, And their king passes on before them, And YHWH at their head!”
He that forceth a way goeth before them; They force their way, and pass through the gate, And go forth by it; And their king goeth before them, Even Jehovah at the head of them.
