Micah 2
1 Terrible things will happen to you who lie awake at night, planning to do wicked things. You get up at dawn, and you do those things, [as soon as] you are able to do them.
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.
2 You want fields [that belong to other people], so you seize them; you also take their houses. You cheat people to get their homes, taking away the property that belongs to their families.
They seize any fields they want. They take any houses they want. They cheat people of their houses, and steal their inheritance.
3 Therefore, this is what Yahweh says: “I will cause you people to experience disasters, and you will not be able to escape [MTY] from them. You will no [longer] walk around proudly, because when those things happen, it will be a time of much trouble for you.
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.
4 At that time, [your enemies] will make fun of you; they will ridicule you by singing this sad song about you: ‘We are completely ruined; Yahweh is taking our land/fields from us, and he will give it to those who will capture us.’”
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.”
5 So [when it is the time for the land to be given back to you] people who belong to Yahweh, there will be no one [MTY] who will be able to (cast lots/throw marked stones) to determine which land belongs to whom.
Consequently at that time there will be none of you in the assembly of the Lord responsible for the division of the land.
6 The people [who heard me say that] replied to me, “Do not prophesy such things! Do not say that [Yahweh] is going to humiliate us [by causing us to experience disasters]!”
But you preach at me, saying, “Don't preach such things. Don't prophesy like this. Such a humiliation won't happen to us!”
7 But you people [MTY] of Israel should not [RHQ] talk like that! The Spirit of Yahweh will certainly not [RHQ] be patient [with people who say such things]! People who continually do things that are righteous will certainly [RHQ] like/appreciate what I say.
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.
8 [But Yahweh says], “[Recently] my people have been acting toward me like an enemy. When soldiers return from fighting [against their enemies], you [rich people refuse to return the coats of those poor soldiers who have borrowed money from you] [and given you their coats to guarantee that they will pay back the money that they borrowed from you]. [It is as though] you are waiting to forcefully take their coats off their backs!
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.
9 You have forced women to leave their nice homes, and you have stolen from their children forever the (blessings/good things) that I wanted to give them.
You drive the women of my people from their comfortable homes; you have robbed their children of my blessings forever.
10 [So] get up and leave [here]! This is not a place where you can rest [and be safe/protected], because you have (defiled it/caused it to be a place that I hate); it will be completely destroyed.
Get up! Leave! For this is not a place for you to stay. It is defiled and totally ruined.
11 [You people want] a prophet who will lie to you, saying ‘I will preach [that you should drink] plenty of wine and [other] alcoholic drinks!’ That is the [kind of] prophet who [would please] you.”
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.
12 “[But some day], you descendants of Jacob, you Israeli people who have survived, I will bring you back [from (exile/other countries)], I will gather you together like [SIM] [a shepherd gathers his] sheep from the pasture into a pen [DOU]; there will be many of you in your land/country.
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.
13 Your leader will enable them to leave the countries where they have been exiled; he will lead them out of the gates [of their enemies’ cities], [back to your own country]. Your king will lead them; [it is I], Yahweh, who will be their king!”
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.
