Micah 2
1 Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil on their beds! When the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.
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 They covet fields and seize them, and houses, then take them away. They oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.
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 the LORD says: “Behold, I am planning against these people a disaster, from which you will not remove your necks, neither will you walk haughtily, for it is an evil time.
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 they will take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, saying, ‘We are utterly ruined! My people’s possession is divided up. Indeed he takes it from me and assigns our fields to traitors!’”
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 will have no one who divides the land by lot in the LORD’s assembly.
Therefore, you rich people will have no descendants to divide up the territory by lot in the assembly of Yahweh.
6 “Don’t prophesy!”—they prophesy— “Don’t prophesy about these things. Disgrace won’t overtake us.”
“Do not prophesy,” they say. “They must not prophesy these things; reproaches must not come.”
7 Shall it be said, O house of Jacob, “Is the LORD’s Spirit angry? Are these his doings? Don’t my words do good to him who walks blamelessly?”
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 But lately my people have risen up as an enemy. You strip the robe and clothing from those who pass by without a care, returning from battle.
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 You drive the women of my people out from their pleasant houses; from their young children you take away my blessing forever.
You drive the women belonging to my people from their pleasant houses; you take my blessing from their young children forever.
10 Arise, and depart! For this is not your resting place, because of uncleanness that destroys, even with a grievous destruction.
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 If a man walking in a spirit of falsehood lies, saying, “I will prophesy to you of wine and of strong drink,” he would be the prophet 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 I will surely assemble all of you, Jacob. I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as a flock in the middle of their pasture. They will swarm with people.
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 He who breaks open the way goes up before them. They break through the gate, and go out. Their king passes on before them, with the LORD at their head.
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.
