Micah 2
1 Woe [to] those devising iniquity, And working evil on their beds, In the light of the morning they do it, For their hand is — to God.
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 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 seize any fields they want. They take any houses they want. They cheat people of their houses, and steal their inheritance.
3 Therefore, thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am devising against this family evil, From which ye do not remove your necks, Nor walk loftily, for a time of evil it [is].
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 In that day doth [one] take up for you a simile, And he hath wailed a wailing of woe, He hath said, We have been utterly spoiled, The portion of my people He doth change, How doth He move toward me! To the backslider our fields He apportioneth.
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 Therefore, thou hast no caster of a line by lot In the assembly of Jehovah.
Consequently at that time there will be none of you in the assembly of the Lord responsible for the division of the land.
6 Ye do not prophesy — they do prophesy, They do not prophesy to these, It doth not remove shame.
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 Doth the house of Jacob say, 'Hath the Spirit of Jehovah been shortened? Are these His doings?' Do not My words benefit the people that is walking uprightly?
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 And yesterday My people for an enemy doth raise himself up, From the outer garment the honourable ornament ye strip off, From the confident passers by, Ye who are turning back from war.
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 The women of My people ye cast out from its delightful house, From its sucklings ye take away My honour to the age.
You drive the women of my people from their comfortable homes; you have robbed their children of my blessings forever.
10 Rise and go, for this [is] not the rest, Because of uncleanness it doth corrupt, And corruption is powerful.
Get up! Leave! For this is not a place for you to stay. It is defiled and totally ruined.
11 If one is going [with] the wind, And [with] falsehood hath lied: 'I prophesy to thee of wine, and of strong drink,' He hath been the prophet of this people!
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 I do surely gather thee, O Jacob, all of thee, I surely bring together the remnant of Israel, Together I do set it as the flock of Bozrah, As a drove in the midst of its pasture, It maketh a noise because of man.
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 Gone up hath the breaker before them, They have broken through, Yea, they pass through the gate, Yea, they go out through it, And pass on doth their king before them, And Jehovah at their head!
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.
