Michaeas 2

1 They meditated troubles, and wrought wickedness on their beds, and they put it in execution with the daylight; for they have not lifted up their hands to God.

Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.

2 And they desired fields, and plundered orphans, and oppressed families, and spoiled a man and his house, even a man and his inheritance.

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.

3 Therefore thus says the Lord; Behold, I devise evils against this family, out of which you shall not lift up your necks, neither shall you walk upright speedily: for the time is evil.

Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time [is] evil.

4 In that day shall a parable be taken up against you, and a plaintive lamentation shall be uttered, saying, We are thoroughly miserable: the portion of my people has been measured out with a line, and there was none to hinder him so as to turn him back; your fields have been divided.

In that day shall [one] take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, [and] say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed [it] from me! turning away he hath divided our fields.

5 Therefore you shall have no one to cast a line for the lot.

Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the LORD.

6 Weep not with tears in the assembly of the Lord, neither let [any] weep for these things; for he shall not remove the reproaches,

Prophesy ye not, [say they to them that] prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, [that] they shall not take shame.

7 who says, The house of Jacob has provoked the Spirit of the Lord; are not these his practices? Are not the Lord's words right with him? and have they not proceeded correctly?

O [thou that art] 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 walketh uprightly?

8 Even beforetime my people withstood [him] as an enemy against his peace; they have stripped off his skin to remove hope [in] the conflict of war.

Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war.

9 The leaders of my people shall be cast forth from their luxurious houses; they are rejected because of their evil practices; draw you near to the everlasting mountains.

The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever.

10 Arise you, and depart; for this is not your rest because of uncleanness: you have been utterly destroyed;

Arise ye, and depart; for this [is] not [your] rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy [you], even with a sore destruction.

11 you have fled, no one pursuing [you: your] spirit has framed falsehood, it has dropped on you for wine and strong drink. But it shall come to pass, [that] out of the dropping of this people,

If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, [saying], I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.

12 Jacob shall be completely gathered with all [his people: ] I will surely receive the remnant of Israel; I will cause them to return together, as sheep in trouble, as a flock in the midst of their fold: they shall rush forth from amongst men through the breach made before them:

I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; 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.

13 they have broken through, and passed the gate, and gone out by it: and their king has gone out before them, and the Lord shall lead them.

The breaker is 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.