Micah 2

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

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.

2 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.

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

3 Therefore thus says the LORD; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which all of you shall not remove your necks; neither shall all of you go haughtily: for this time is evil.

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

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

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.

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

Therefore thou shalt have no one to cast a line for the lot.

6 Prophesy all of you not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.

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

7 O you that are 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 walks uprightly?

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?

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

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.

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

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

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

Arise thou, and depart; for this is not thy rest because of uncleanness: ye have been utterly destroyed;

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

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

12 I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of you; 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.

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 among men through the breach made before them:

13 The breaker has 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.

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.