Micah 2
1 Woe to those who lie awake planning evil, who in the light of morning carry out their plan because they have the power to do it.
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 They covet fields and seize them, desire houses and take them, they crush householder and his household, people and their possessions.
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 the Lord says: ‘I am planning disaster from which you cannot save your neck, nor walk proudly because it will be a terrible time.
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 On that day they will sing a taunt-song to you, this mocking lament: “My people’s estate is being measured for sale, our captors are dividing our fields. We are completely undone.”
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 There will be no one to measure out land for you from the Lord’s community.
Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the Lord.
6 ‘“Don’t rant!” they urge, “Of such things one does not prophesy! Shame will not overtake us!
Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.
7 Is the Lord impatient, or are such things his deeds? Are not his words favourable to the family of Jacob?” Aren’t my commands good for those who obey them?
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 But you, you stand up as a foe against those who are peaceful; you strip the robe from those who pass by quietly, averse to conflict.
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 Women of my people you drive out from their happy homes, from their young children you take away my glory forever.
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 Rise and begone, for this is no place to rest. Your uncleanness brings destruction, severe destruction.
Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.
11 If a person walking in wine and falsehood were to say, “I will prophesy to you of wine and strong drink,” then he would be the perfect prophet for 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 ‘I will assuredly assemble all of Jacob, I will surely gather the survivors of Israel. I will herd them together as sheep in a fold, like a flock in the pasture, and the land will resound with the sounds of multitudes.
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 ‘The one who breaks out goes first. They have broken forth and passed by the gate and through it have they gone out. Their king leads before them, the Lord at their head.’
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.
