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 those that devise wickedness, and resolve on evil upon their couches! by the first light of the morning they execute it, if they have it 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 rob them; and houses, and take them away: so they defraud the master and his house, and the 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 hath said the Lord, Behold, I will devise against this family an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; nor shall ye go erect; for it is an evil time.

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.

On that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a mournful lamentation, and say, “We are utterly wasted: the portion of my people hath he exchanged; how hath he removed it from me! instead of restoring [them to us] he divideth our fields.”

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

Therefore shalt thou have none that shall draw the [measuring] cord in [his] 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,

“Preach not;” [but] they shall preach: they shall not preach [indeed] to these, that reproach may not overtake them.

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?

Shall it be said [in] the house of Jacob, Is the spirit of the Lord straightened? 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.

But long since is my people risen up as an enemy: from the garment do you pull off the ornament; of those that pass by securely [ye make] men returned 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 wives of my people do you drive out of their delightful houses; from their children do ye take away my ornament 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 resting-place; because it is polluted, it shall destroy [you], even with a grievous 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 that goeth after wind and lieth with falsehood [should say], “I will preach unto thee of wine and of strong drink:” he would be a preacher for 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 [once] surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather up the remnant of Israel; I will place them together as flocks in the fold, as droves in the midst of their pen: they shall be crowded with 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 wall-breaker cometh up before them; they break in and pass through the gate, and go out by it: and their king passeth on before them, and the Lord at their head.