Micah 2-3

New International Version

Human Plans and God’s Plans

2 Woe to those who plan iniquity,
    to those who plot evil^(A) on their beds!^(B)
At morning’s light they carry it out
    because it is in their power to do it.
²They covet fields^(C) and seize them,^(D)
    and houses, and take them.
They defraud^(E) people of their homes,
    they rob them of their inheritance.^(F)

³Therefore, the Lord says:

“I am planning disaster^(G) against this people,
    from which you cannot save yourselves.
You will no longer walk proudly,^(H)
    for it will be a time of calamity.
⁴In that day people will ridicule you;
    they will taunt you with this mournful song:
‘We are utterly ruined;^(I)
    my people’s possession is divided up.^(J)
He takes it from me!
    He assigns our fields to traitors.’”

⁵Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the Lord
to divide the land^(K) by lot.^(L)

False Prophets

⁶“Do not prophesy,” their prophets say.
    “Do not prophesy about these things;
    disgrace^(M) will not overtake us.^(N)”
⁷You descendants of Jacob, should it be said,
    “Does the Lord become^[a] impatient?
    Does he do such things?”

“Do not my words do good^(O)
    to the one whose ways are upright?^(P)
⁸Lately my people have risen up
    like an enemy.
You strip off the rich robe
    from those who pass by without a care,
    like men returning from battle.
⁹You drive the women of my people
    from their pleasant homes.^(Q)
You take away my blessing
    from their children forever.
¹⁰Get up, go away!
    For this is not your resting place,^(R)
because it is defiled,^(S)
    it is ruined, beyond all remedy.
¹¹If a liar and deceiver^(T) comes and says,
    ‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’^(U)
    that would be just the prophet for this people!^(V)

Deliverance Promised

¹²“I will surely gather all of you, Jacob;
    I will surely bring together the remnant^(W) of Israel.
I will bring them together like sheep in a pen,
    like a flock in its pasture;
    the place will throng with people.^(X)
¹³The One who breaks open the way will go up before^(Y) them;
    they will break through the gate^(Z) and go out.
Their King will pass through before them,
    the Lord at their head.”

Leaders and Prophets Rebuked

3 Then I said,

“Listen, you leaders^(AA) of Jacob,
    you rulers of Israel.
Should you not embrace justice,
²    you who hate good and love evil;
who tear the skin from my people
    and the flesh from their bones;^(AB)
³who eat my people’s flesh,^(AC)
    strip off their skin
    and break their bones in pieces;^(AD)
who chop^(AE) them up like meat for the pan,
    like flesh for the pot?^(AF)”

⁴Then they will cry out to the Lord,
but he will not answer them.^(AG)
At that time he will hide his face^(AH) from them
because of the evil they have done.^(AI)

⁵This is what the Lord says:

“As for the prophets
    who lead my people astray,^(AJ)
they proclaim ‘peace’^(AK)
    if they have something to eat,
but prepare to wage war against anyone
    who refuses to feed them.
⁶Therefore night will come over you, without visions,
    and darkness, without divination.^(AL)
The sun will set for the prophets,^(AM)
    and the day will go dark for them.^(AN)
⁷The seers will be ashamed^(AO)
    and the diviners disgraced.^(AP)
They will all cover^(AQ) their faces^(AR)
    because there is no answer from God.^(AS)”
⁸But as for me, I am filled with power,
    with the Spirit of the Lord,
    and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression,
    to Israel his sin.^(AT)

⁹Hear this, you leaders of Jacob,
    you rulers of Israel,
who despise justice
    and distort all that is right;^(AU)
¹⁰who build^(AV) Zion with bloodshed,^(AW)
    and Jerusalem with wickedness.^(AX)
¹¹Her leaders judge for a bribe,^(AY)
    her priests teach for a price,^(AZ)
    and her prophets tell fortunes for money.^(BA)
Yet they look^(BB) for the Lord’s support and say,
    “Is not the Lord among us?
    No disaster will come upon us.”^(BC)
¹²Therefore because of you,
    Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,^(BD)
    the temple^(BE) hill a mound overgrown with thickets.^(BF)