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Woe to the Oppressors of God’s People

Woe to those who plan wickedness
    and evil deeds upon their beds!
In the light of the morning they did it,
    because they have power in their hands.
They covet fields and seize them,
    and houses, and they take them away.
They oppress a man and his house;
    a man and his inheritance.

Therefore, thus says Yahweh: Look! I am planning disaster against this family from which you will not be able to remove your necks. You will not walk proudly, for it is a time of disaster.

In that day they will raise a proverb against you,
    and will wail a bitter wailing, saying,
“We are utterly ruined;
    he exchanges the portion of my people.
How he removes it from me;
    he apportions our field to an apostate.”
Therefore you will have no one casting a line by lot
    in the assembly of Yahweh.
“Do not preach!” they are preaching.
    They should not preach to these;
    disgrace will not overtake us.
Should this be said, O house of Jacob?
    Is the patience[a] of Yahweh shortened?
    Are these his deeds?
Are my words not pleasing
    to him who walks upright?
But recently[b] my people have risen up as an enemy;
    from before the cloak you strip off the robe
from those passing by in confidence,
    returning from war.
You have driven out the women of my people
    from the houses of their[c] pleasure.
From their[d] children you have taken away
    my glory forever.
10 Arise and go,
    for this is no resting place,
on account of uncleanness that destroys
    with painful destruction.
11 If a man walks about in a spirit of deception and lies,
    saying “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,”
    then he would be a preacher for this people!
12 I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob;
    I will surely gather together the remainder of Israel.
I will set them like sheep of Bozrah.
Like a herd in the midst of their pasture
    they will be in tumult from people.
13 The one who breaks out before them goes up;
    they break through and pass the gate,
    going out through it.
Their king passes before them,
    Yahweh at their head.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 2:7 Or “spirit”
  2. Micah 2:8 Literally “yesterday”
  3. Micah 2:9 Hebrew “her”
  4. Micah 2:9 Hebrew “her”

Oppressors Judged

Woe to those who dream up wickedness
and prepare evil plans(A) on their beds!
At morning light(B) they accomplish it
because the power is in their hands.(C)
They covet fields(D) and seize them;(E)
they also take houses.
They deprive a man of his home,(F)
a person of his inheritance.(G)

Therefore, the Lord says:

I am now planning(H) a disaster
against this nation;(I)
you cannot free your necks from it.(J)
Then you will not walk so proudly(K)
because it will be an evil time.(L)
In that day one will take up(M) a taunt against you,
and lament mournfully,(N) saying,
“We are totally ruined!(O)
He measures out the allotted land of my people.
How He removes it from me!
He allots our fields(P) to traitors.”
Therefore, there will be no one
in the assembly of the Lord
to divide the land by casting lots.[a](Q)

God’s Word Rejected

“Quit your preaching,”(R) they[b] preach.
“They should not preach these things;(S)
shame will not overtake us.”[c](T)
House of Jacob, should it be asked,
“Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient?(U)
Are these the things He does?”
Don’t My words bring good(V)
to the one who walks uprightly?(W)
But recently My people have risen up
like an enemy:(X)
You strip off the splendid robe(Y)
from those who are passing through confidently,(Z)
like those returning from war.
You force(AA) the women of My people
out of their comfortable homes,
and you take My blessing[d](AB)
from their children forever.
10 Get up and leave,
for this is not your place of rest,(AC)
because defilement(AD) brings destruction—
a grievous destruction!(AE)
11 If a man of wind[e] comes
and invents lies:(AF)
“I will preach to you about wine and beer,”(AG)
he would be just the preacher for this people!(AH)

The Remnant Regathered

12 I will indeed gather(AI) all of you, Jacob;
I will collect the remnant of Israel.(AJ)
I will bring them together like sheep in a pen,
like a flock in the middle of its fold.
It will be noisy with people.(AK)
13 One who breaks open the way
will advance before them;
they will break out, pass through the gate,
and leave by it.
Their King will pass through before them,
the Lord as their leader.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 2:5 Lit Lord stretching the measuring line by lot
  2. Micah 2:6 = the prophets
  3. Micah 2:6 Text emended; MT reads things. Shame will not depart.
  4. Micah 2:9 Perhaps the land
  5. Micah 2:11 Or spirit