Micah 2
New American Standard Bible
Woe to Oppressors
2 Woe to those who (A)devise wrongdoing,
Who practice evil on their beds!
[a](B)When morning comes, they do it,
Because it is in the (C)power of their hands.
2 They (D)covet fields, so they (E)seize them;
And houses, so they take them.
They [b](F)exploit a man and his house,
A person and his inheritance.
3 Therefore this is what the Lord says:
“Behold, I am (G)planning against this (H)family a catastrophe
From which you (I)cannot remove your necks;
And you will not walk (J)haughtily,
For it will be an (K)evil time.
4 On that day they will (L)take up against you a [c]song of mocking
And [d](M)utter a song of mourning and say,
‘We are completely (N)destroyed!
He exchanges the share of my people;
How He removes it from me!
To the apostate He (O)apportions our fields.’
5 Therefore you will have no one [e](P)applying a measuring line
For you by lot in the assembly of the Lord.
6 ‘(Q)Do not prophesy,’ so they prophesy.
But if [f]they do (R)not prophesy about these things,
(S)Insults will not be turned back.
7 Is it being said, house of Jacob:
‘Is the Spirit of the Lord (T)impatient?
Are these His works?’
Do My words not (U)do good
For the one (V)walking rightly?
8 [g]Recently My people have arisen as an (W)enemy—
You (X)strip the robe off the garment
From (Y)unsuspecting passers-by,
From those returned from war.
9 You (Z)evict the women of My people,
Each one from her pleasant house.
From her children you take My (AA)splendor forever.
10 Arise and go,
For this is no place (AB)of rest
Because of the (AC)uncleanness that brings on destruction,
A painful destruction.
11 If someone walking after wind and (AD)falsehood
Had lied and said,
‘I will prophesy to you about (AE)wine and liquor,’
He would become a prophet to (AF)this people.
12 “I will certainly (AG)assemble all of you, Jacob,
I will certainly gather the (AH)remnant of Israel.
I will put them together like sheep in the fold;
Like a flock in the midst of its pasture
They will be noisy with people.
13 The one who breaks through goes up before them;
They break through, pass through the gate, and go out by it.
So their king passes on before them,
And the Lord at their head.”
Micah 2
Common English Bible
Oppressors will themselves be ruined
2 Doom to those who devise wickedness,
to those who plan evil when they are in bed.
By the light of morning they do it,
for they are very powerful.
2 They covet fields and seize them,
houses and take them away.
They oppress a householder and those in his house,
a man and his estate.
3 Therefore, the Lord proclaims:
I myself am devising an evil against this family
from which you will not be able to remove your necks!
You will no longer be able to go about arrogantly,
for it will be an evil time.
4 On that day, a taunt will be raised against you;
someone will wail bitterly:
“We are utterly destroyed!
He exchanges the portion of my people;
he removes what belongs to me;
he gives away our fields to a rebel.”
5 Therefore, you will have no one to set boundary lines
by lot in the Lord’s assembly.
Leaders unwilling to hear God’s word
6 “They mustn’t preach!” so they preach.
“They mustn’t preach of such things!
Disgrace won’t overtake us.”
7 (Should this be said, house of Jacob?)
“Is the Lord’s patience cut short? Are these his deeds?”
Don’t my words help the one who behaves righteously?
8 But yesterday, my people, the Lord rose up as an enemy.[a]
You strip off the glorious clothes[b]
from trusting passersby, those who reject war.
9 You drive out the women of my people,
each from her cherished house;
from their young children
you take away my splendor forever.
10 Rise up and go! This can’t be the resting place;
because of its uncleanness,
it destroys and the destruction is horrific.
11 If someone were to go about inspired and say deceitfully:
“I will preach to you for wine and liquor,”
such a one would be the preacher for this people!
The false prophet’s “peace” will be destruction
12 I’ll surely gather Jacob—all of you!
I’ll surely assemble you, those who are left of Israel!
I’ll put them together like sheep in Bozrah,[c]
like a flock in its pen,
noisy with people.
13 The one who breaks out will go before them;
they will break out and pass through the gate;
they will leave by it.
They will pass on,
their king before them,
the Lord at their head.
Footnotes
- Micah 2:8 Heb lacks the Lord.
- Micah 2:8 Heb uncertain
- Micah 2:12 See Isa 34:6; 63:1.
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Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible