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Woe to those who devise iniquity
    and work evil on their beds!
When the morning is light, they practice it,
    because it is in the power of their hand.
They covet fields, and seize them;
    and houses, and take them away:
    and they oppress a man and his house,
    even a man and his heritage.
Therefore Yahweh says:
“Behold, I am planning against these people a disaster,
    from which you will not remove your necks,
    neither will you walk haughtily;
    for it is an evil time.
In that day they will take up a parable against you,
    and lament with a doleful lamentation, saying,
    ‘We are utterly ruined!
    My people’s possession is divided up.
    Indeed he takes it from me and assigns our fields to traitors!’”
Therefore you will have no one who divides the land by lot in Yahweh’s assembly.
“Don’t prophesy!”
    They prophesy.
“Don’t prophesy about these things.
    Disgrace won’t overtake us.”
Shall it be said, O house of Jacob:
    “Is Yahweh’s Spirit angry?
    Are these his doings?
    Don’t my words do good to him who walks blamelessly?”
But lately my people have risen up as an enemy.
    You strip the robe and clothing from those who pass by without a care, returning from battle.
You drive the women of my people out from their pleasant houses;
    from their young children you take away my blessing forever.
10 Arise, and depart!
    For this is not your resting place,
    because of uncleanness that destroys,
    even with a grievous destruction.
11 If a man walking in a spirit of falsehood lies:
    “I will prophesy to you of wine and of strong drink;”
    he would be the prophet of this people.
12 I will surely assemble, Jacob, all of you;
    I will surely gather the remnant of Israel;
I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah,
    as a flock in the middle of their pasture;
    they will swarm with people.
13 He who breaks open the way goes up before them.
    They break through the gate, and go out.
    And their king passes on before them,
    with Yahweh at their head.

Woe to Evildoers

Woe to those who devise iniquity,
And [a]work out evil on their beds!
At (A)morning light they practice it,
Because it is in the power of their hand.
They (B)covet fields and take them by violence,
Also houses, and seize them.
So they oppress a man and his house,
A man and his inheritance.

Therefore thus says the Lord:

“Behold, against this (C)family I am devising (D)disaster,
From which you cannot remove your necks;
Nor shall you walk haughtily,
For this is an evil time.
In that day one shall take up a proverb against you,
And (E)lament with a bitter lamentation, saying:
‘We are utterly destroyed!
He has changed the [b]heritage of my people;
How He has removed it from me!
To [c]a turncoat He has divided our fields.’ ”

Therefore you will have no [d]one to determine boundaries by lot
In the assembly of the Lord.

Lying Prophets

“Do not prattle,” you say to those who [e]prophesy.
So they shall not prophesy [f]to you;
[g]They shall not return insult for insult.
You who are named the house of Jacob:
“Is the Spirit of the Lord restricted?
Are these His doings?
Do not My words do good
To him who walks uprightly?

“Lately My people have risen up as an enemy—
You pull off the robe with the garment
From those who trust you, as they pass by,
Like men returned from war.
The women of My people you cast out
From their pleasant houses;
From their children
You have taken away My glory forever.

10 “Arise and depart,
For this is not your (F)rest;
Because it is (G)defiled, it shall destroy,
Yes, with utter destruction.
11 If a man should walk in a false spirit
And speak a lie, saying,
‘I will [h]prophesy to you [i]of wine and drink,’
Even he would be the (H)prattler of this people.

Israel Restored

12 “I(I) will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob,
I will surely gather the remnant of Israel;
I will put them together (J)like sheep of [j]the fold,
Like a flock in the midst of their pasture;
(K)They shall make a loud noise because of so many people.
13 The one who breaks open will come up before them;
They will break out,
Pass through the gate,
And go out by it;
(L)Their king will pass before them,
(M)With the Lord at their head.”

Footnotes

  1. Micah 2:1 Plan
  2. Micah 2:4 Lit. portion
  3. Micah 2:4 Lit. one turning back, an apostate
  4. Micah 2:5 Lit. one casting a surveyor’s line
  5. Micah 2:6 Or preach, lit. drip words
  6. Micah 2:6 Lit. to these
  7. Micah 2:6 Vg. He shall not take shame
  8. Micah 2:11 Or preach, lit. drip
  9. Micah 2:11 concerning
  10. Micah 2:12 Heb. Bozrah