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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

‘Abandon 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 for ever.
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 comes
and utters empty 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 pasture.
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 city gate,
and leave by it.
Their King will pass through before them,
the Lord as their leader.

Footnotes

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

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