Add parallel Print Page Options

Beware, for disaster is coming to those who plan wickedness,
    who lie on their beds plotting evil.
When morning shines on them, they carry out their plans
    simply because they have the power to do so.
They see fields they want and take them.
    They see houses, and they grab them up.
They persecute each landowner, taking all that belongs to him—
    including his freedom and his children’s inheritance.

Eternal One: Look at what I am doing:
        I am preparing a calamity for you people,
    A yoke from which you will not be able to free your necks.
        You will not be able to walk with your noses in the air
    Because the times will be disastrous indeed.

On that day, you will be a subject of parodies;
    each of you land stealers will sing a dirge and say,
Oh no! We’re completely ruined!
    God has divided up my family’s inheritance.
And how has He taken it out of my hands?
    He has given my land to the conquerors.”
Because of this, you will have no descendant
    who can measure out your share in the Eternal’s community.

They say,
    “Don’t rattle on like this,”
But those same people preach falsehood themselves:
    “Calamity is not coming in our direction.”
Should it be said to the people of Jacob,
    “Has the Spirit of Eternal lost His patience with us?
Is this how He works?”

Eternal One: When I speak, don’t good things happen
        to the ones who uprightly follow My fair path?
    But recently My people became their own enemy.
        You strip the mantles off the clothes
    Of those just passing through, those who thought themselves safe,
        those who are opposed to war.
    You drive the women of My people from the homes they love.
        You steal My glory from their young children.
10     Get up and go! This is no place for you to rest,
        because when something is contaminated with evil,
    It destroys people painfully and completely.
11     If someone going on about nothing of worth wanders by and says,
        “I’ve come to preach to you of whiskey and wine,”
    Then these selfish people would hire him
        as their official speaker just because they like his message.

12     I will certainly gather you all together, people of Jacob;
        I will surely bring you together with the survivors of Israel’s decimation.
    I will gather them like sheep in a fold,
        and like a flock trapped in the center of their pasture,
    They will make a great noise, there will be so many of them.
13     Their leader breaks out first,
        then all break through the gate and escape.
    Their king will show the way, and the Eternal One will lead them.

Woe to Those Who Plan Wickedness

Woe to those who plan wickedness,
who make preparations for evil while lying on their beds.
    By the morning light they carry it out,
    because it is in the power of their hands to do so.
They covet fields and seize them.
    They covet houses and take them away.
    They deprive a person of his house,
    and a man of his inheritance.

Therefore this is what the Lord says:

    Look, I am making plans against this family of clans,
    plans for a disaster from which you cannot save your necks.
    You will not be able to hold your heads high,
    because it will be an evil time.
On that day a saying will arise about you.
    People will moan this sad song:
    “We have been completely devastated.
    My people’s portion in the land is divided up.
    He takes it from me and assigns our fields to traitors.”[a]
Because of this, there will be no one to measure off an allotted inheritance for you in the assembly of the Lord.

Lying Prophets

“Stop preaching,” they preach.[b] “Do not preach about these things,”
    but these charges will not be turned away.[c]
Should the house of Jacob say,
    “Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient?
    Would he really do these things?”

    Will my words fail to accomplish good things for people who walk uprightly?
But lately my people have stood up like an enemy.

    You strip off the splendid robe from those who pass by
    as they return safely from battle.[d]
You drive the women among my people out of their comfortable houses.
    You take away my splendor from their children forever.
10 Get up and leave,
    for this will not be a place to rest,
    because the impurity that destroys it will bring painful destruction.
11 If a man full of bluster and lies comes and says,
    “I will preach for you about wine and beer,”
    he would be just the preacher for these people.

A Promise for the Remnant

12 I will surely assemble all of you, Jacob.
    I will surely gather together the surviving remnant of Israel.
    I will establish them like a flock in its fold,
    like a herd in its pasture,
    like a happy crowd of noisy people.[e]

13 The one who breaks through the siege line[f] will go up ahead of them.
    They too will break out and pass through the gate,
    and their king will cross over in front of them,
        with the Lord as their head.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 2:4 Or apostates
  2. Micah 2:6 Or stop droning on. The basic meaning of the Hebrew word is drip or drool. This implies that Micah’s message is a tiresome one that the people do not want to hear. The English word preach sometimes retains this negative connotation when a speaker’s message about behavior is unwelcome.
  3. Micah 2:6 The translation above, which follows the Hebrew reading, interprets this line as a warning from the Lord that the complainers cannot escape the prophesied judgment. Many translations emend the verb and take this as a continuation of the words of the people: These insults of yours will never touch us. Another option is to take the last part of the verse as a question: Will there be no end to the scolding?
  4. Micah 2:8 The meaning of this line is uncertain.
  5. Micah 2:12 The meaning of this line is uncertain.
  6. Micah 2:13 This phrase has traditionally been understood as a reference to the Messiah.