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

Woe to the Oppressors

(A)Woe to those who devise wickedness
    and work evil (B)on their beds!
When the morning dawns, they perform it,
    because it is in the power of their hand.
They covet fields and (C)seize them,
    and houses, and take them away;
they oppress a man and his house,
    a man and his inheritance.
Therefore thus says the Lord:
behold, against (D)this family I am devising disaster,[a]
    from which you cannot remove your necks,
and you (E)shall not walk haughtily,
    (F)for it will be a time of disaster.
In that day (G)they shall take up a taunt song against you
    and moan bitterly,
and say, “We are utterly ruined;
    (H)he changes the portion of my people;
(I)how he removes it from me!
    (J)To an apostate he allots our fields.”
Therefore you will have none (K)to cast the line by lot
    in the assembly of the Lord.

(L)“Do not preach”—thus they preach—
    (M)“one should not preach of such things;
    (N)disgrace will not overtake us.”
Should this be said, O house of Jacob?
    (O)Has the Lord grown impatient?[b]
    Are these his deeds?
Do not my words do good
    to him who walks uprightly?
But lately (P)my people have risen up as an enemy;
you strip the rich robe from those who pass by trustingly
    with no thought of war.[c]
The women of my people you drive out
    from their delightful houses;
from their young children you take away
    my splendor forever.
10 (Q)Arise and go,
    for this is no (R)place to rest,
because of (S)uncleanness that destroys
    with a grievous destruction.
11 If a man should go about and (T)utter wind and lies,
    saying, “I will preach to you (U)of wine and strong drink,”
    he would be the preacher for this people!
12 I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob;
    (V)I will gather (W)the remnant of Israel;
I will set them together
    like sheep in a fold,
(X)like a flock in its pasture,
    a noisy multitude of men.
13 (Y)He who opens the breach goes up before them;
    they break through and pass the gate,
    (Z)going out by it.
Their king passes on before them,
    (AA)the Lord at their head.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 2:3 The same Hebrew word can mean evil or disaster, depending on the context
  2. Micah 2:7 Hebrew Has the spirit of the Lord grown short?
  3. Micah 2:8 Or returning from war

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, then take them away.
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, saying,
    “I will prophesy to you of wine and of strong drink,”
    he would be the prophet of this people.
12 I will surely assemble all of you, Jacob.
    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.
    Their king passes on before them,
    with Yahweh at their head.