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Woe to the Wicked

Woe to those who conceive wickedness,
    to those who devise evil on their beds!
At morning’s light they execute it,
    because it is in the power of their hand.
They covet fields and seize them,
    and houses and take them.
They defraud a man of his house,
    and a fellow man of his inheritance.

Therefore, thus says the Lord:

I am devising disaster against this family,
    from which you cannot remove your necks;
and you will not walk haughtily,
    for it will be a time of calamity.
In that day they will take up a taunt against you,
    and they will wail a wailing lament, and say:
“We are totally ruined!
    He diminishes the portion of my people;
how He removes it from me!
    To a traitor He reassigns our fields!”

Therefore you will not have anyone to apportion the land by lot
    in the assembly of the Lord.

Prophets of Deceit

“Do not prophesy,” they say.
    “One should not prophesy about these things.
    Disgrace will not overtake us.”
Should it be said, O house of Jacob,
    “Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient?
    Are these His deeds?”

Do not My words benefit
    him who walks uprightly?
But lately My people rise up
    like an enemy.
You strip off the rich robe
    from those who pass by trustingly,
    like men returning from war.
The women of My people you drive out
    from their delightful homes;
from their children
    you take My adornment forever.
10 Get up and go,
    for this is not the resting place,
because uncleanness ruins,
    and ruin sickens.
11 If a man, going about vapidly and deceitfully, lies,
    “I will preach for you wine and beer,”
    he would be just the preacher for this people.

The Restoration of Israel

12 I will indeed assemble Jacob—all of you;
    I will indeed gather the remnant of Israel.
I will place them together like sheep in a fold,
    like a herd in its pasture—
    thronging with people.
13 He who breaks through has gone up before them;
    they will break through and pass the gate and go out by it.
Then their king will pass on before them,
    the Lord at their head.

Human Plans and God’s Plans

Woe to those who plan iniquity,
    to those who plot evil(A) on their beds!(B)
At morning’s light they carry it out
    because it is in their power to do it.
They covet fields(C) and seize them,(D)
    and houses, and take them.
They defraud(E) people of their homes,
    they rob them of their inheritance.(F)

Therefore, the Lord says:

“I am planning disaster(G) against this people,
    from which you cannot save yourselves.
You will no longer walk proudly,(H)
    for it will be a time of calamity.
In that day people will ridicule you;
    they will taunt you with this mournful song:
‘We are utterly ruined;(I)
    my people’s possession is divided up.(J)
He takes it from me!
    He assigns our fields to traitors.’”

Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the Lord
    to divide the land(K) by lot.(L)

False Prophets

“Do not prophesy,” their prophets say.
    “Do not prophesy about these things;
    disgrace(M) will not overtake us.(N)
You descendants of Jacob, should it be said,
    “Does the Lord become[a] impatient?
    Does he do such things?”

“Do not my words do good(O)
    to the one whose ways are upright?(P)
Lately my people have risen up
    like an enemy.
You strip off the rich robe
    from those who pass by without a care,
    like men returning from battle.
You drive the women of my people
    from their pleasant homes.(Q)
You take away my blessing
    from their children forever.
10 Get up, go away!
    For this is not your resting place,(R)
because it is defiled,(S)
    it is ruined, beyond all remedy.
11 If a liar and deceiver(T) comes and says,
    ‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’(U)
    that would be just the prophet for this people!(V)

Deliverance Promised

12 “I will surely gather all of you, Jacob;
    I will surely bring together the remnant(W) of Israel.
I will bring them together like sheep in a pen,
    like a flock in its pasture;
    the place will throng with people.(X)
13 The One who breaks open the way will go up before(Y) them;
    they will break through the gate(Z) and go out.
Their King will pass through before them,
    the Lord at their head.”

Footnotes

  1. Micah 2:7 Or Is the Spirit of the Lord