1 Threatenings against the wanton and dainty people. 6 They would teach the Prophets to preach.

Woe unto them that imagine iniquity, and work wickedness upon their beds: [a]when the morning is light they practice it, because their hand [b]hath power.

And they covet fields, and take them by violence, and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even man and his heritage.

Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, against this family have I devised a plague, whereout ye shall not pluck your necks, and ye shall not go so proudly, for this time is evil.

In that day shall they take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, [c]We be utterly wasted: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he taken it away to restore it unto me? he hath divided our fields.

Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in [d]the congregation of the Lord.

[e]They that prophesy, Prophesy ye not. [f]They shall not prophesy to them, neither shall they take shame.

O thou that art named of the house of Jacob, is the Spirit of the Lord shortened? [g]are these his works? are not my works good unto him [h]that walketh uprightly?

But he that was [i]yesterday my people, is risen up on the other side, as against an enemy: they spoil the [j]beautiful garment from them that pass by peaceably, as though they returned from the war.

The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses, and from their children have ye taken away [k]my glory continually.

10 Arise and depart, for this is not your [l]rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.

11 If a man [m]walk in the spirit, and would lie falsely, saying, [n]I will prophesy unto thee of wine, and of strong drink, he shall even be the prophet of this people.

12 I will surely gather [o]thee wholly, O Jacob: I will surely gather the remnant of Israel: I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, even as the flock in the midst of their fold: the cities shall be full of brute of the men.

13 The [p]breaker up shall come up before them: they shall break out, and pass by the gate, and go out by it, and their king shall go before them, and the Lord shall be [q]upon their heads.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 2:1 As soon as they rise, they execute their wicked devices of the night, and according to their power hurt others.
  2. Micah 2:1 Hebrew, is in power.
  3. Micah 2:4 Thus the Jews lament and say that there is no hope of restitution, seeing their possessions are divided among the enemies.
  4. Micah 2:5 Ye shall have no more lands to divide as you had in times past, and as you used to measure them in the Jubilee.
  5. Micah 2:6 Thus the people warn the prophets that they speak to them no more, for they cannot abide their threatenings.
  6. Micah 2:6 God saith that they shall not prophesy, nor receive no more of their rebukes nor taunts.
  7. Micah 2:7 Are these your works according to his Law?
  8. Micah 2:7 Do not the godly find my words comfortable?
  9. Micah 2:8 That is, aforetime.
  10. Micah 2:8 The poor can have no commodity by them, but they spoil them, as though they were enemies.
  11. Micah 2:9 That is, their substance and living, which is God’s blessing, and as it were part of his glory.
  12. Micah 2:10 Jerusalem shall not be your safeguard: but the cause of your destruction.
  13. Micah 2:11 That is, show himself to be a Prophet.
  14. Micah 2:11 He showeth what prophets they delight in, that is, in flatterers, which tell them pleasant tales, and speak of their commodities.
  15. Micah 2:12 To destroy thee.
  16. Micah 2:13 The enemy shall break their gates and walls, and lead them into Chaldea.
  17. Micah 2:13 To drive them forward, and to help their enemies.

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

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

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