Micah 2

OPPRESSORS JUDGED

2Woe to those who dream up wickedness

and prepare evil plans^ap on their beds!

At morning light^aq they accomplish it

because the power is in their hands.^a

²They covet fields^b and seize them;^c

they also take houses.

They deprive a man of his home,^d

a person of his inheritance.^e

³Therefore, the Lord says:

I am now planning^f a disaster

against this nation;^g

you cannot free your necks from it.^h

Then you will not walk so proudlyⁱ

because it will be an evil time.^j

⁴In that day one will take up^k a taunt against you

and lament mournfully,^l saying,

“We are totally ruined!^m

He measures out the allotted land of my people.

How he removes it from me!

He allots our fieldsⁿ to traitors.”

⁵Therefore, there will be no one

in the assembly of the Lord

to divide the land by casting lots.^Bo

GOD’S WORD REJECTED

⁶“Quit your preaching,”^p they^C preach.

“They should not preach these things;^q

shame will not overtake us.”^Dr

⁷House of Jacob, should it be asked,

“Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient?^s

Are these the things he does?”

Don’t my words bring good^t

to the one who walks uprightly?^u

⁸But recently my people have risen up

like an enemy:^v

You strip off the splendid robe^w

from those who are passing through confidently,^x

like those returning from war.

⁹You force^y the women of my people

out of their comfortable homes,

and you take my blessing^Az

from their children forever.

¹⁰Get up and leave,

for this is not your place of rest^aa

because defilement^ab brings destruction—

a grievous destruction!^ac

¹¹If a man comes

and utters empty lies—^ad

“I will preach to you about wine and beer”—^ae

he would be just the preacher for this people!^af

THE REMNANT REGATHERED

¹²I will indeed gather^ag all of you, Jacob;

I will collect the remnant of Israel.^ah

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.^ai

¹³One 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.