Micah 2

Social Evils Denounced

²Woe to those who devise wickedness

and evil deeds^c on their beds!

When the morning dawns, they perform it,

because it is in their power.^*

²They covet fields and seize them,

houses and take them away;

they oppress householder and house,

people and their inheritance.^*

³Therefore thus says the Lord:

Now, I am devising against this family an evil

from which you cannot remove your necks,

and you shall not walk arrogantly,

for it will be an evil time.^*

⁴On that day they shall take up a taunt song against you

and wail with bitter lamentation

and say, “We are utterly ruined;

the Lord^d alters the inheritance of my people;

how he removes it from me!

Among our captors^e he parcels out our fields.”^*

⁵Therefore you will have no one in the Lord’s assembly

to allot you a piece of land.^*

⁶“Do not preach”—thus they preach—

“one should not preach of such things;

disgrace will not overtake us.”^*

⁷Should this be said, O house of Jacob?

Is the Lord’s patience exhausted?

Are these his doings?

Do not my words do good

to one who walks uprightly?

⁸But you rise up against my people^f as an enemy;

you strip the robe from the peaceful,^g

from those who pass by trustingly

with no thought of war.

⁹The women of my people you drive out

from their pleasant houses;

from their young children you take away

my glory forever.

¹⁰Arise and go,

for this is no place to rest,

because of uncleanness that destroys

with a violent destruction.^*

¹¹If someone were to go about uttering empty falsehoods,

saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,”

such a one would be the preacher for this people!^*

A Promise for the Remnant of Israel

¹²I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob;

I will gather the survivors of Israel;

I will set them together

like sheep in a fold,

like a flock in its pasture;

it will resound with people.^*

¹³The one who breaks out will go up before them;

they will break through and pass the gate,

going out by it.

Their king will pass on before them,

the Lord at their head.^*