Micah 2

Woe to Oppressors

1Woe to those who 1scheme iniquity, Who work out evil on their beds! 23When morning comes, they do it, For it is in the 4power of their hands.2They 5covet fields and then 6seize them, And houses, and take them away. They 78rob a man and his house, A man and his inheritance. 3Therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am 9planning against this 10family a calamity From which you 11cannot remove your necks; And you will not walk 12haughtily, For it will be an 13evil time.4On that day they will 14take up against you a 15taunt And 1617utter a bitter lamentation and say, ‘We are completely 18destroyed! He exchanges the portion of my people; How He removes it from me! To the apostate He 19apportions our fields.’5Therefore you will have no one 2021stretching a measuring line For you by lot in the assembly of the Lord.

6‘22Do not 23speak out,’ so they 24speak out. But if 25they do 26not 27speak out concerning these things, 28Reproaches will not be turned back.7Is it being said, O house of Jacob: ‘Is the Spirit of the Lord 29impatient? Are these His doings?’ Do not My words 30do good To the one 31walking uprightly?832Recently My people have arisen as an 33enemy-- You 34strip the 35robe off the garment From 36unsuspecting passers-by, From those returned from war.9The women of My people you 37evict, Each one from her pleasant house. From her children you take My 38splendor forever.10Arise and go, For this is no place 39of rest Because of the 40uncleanness that brings on destruction, A painful destruction.11If a man walking after wind and 41falsehood Had told lies and said, ‘I will 42speak out to you concerning 43wine and liquor,’ He would be 44spokesman to 45this people.

12“I will surely 46assemble all of you, Jacob, I will surely gather the 47remnant of Israel. I will put them together like sheep in the fold; Like a flock in the midst of its pasture They will be noisy with men.13The breaker goes up before them; They break out, pass through the gate and go out by it. So their king goes on before them, And the Lord at their head.”