Micah 2

Woe to Oppressors

1Woe to those who 1devise wrongdoing, Who practice evil on their beds! 23When morning comes, they do it, Because it is in the 4power of their hands.2They 5covet fields, so they 6seize them; And houses, so they take them. They 78exploit a man and his house, A person and his inheritance. 3Therefore this is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am 9planning against this 10family a catastrophe 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 15song of mocking And 1617utter a song of mourning and say, ‘We are completely 18destroyed! He exchanges the share of my people; How He removes it from me! To the apostate He 19apportions our fields.’5Therefore you will have no one 2021applying a measuring line For you by lot in the assembly of the Lord.

6‘22Do not prophesy,’ so they prophesy. But if 23they do 24not prophesy about these things, 25Insults will not be turned back.7Is it being said, house of Jacob: ‘Is the Spirit of the Lord 26impatient? Are these His works?’ Do My words not 27do good For the one 28walking rightly?829Recently My people have arisen as an 30enemy-- You 31strip the robe off the garment From 32unsuspecting passers-by, From those returned from war.9You 33evict the women of My people, Each one from her pleasant house. From her children you take My 34splendor forever.10Arise and go, For this is no place 35of rest Because of the 36uncleanness that brings on destruction, A painful destruction.11If someone walking after wind and 37falsehood Had lied and said, ‘I will prophesy to you about 38wine and liquor,’ He would become a prophet to 39this people.

12“I will certainly 40assemble all of you, Jacob, I will certainly gather the 41remnant 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 people.13The one who breaks through goes up before them; They break through, pass through the gate, and go out by it. So their king passes on before them, And the Lord at their head.”