Micah 2

Oppressors Judged

1 Woe to those who dream up wickedness

and prepare evil plans  * 2:1 Ps 36:4; Is 32:7; Nah 1:11 on their beds!

At morning light  * 2:1 Hs 7:6–7 they accomplish it

because the power is in their hands.  * 2:1 Gn 31:29; Dt 28:32; Pr 3:27

2 They covet fields  * 2:2 Jr 22:17; Am 8:4 and seize them;  * 2:2 Is 5:8

they also take houses.

They deprive a man of his home,  * 2:2 1Kg 21:1–15

a person of his inheritance.  * 2:2 Ex 20:17; Is 5:8

3 Therefore, the Lord says:

I am now planning  * 2:3 Dt 28:48; Jr 18:11 a disaster

against this nation;  * 2:3 Jr 8:3; Am 3:1–2

you cannot free your necks from it.  * 2:3 Lm 1:14; 5:5

Then you will not walk so proudly  * 2:3 Is 2:11–12

because it will be an evil time.  * 2:3 Am 5:13

4 In that day one will take up  * 2:4 Hab 2:6 a taunt against you

and lament mournfully,  * 2:4 Jr 9:10,17–21; Mc 1:8  saying,

"We are totally ruined!  * 2:4 Is 6:11; 24:3; Jr 4:13

He measures out the allotted land of my people.

How he removes it from me!

He allots our fields  * 2:4 Jr 6:12; 8:10 to traitors."

5 Therefore, there will be no one

in the assembly of the  Lord

to divide the land by casting lots.  * 2:5 Lit Lord stretching the measuring line by lot,* 2:5 Nm 34:13,16–29; Jos 18:4,10

God’s Word Rejected

6 "Quit your preaching,"  * 2:6 Is 30:10; Am 2:12; 7:16 they  * 2:6 = the prophets  preach.

"They should not preach these things;  * 2:6 Is 29:10; Mc 3:6

shame will not overtake us."  * 2:6 Text emended; MT reads things. Shame will not depart,* 2:6 Mc 6:16

7 House of Jacob, should it be asked,

"Is the Spirit of the  Lord  impatient?  * 2:7 Is 50:2; 59:1

Are these the things he does? "

Don’t my words bring good  * 2:7 Ps 119:65,68,116; Jr 15:16

to the one who walks uprightly?  * 2:7 Ps 15:2; 84:11

8 But recently my people have risen up

like an enemy:  * 2:8 Jr 12:8

You strip off the splendid robe  * 2:8 Mc 3:2–3; 7:2–3

from those who are passing through confidently,  * 2:8 Ps 120:6–7

like those returning from war.

9 You force  * 2:9 Jr 10:20 the women of my people

out of their comfortable homes,

and you take my blessing  * 2:9 Perhaps the land,* 2:9 Ezk 39:21; Hab 2:14

from their children forever.

10 Get up and leave,

for this is not your place of rest  * 2:10 Dt 3:19–20; 12:8–10

because defilement  * 2:10 Ps 106:38 brings destruction —

a grievous destruction!  * 2:10 Lv 18:25–28

11 If a man comes

and utters empty lies  * 2:11 Jr 5:13,31  —

"I will preach to you about wine and beer"  * 2:11 Is 28:7  —

he would be just the preacher for this people!  * 2:11 Is 30:10–11

The Remnant Regathered

12 I will indeed gather  * 2:12 Mc 4:6–7 all of you, Jacob;

I will collect the remnant of Israel.  * 2:12 2Kg 19:31; Mc 5:7–8; 7:18

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.  * 2:12 Jr 23:3; Ezk 36:35–38

13 One 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.