Micah 2

Woe to the Oppressors

1 *[Isa. 10:1,2] Woe to those who devise wickedness

and work evil *[Ps. 36:4]on their beds!

When the morning dawns, they perform it,

because it is in the power of their hand.

2 They covet fields and *[Isa. 5:8]seize them,

and houses, and take them away;

they oppress a man and his house,

a man and his inheritance.

3 Therefore thus says the Lord:

behold, against *[Jer. 8:3;Amos 3:1,2] this family I am devising disaster,*2:3 The same Hebrew word can mean evil or disaster, depending on the context

from which you cannot remove your necks,

and you *[Isa. 2:11,17] shall not walk haughtily,

*Amos 5:13for it will be a time of disaster.

4 In that day *Hab. 2:6;See Num. 23:7they shall take up a taunt song against you

and moan bitterly,

and say, "We are utterly ruined;

*[ch. 1:15] he changes the portion of my people;

*[ch. 1:15] how he removes it from me!

*[Ps. 68:6]To an apostate he allots our fields."

5 Therefore you will have none *Deut. 32:8,9;[Josh. 14:1,2]to cast the line by lot

in the assembly of the Lord.

6 *See Amos 2:12"Do not preach"—thus they preach—

*[Amos 8:11,12] "one should not preach of such things;

*[Amos 8:10]disgrace will not overtake us."

7 Should this be said, O house of Jacob?

*[See ver. 6above]Has the Lord grown impatient?*2:7 Hebrew Has the spirit of the Lord grown short?

Are these his deeds?

Do not my words do good

to him who walks uprightly?

8 But lately *[2 Chr. 28:8]my people have risen up as an enemy;

you strip the rich robe from those who pass by trustingly

with no thought of war.*2:8 Or returning from war

9 The women of my people you drive out

from their delightful houses;

from their young children you take away

my splendor forever.

10 *[ch. 1:11,16] Arise and go,

for this is no *Deut. 12:9;[Heb. 13:14] place to rest,

because of *Lev. 18:25uncleanness that destroys

with a grievous destruction.

11 If a man should go about and *Jer. 5:13utter wind and lies,

saying, "I will preach to you *[Amos 2:12]of wine and strong drink,"

he would be the preacher for this people!

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

*[2 Kgs. 25:11] I will gather *See ch. 4:7the remnant of Israel;

I will set them together

like sheep in a fold,

*[Jer. 31:10]like a flock in its pasture,

a noisy multitude of men.

13 *[2 Kgs. 25:10] He who opens the breach goes up before them;

they break through and pass the gate,

*[ch. 4:10] going out by it.

Their king passes on before them,

*[Isa. 52:12]the Lord at their head.