Mic 2 | HCSB | STEP | Woe to those who dream up wickedness and prepare evil plans on their beds ! At morning light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands .

Micah 2

Oppressors Judged

1 Woe to those who dream up wickedness
and prepare evil plans ^a on their beds!
At morning light ^b they accomplish it
because the power is in their hands. ^c
2 They covet fields ^d and seize them; ^e
they also take houses.
They deprive a man of his home, ^f
a person of his inheritance. ^g

3 Therefore, the Lord says:

I am now planning ^h a disaster
against this nation; ⁱ
you cannot free your necks from it. ^j
Then you will not walk so proudly ^k
because it will be an evil time. ^l
4 In that day one will take up ^m a taunt against you,
and lament mournfully, ⁿ saying,
“We are totally ruined! ^o
He measures out the allotted land of my people.
How He removes it from me!
He allots our fields ^p to traitors.”
5 Therefore, there will be no one
in the assembly of the Lord
to divide the land by casting lots. ^{▼▼Lit Lord stretching the measuring line by lot
,} ^r

God’s Word Rejected

6 “Quit your preaching,” ^s they ^{▼▼= the prophets} preach.
“They should not preach these things; ^u
shame will not overtake us.” ^{▼▼Text emended; MT reads things. Shame will not depart.
,} ^w
7 House of Jacob, should it be asked,
“Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient? ^x
Are these the things He does?”
Don’t My words bring good ^y
to the one who walks uprightly? ^z
8 But recently My people have risen up
like an enemy: ^aa
You strip off the splendid robe ^ab
from those who are passing through confidently, ^ac
like those returning from war.
9 You force ^ad the women of My people
out of their comfortable homes,
and you take My blessing ^{▼▼Perhaps the land
,} ^af
from their children forever.
10 Get up and leave,
for this is not your place of rest, ^ag
because defilement ^ah brings destruction –
a grievous destruction! ^ai
11 If a man of wind ^{▼▼Or spirit} comes
and invents lies: ^ak
“I will preach to you about wine and beer,” ^al
he would be just the preacher for this people! ^am

The Remnant Regathered

12 I will indeed gather ^an all of you, Jacob;
I will collect the remnant of Israel. ^ao
I will bring them together like sheep in a pen,
like a flock in the middle of its fold.
It will be noisy with people. ^ap
13 One who breaks open the way
will advance before them;
they will break out, pass through the gate,
and leave by it.
Their King will pass through before them,
the Lord as their leader.