Micah 2

1Woe to them that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.

1How terrible it will be for those who plan wickedness and dream up evil while lying in their beds! As soon as the sun rises, they carry out their plans because they have the power to do so.

2And they covet fields, and seize them; and houses, and take them away: and they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

2They want fields, so they seize them; they want houses, so they take them. They cheat people out of their homes and steal their family inheritance.

3Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks, neither shall ye walk haughtily; for it is an evil time.

3Therefore, the LORD says: 'I am planning a disaster against this family that you cannot escape. You will no longer walk around proudly, because it will be a time of terrible trouble.'

4In that day shall they take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We are utterly ruined: he changeth the portion of my people: how doth he remove it from me! to the rebellious he divideth our fields.

4On that day, people will use your own story to mock you. They will sing a sad song of mourning: 'We are completely ruined! The LORD has taken our land and given it to others. He takes our fields away and hands them over to traitors.'

5Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast the line by lot in the assembly of Jehovah.

5Therefore, you will have no one left in the LORD’S assembly to divide the land by throwing lots.

6Prophesy ye not, thusthey prophesy. They shall not prophesy to these: reproaches shall not depart.

6'Stop preaching!' the people say. 'Don't preach about these things. We will not be disgraced.'

7Shall it be said, O house of Jacob, Is the Spirit of Jehovah straitened? are these his doings? Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?

7Should you say such things, descendants of Jacob? Has the LORD’S Spirit lost his patience? Is this how he acts? My words are good to those who walk uprightly.

8But of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye strip the robe from off the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war.

8But lately, you people have risen up against me like an enemy. You strip the expensive robes off peaceful travelers who thought they were safe from war.

9The women of my people ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their young children ye take away my glory for ever.

9You drive the women of my people out of their comfortable homes. You take away the glory I gave to their children forever.

10Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your resting-place; because of uncleanness that destroyeth, even with a grievous destruction.

10Get up and go! This is no longer a place of rest for you, because it is defiled. It is ruined, and the destruction is horrible.

11If a man walking in a spirit of falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.

11If a liar and a fraud comes and says, 'I will preach to you about plenty of wine and beer,' that is exactly the kind of preacher you people want!

12I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as a flock in the midst of their pasture; they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.

12I will surely bring all of you together, O Jacob; I will certainly gather the survivors of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will be noisy with the sound of many people.

13The breaker is gone up before them: they have broken forth and passed on to the gate, and are gone out thereat; and their king is passed on before them, and Jehovah at the head of them.

13The one who breaks open the way will go out before them. They will break through the gates and leave their captivity. Their King will lead them, with the LORD himself at the head of the line.