Micah 2

1Woe <FI>to<Fi> those devising iniquity, And working evil on their beds, In the light of the morning they do it, For their hand is--to God.

1Woe to you that devise that which is unprofitable, and work evil in your beds: in the morning light they execute it, because their hand is against God.

2And they have desired fields, And they have taken violently, And houses, and they have taken away, And have oppressed a man and his house, Even a man and his inheritance.

2And they have coveted fields, and taken them by violence, and houses they have forcibly taken away: and oppressed a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.

3Therefore, thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am devising against this family evil, From which ye do not remove your necks, Nor walk loftily, for a time of evil it <FI>is<Fi> .

3Therefore thus saith the Lord: Behold I devise an evil against this family: from which you shall not withdraw your necks, and you shall not walk haughtily, for this is a very evil time.

4In that day doth <FI>one<Fi> take up for you a simile, And he hath wailed a wailing of woe, He hath said, We have been utterly spoiled, The portion of my people He doth change, How doth He move toward me! To the backslider our fields He apportioneth.

4In that day a parable shall be taken up upon you, and a song shall be sung with melody by them that say: We are laid waste and spoiled: the portion of my people is changed: how shall he depart from me, whereas he is returning that will divide our land?

5Therefore, thou hast no caster of a line by lot In the assembly of Jehovah.

5Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast the cord of a lot in the assembly of the Lord.

6Ye do not prophesy--they do prophesy, They do not prophesy to these, It doth not remove shame.

6Speak ye not, saying: It shall not drop upon these, confusion shall not take them.

7Doth the house of Jacob say, `Hath the Spirit of Jehovah been shortened? Are these His doings?' Do not My words benefit the people that is walking uprightly?

7The house of Jacob saith: Is the Spirit of the Lord straitened or are these his thoughts? Are not my words good to him that walketh uprightly?

8And yesterday My people for an enemy doth raise himself up, From the outer garment the honourable ornament ye strip off, From the confident passers by, Ye who are turning back from war.

8But my people, on the contrary, are risen up as an enemy: you have taken away the cloak off from the coat: and them that passed harmless you have turned to war.

9The women of My people ye cast out from its delightful house, From its sucklings ye take away My honour to the age.

9You have cast out the women of my people from their houses, in which they took delight: you have taken my praise forever from their children.

10Rise and go, for this <FI>is<Fi> not the rest, Because of uncleanness it doth corrupt, And corruption is powerful.

10Arise ye, and depart, for there is no rest here for you. For that uncleanness of the land, it shall be corrupted with a grievous corruption.

11If one is going <FI>with<Fi> the wind, And <FI>with<Fi> falsehood hath lied: `I prophesy to thee of wine, and of strong drink,' He hath been the prophet of this people!

11Would God I were not a man that hath the spirit, and that I rather spoke a lie: I will let drop to thee of wine, and of drunkenness: and it shall be this people upon whom it shall drop.

12I do surely gather thee, O Jacob, all of thee, I surely bring together the remnant of Israel, Together I do set it as the flock of Bozrah, As a drove in the midst of its pasture, It maketh a noise because of man.

12I will assemble and gather together all of thee, O Jacob: I will bring together the remnant of Israel, I will put them together as a flock in the fold, as sheep in the midst of the sheepcotes, they shall make a tumult by reason of the multitude of men.

13Gone up hath the breaker before them, They have broken through, Yea, they pass through the gate, Yea, they go out through it, And pass on doth their king before them, And Jehovah at their head!

13For he shall go up that shall open the way before them: they shall divide and pass through the gate, and shall come in by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord at the head of them.