Micah2

¹Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil on their beds! When the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand.

²They covet fields and seize them, and houses, then take them away. They oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

³Therefore Yahweh says: “Behold, I am planning against these people a disaster, from which you will not remove your necks, neither will you walk haughtily, for it is an evil time.

⁴In that day they will take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, saying, ‘We are utterly ruined! My people’s possession is divided up. Indeed he takes it from me and assigns our fields to traitors!’”

⁵Therefore you will have no one who divides the land by lot in Yahweh’s assembly.

⁶“Don’t prophesy!”—they prophesy— “Don’t prophesy about these things. Disgrace won’t overtake us.”

⁷Shall it be said, O house of Jacob, “Is Yahweh’s Spirit angry? Are these his doings? Don’t my words do good to him who walks blamelessly?”

⁸But lately my people have risen up as an enemy. You strip the robe and clothing from those who pass by without a care, returning from battle.

⁹You drive the women of my people out from their pleasant houses; from their young children you take away my blessing forever.

¹⁰Arise, and depart! For this is not your resting place, because of uncleanness that destroys, even with a grievous destruction.

¹¹If a man walking in a spirit of falsehood lies, saying, “I will prophesy to you of wine and of strong drink,” he would be the prophet of this people.

¹²I will surely assemble all of you, Jacob. I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as a flock in the middle of their pasture. They will swarm with people.

¹³He who breaks open the way goes up before them. They break through the gate, and go out. Their king passes on before them, with Yahweh at their head.