The Coming Destruction
Woe to the Oppressors
MICAH 2 [†] l Woe to those who devise wickedness
and work evil m on their beds!
When the morning dawns, they perform it,
because it is in the power of their hand.
2[†] They covet fields and n 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 o this family I am devising disaster, [1]
from which you cannot remove your necks,
and you p shall not walk haughtily,
q for it will be a time of disaster.
4[†] In that day r they shall take up a taunt song against you
and moan bitterly,
and say, “We are utterly ruined;
s he changes the portion of my people;
s how he removes it from me!
t To an apostate he allots our fields.”
5[†] Therefore you will have none u to cast the line by lot
in the assembly of the LORD.
6[†] v “Do not preach”—thus they preach—
w “one should not preach of such things;
x disgrace will not overtake us.”
7[†] Should this be said, O house of Jacob?
v Has the LORD grown impatient? [2]
Are these his deeds?
Do not my words do good
to him who walks uprightly?
8[†] But lately y my people have risen up as an enemy;
you strip the rich robe from those who pass by trustingly
with no thought of war. [3]
9 The women of my people you drive out
from their delightful houses;
from their young children you take away
my splendor forever.
for this is no a place to rest,
because of b uncleanness that destroys
with a grievous destruction.
11[†] If a man should go about and c utter wind and lies,
saying, “I will preach to you d of wine and strong drink,”
he would be the preacher for this people!
12[^][†] I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob;
e I will gather f the remnant of Israel;
I will set them together
like sheep in a fold,
h like a flock in its pasture,
a noisy multitude of men.
13[†] i He who opens the breach goes up before them;
they break through and pass the gate,
j going out by it.
Their king passes on before them,
k the LORD at their head.