International Standard Version

895/1189

Micah 2

1 “Woe to those who are crafting iniquity, planning evil well into the night! a When morning’s light comes, they carry out their plans b because they have the power to do so.

2 They covet fields and seize them; they covet c houses, and grab them, too. They harass the valiant man, along with his household, an individual and his estate.

3 “Therefore this is what the LORD says, ‘I’m crafting evil against this family, from which you can’t escape. d You won’t strut around arrogantly, because the times are evil.’

4 “When this happens, e someone will compose a proverb about you, lamenting sorrowfully, ‘We are completely ruined! He has given my people’s heritage to others. f How he has removed it from me, dividing up our fields!’

5 “This is why there will not be left even a single person to settle boundary disputes g in the LORD’s community.

6 To those who speak out, they will declare, ‘Don’t prophesy to anyone!’ so their shame won’t go away.

7 “It is said, house of Jacob, ‘The Spirit of the LORD is limited, if he acts this way, is he not?’ “But my words benefit those who live righteously, do they not?

8 Lately my people have acted like an enemy— you strip travelers who thought they were h as secure as those who return from war.

9 You have evicted the wives of my people from their dream homes; you have removed my majesty from their children permanently.

10 “Get up and go, because there’s no rest for you here! Since everything i is polluted, it can only cause destruction, even heavy destruction.

11 Suppose a man who keeps company with a deceiving spirit prophesies like this: ‘Drink wine and strong drink!’ Won’t the people accept him as a prophet?”

12 “Jacob, how I will surely gather all of you! How I will gather the survivors of Israel! I will gather them together like sheep in a pen, j like the flock in the midst of the sheepfold. There will be a great commotion because of all k the people.

13 God will stand up and break through l in their presence. Then they will pass through the gate, going out by it. Their king will pass in front of them with the LORD at their head.”