Micah 2

Woe 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.

1Trouble is coming to people who lie in bed planning bad things. When morning comes, they go do them, because they have the power to.

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

2They want other people's fields, so they grab them. They take houses too. They rob a man of his home and of the land his family passed down.

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

3So the LORD says this: I am planning trouble for this nation. You will not be able to slip your necks out of it. You will not walk around proudly anymore. It will be a hard time.

NoteThe KJV says "this family," but it means the whole nation, not one household.

4In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! turning away he hath divided our fields.

4On that day people will make up a song about you. It will be a sad, mocking song, and it will say: We have lost everything. God took what belonged to my people and gave it away. He handed our fields to other men.

5Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the LORD.

5So when God's people share out the land again, not one of you will be there to measure a piece for yourself.

NoteIsrael divided land by measuring it with a rope and drawing lots, a bit like drawing straws. Verse 5 means these people will get no share.

6Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.

6"Stop telling us God's messages," they say to the prophets. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says. "Do not say such things. Nothing shameful is going to happen to us."

7O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?

7People of Jacob's family, should anyone ask, "Has the LORD lost his patience? Does he really do things like this?" God says: My words are good to anyone who lives an honest life.

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

8Lately my own people have acted like an enemy. You pull the good coat right off people walking by. They were not looking for trouble and wanted no fight.

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

9You push the women of my people out of their nice homes. You take my good gift away from their children forever.

10Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.

10Get up and go away. This is not a safe place to rest. Wrong things done here have spoiled it. It will be ruined, and the ruin will be terrible.

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

11Suppose a man full of empty talk came and told lies. Suppose he said, "I will promise you wine and strong drink." That is just the kind of prophet these people would want.

Note"Walking in the spirit" here does not mean God's Spirit. It means a man full of wind, that is, empty talk.

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 the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.

12Jacob, I will surely bring all of you back together. I will gather the people of Israel who are left. I will put them in one place, like sheep safe in a pen. They will be a big, noisy crowd.

13The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the LORD on the head of them.

13Someone who breaks the way open will go ahead of them. They will push through the gate and walk out of it. Their king will go in front of them. The LORD himself will lead the way.